Blog · September 27, 2026
What Is a Cadastral Survey
A cadastral survey maps ownership boundaries for a public system, such as the original section survey or a modern parcel rebuild.
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It is broader than one house survey and different from a subdivision plat, which only cuts up one tract. The Public Land Survey System is the cadastral framework in much of the country.
On the recorded sheet
A retracement of those old lines is specialized work. A lot survey inside a 1990 plat is not the same assignment.
The mix-up to avoid
The county GIS layer is a map of the cadastre for tax purposes. It is not itself the cadastral survey.
Find the county map
The county GIS map is the practical place to start. Find it from the Platbookmapper directory, then treat the recorded plat and deed as the documents behind the picture.
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey.