Legal descriptions · Metes and bounds · Tools · October 23, 2026
Deed Plotter: How to Plot a Deed and Free Tools to Try
A deed plotter draws a parcel from its metes and bounds calls. Learn what to enter, how to read closure error, which free tools to try and how to check it.
A deed plotter is a program that turns the written boundary in a deed into a drawing. You type or paste each call, such as “North 45 degrees East, 210 feet,” and the tool draws one line after another until the shape closes back at the starting corner. It is the fastest way to see what an old metes and bounds description actually looks like, to catch typos in a legal description, and to compare a deed with the lines on a county parcel map. This guide explains what a deed plotter does, what you need before you start, how to plot a deed step by step, how to read the closure numbers, a few free tools people use, and where a plot stops being reliable.
The short answer
- A deed plotter draws a parcel from its legal description. Each course needs a direction (a bearing) and a length; curves need radius and arc or chord data.
- It checks closure. A good description ends where it began. The plotter reports how far the last line misses the starting point and the area enclosed.
- Free options exist. Several browser-based plotters let you enter calls by hand at no cost; desktop and surveying programs add more features.
- A plot is not a survey. It shows what the paper says, not where the corners are on the ground.
- Pair it with the parcel map. Comparing the plotted shape with the county GIS parcel lines is the quickest way to spot a mismatch worth asking a surveyor about.
What a deed plotter does
Most rural deeds and many older town lots are described by metes and bounds: a starting corner, then a chain of directions and distances around the edge of the land. Reading those calls in a paragraph makes it almost impossible to picture the shape. A deed plotter works through the calls in order, does the trigonometry for each leg and draws the result.
Along the way it usually reports:
- The plotted shape, often with each course labeled so you can match a line to its call.
- Area, in square feet and acres.
- Perimeter, the total of all course lengths.
- Closure error, the gap between where the last course ends and the point of beginning.
- Precision, the closure error compared with the perimeter, written as a ratio such as 1 in 5,000.
If you want to understand the drafting by hand first, our walkthrough on how to plot metes and bounds shows the same steps with a protractor and scale. A plotter just does that work faster and with fewer mistakes.
What you need before you plot
- The full legal description. Get it from the recorded deed, not a tax bill summary. Our guide to finding the legal description of a property covers where to look.
- The point of beginning. Note how the description reaches it. Some start at a section corner and run “tie” calls to the true starting corner before the boundary begins.
- Every course in order. Copy each bearing and distance exactly, including minutes and seconds.
- Curve data, if any course follows a curve: radius, arc length or central angle, and the chord bearing and distance when given.
- The units. Old deeds may use chains, rods, links or varas instead of feet.
| Old unit | Length in feet | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Chain (Gunter’s) | 66 feet | Federal land surveys and many rural deeds; see what a chain is |
| Link | 0.66 feet (7.92 inches) | One hundredth of a chain |
| Rod, pole or perch | 16.5 feet | Older eastern and midwestern deeds; see what a rod is |
| Vara | Varies by state; 33 1/3 inches is the common Texas value | Texas and other former Spanish lands; see what a vara is |
How to plot a deed, step by step
- Set the starting point. Most tools start at 0,0. If you have coordinates for the point of beginning from a survey, you can enter them instead.
- Enter tie calls separately. Calls that lead from a reference corner to the point of beginning are not part of the boundary. Many plotters let you flag them so they are not counted in area.
- Type each course. Write bearings as a quadrant, north or south first, then the angle, then east or west, such as N 12°30'00" W. Enter the distance with its unit.
- Add curves carefully. Enter the direction of the curve (left or right), the radius and the arc or chord values the deed gives.
- Check the drawing as you go. If one line suddenly heads off in the wrong direction, the call was probably typed wrong, or the deed itself has a typo.
- Read the closure. Once the last call is in, look at the closure error and precision.
- Save or export. Keep a PDF or image with your notes on which deed and book and page you used.
Reading closure error and precision
Closure tells you how well the written description adds up. In a perfect description the last course ends exactly at the starting corner. In practice, rounding, old measuring methods and copying errors leave a small gap.
Example (made-up numbers for illustration): a four-sided tract has a perimeter of 1,600 feet, and the plot ends 0.40 foot from the point of beginning. Precision is 0.40 ÷ 1,600, or 1 in 4,000. A gap of several feet on a parcel that size is a red flag.
A large misclosure usually comes from one of these:
- A mistyped call. Check every digit, and whether you entered a bearing as northeast when the deed says northwest.
- A transcription error in the deed. Earlier deeds in the chain of title may show the original call.
- A missing course. Watch for courses buried in long sentences or added by “thence along” language.
- Calls that follow a feature. A line that runs “along the creek” or “with the road” has no bearing to plot. Plotters either skip it or connect the endpoints with a straight line, which changes the area.
Free deed plotter options
Tools change often, so check each one’s current features and terms before relying on it. As of this writing, these browser-based plotters describe free manual plotting on their own sites:
| Tool | What its site says it does | Limits to know |
|---|---|---|
| BoundaryLogic Trace | Manual entry of bearings, distances, curves and PLSS calls, with closure, precision, area and free PDF and DXF export | Some export formats and AI-assisted plotting are paid or need an account with a card |
| MeteMap | Reads pasted legal description text, draws the boundary, checks closure and exports PNG or PDF, all in the browser | Simple circular curves only; meander calls cannot be plotted |
| Tract Plotter | Very simple straight-line plotter that accepts feet, yards, varas, rods, chains and links | No curves; calls must follow its short format |
| SlateTablet Deed Plotter | Paste deed language to see the plot, closure error and acreage with no login; handles curve calls | General-purpose tool; review parsed calls by hand |
Platbookmapper is not affiliated with any of these tools. Surveyors and title companies typically use full surveying or CAD software, which adds coordinate geometry, adjoiner checks and drafting standards.
Comparing your plot with the parcel map
A plot floating on a blank screen tells you the shape. To see where it falls, compare it with the county’s parcel layer:
- Open your county’s free parcel viewer from the Platbookmapper map and find the parcel.
- Compare the outline: number of sides, long and short edges, angles and acreage.
- Check the neighbors. If the deed calls along an adjoiner’s line, that parcel’s description should match yours along the shared edge.
- Remember that GIS parcel lines are drawn for tax mapping and can be off by many feet. Our guide to how accurate GIS maps are for property lines explains why.
Bearings in a deed are also relative to some reference direction, which may be magnetic north at the time of an old survey, true north or a grid. Our article on the basis of bearing covers why two documents describing the same line can show different angles, and reading a bearing on a plat map explains the notation.
Where a deed plot stops being reliable
- It shows the paper, not the ground. Monuments and occupation lines can control over written distances in many states.
- Water boundaries move. A line that follows a stream or shoreline cannot be plotted precisely; see what a meander line is.
- Old measurements were rougher. Chains stretched, compasses drifted, and fences were used as corners.
- Platted lots work differently. A lot described by lot and block number is defined by the recorded plat, not by a list of calls. See lot and block vs metes and bounds.
If the plot does not close, overlaps a neighbor, or does not match the parcel map, the next step is a licensed land surveyor. A recorded record of survey for the parcel or a neighbor may already answer the question.
This page is general background, not legal or surveying advice. Survey standards and boundary law vary by state, and a licensed surveyor has the final word on where a line is.
Deed plotter FAQ
What is a deed plotter?
It is software that reads the bearings and distances in a metes and bounds legal description and draws the boundary they describe. Most also report the area, perimeter and how closely the last line returns to the point of beginning.
Is there a free deed plotter?
Yes. Several browser tools offer free manual plotting, including BoundaryLogic Trace, MeteMap, Tract Plotter and SlateTablet, according to their own sites. Features and terms change, so confirm the current limits before you rely on one.
What does closure error mean on a deed plot?
It is the distance between where the final course ends and where the description started. A small gap is normal from rounding. A large one usually points to a typo, a missing call or a call that follows a creek or road instead of a bearing.
Can a deed plotter tell me where my property line is?
No. It shows what the written description says, not where the corners sit on the ground. Monuments, older surveys and local law can control the actual line, so a licensed surveyor is needed to mark it.
How do I enter chains or rods in a deed plotter?
Use the unit option if the tool has one, or convert first. A Gunter chain is 66 feet, a link is 0.66 foot and a rod is 16.5 feet. Vara lengths vary by state, so check which one your deed uses.
Can I put my deed plot on a map?
Some tools export files such as DXF or KML that mapping programs can open, sometimes only on paid plans. A simple check is to compare the plotted shape and acreage with the parcel outline on your county GIS map.
The bottom line
A deed plotter turns a metes and bounds description into a shape, an area and a closure check in minutes. Enter every call exactly as written, flag tie calls, convert old units, and read the closure before trusting the result. Then compare the plot with the county parcel map and the neighbors’ deeds. If something does not add up, bring the plot to a surveyor; it makes the conversation faster and cheaper.