Blog · September 27, 2026
What Is Metes and Bounds
Metes and bounds is a legal description that walks the perimeter by directions and distances.
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Each call is a bearing and a length, or a call to a monument, a creek, or a road. The description must close back to the start.
On the recorded sheet
Platted lots can still carry a metes-and-bounds tie to show where the subdivision sits. The lot number remains the simple description.
The mix-up to avoid
A narrative description in a listing is not metes and bounds. The recorded calls are.
Find the county map
Search the county on the Platbookmapper home page. The directory links to the official parcel viewer. It does not draw the lots, and the line on the screen is an assessment map, not a survey.
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.