Blog · September 30, 2026
What Is a Record of Survey?
A record of survey is a filed map of a survey that shows what the surveyor found and did, often a retracement of existing lines rather than a new subdivision. It informs. In most cases it does not, by itself, convey land or create lots.
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A report in map form
States that require survey filing use names such as record of survey, plat of survey, or certificate of survey. The details differ. The common idea is that a surveyor who retraces a boundary, restores a monument, or sets new monuments files a map so the next surveyor can see the evidence and the opinion. The map may show found and set monuments, record versus measured courses, occupation, and a narrative. It is evidence of professional opinion under seal. It is not automatically a deed. If the owner wanted to sell a piece, a deed still has to grant it, and if the owner wanted to subdivide, a subdivision plat still has to meet the subdivision rules. People frame a record of survey and think the lot split is done. Often it is not.
How to read the narrative
The narrative is the part in sentences. It should say what the surveyor was asked to do, which deeds and plats were used, which monuments were held, and which were rejected. That prose prevents you from treating every set cap as a new corner of a new lot. A set monument on a retracement is the surveyor’s mark at a corner they conclude already existed. A set monument on a subdivision plat may be a brand-new lot corner. The title of the sheet tells you which kind of work you are holding. Read the title before the graphics. County GIS staff sometimes draw parcel lines from these filings and sometimes do not. Until they do, and even after, the GIS line is an assessment line. Platbookmapper links to it and does not file or display records of survey.
Conflicts between two filings
Two records of survey can disagree. Both can be honestly sealed. Disagreement is a reason to read both narratives, not a reason to pick the one that adds a foot to your side. Monuments, senior deeds, and the original plat still have their roles. A later filing does not win by date alone, especially if it did not recover the monuments the earlier filing held. You cannot resolve the conflict with a phone GPS, a measuring wheel, or a laser measure. Those tools are not a survey. Do not pull the caps you like less. Leave the evidence, and hire a surveyor if you must build. If the conflict is really a title overlap, a lawyer belongs in the conversation too.
What to do next
- Read the title to see whether the sheet is a retracement or a subdivision.
- Read the narrative before you trust a single set iron.
- Compare record and measured calls using the legend.
- Look for later filings instead of assuming the first map filed is the last word.
The mix-up to avoid
Using a record of survey as a deed to the fence line it shows as occupation. Occupation drawn on a survey is a fact report. It does not transfer the strip.
Questions people ask
Does every state require one?
No. Filing rules vary. Some states require a record of survey when monuments are set or when evidence disagrees with the record. Some local offices have their own habits. The absence of a filing in a state that does not require one is not a defect.
Can I build to the lines on a record of survey?
Only with the caution that the survey is an opinion about existing lines, and your permit office may want its own exhibit. It is a strong document. It is not a substitute for reading the deed it retraced, and it is not a building permit.
Find the county map
Start at Platbookmapper, search the county, and open the local GIS link. Write down the parcel number before you compare the screen to a paper plat.
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.