Draw accurate property boundaries with the Deed Drawer Tool

Learn about the Deed Drawer Tool, its definition, benefits and how to use it to turn metes-and-bounds descriptions into accurate property boundaries.

Availability

Definition

Key benefits

How to use the Deed Drawer tool 

How to read a legal description of a deed

Definition

The Land id™ Deed Drawer is a tool that lets you plot deeds. This tool works by enabling users to accurately map property boundaries by manually plotting deeds and metes-and-bounds descriptions. 

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Key benefit

Map property boundaries with precision for real estate projects and land analysis tasks

How to use the Deed Drawer tool

Watch the YouTube tutorial on "Deed Plotting Tool" or follow the step-by-step guides below on how to share a Land id™ map via different methods.

How to read a legal description of a deed

Deeds often rely on a metes-and-bounds description to describe a property. While there are more modern, standardized systems for land boundaries today, the metes-and-bounds plotter system continues to exist in the form of old land surveys, deeds and other documents. The challenge now is figuring out how to translate the information from legal deeds to the parcel mapping needs.

To plot a legal deed description, start by finding the Point of Beginning (POB) in the deed description and then locating the POB on the map. The POB is crucial because it serves as the reference point from which the property boundaries are described. It clearly and accurately identifies the property's location and boundaries. 

A POB can take many forms. Some are easy to locate while others are more ambiguous.

Types of Points of Beginning

• Clearly identifiable locations are easy to visually locate and you will be able to place a point accurately.
  • Examples:  Section corner, established boundary or a specific distance and bearing from a clearly identifiable location
  • Where to start:  Use the deed drawing tool to plot your features based on this information.

• General but not precise locations can be visually located, but manually placing a point at the exact center may introduce positional errors.
  • Examples: General map features, such as the center of an intersection or the top of a hill
  • Where to start: Use the deed drawing tool to start your deed polygon as accurately as possible. Use the feature editing tools to fine-tune its placement by moving or rotating the feature if needed.

• Obscure or missing points may not be visible in aerial or satellite imagery or could have disappeared over time.
  • Examples:  Survey monuments, stones, fence posts, trees, or watercourses
  • Where to start:

    • If you can go on-site, locate and mark these features using the Land id™ mobile app. Then, return to Land id™ on the desktop and use the deed drawing tool with your manually marked POB.

    • If you can't go on-site or the original reference points cannot be located due to removal, erosion, or development, you'll need to estimate the boundary’s location. The best approach is to approximate the POB based on available information (e.g. parcel data, surface water edges). While this method is less precise, it provides a practical solution when exact POB details are unavailable.

      • For example, if you have a general idea of the parcel’s location, select a point along the expected boundary and begin plotting with deed drawing tool. Once the boundary is drawn, use one of the tools to move or rotate the boundary’s position on the map. 

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