How Land Surveyors Create Deed Descriptions

When performing land surveys in Guadalupe County, TX, it is important for the surveyor to develop a strong deed description, which plays a key role in the property’s record. The deed description goes beyond just the basics of where the house is located. It features in-depth descriptions of the measurements of the property, where it’s situated, what else is in the area and anything else that is worth noting on the deed.

Those who write property descriptions will use specific terminology in the deed description, which can sometimes read like a foreign language or jargon to people outside of the industry, but makes writing the deed descriptions significantly easier.

Here’s a quick look at some of those terms and some of the other methods used to create high-quality deed descriptions when finishing up land surveys.

What to know about deed descriptions

Two of the most common terms you’re likely to come across when reading deed descriptions are “metes” and “bounds.” Metes are a measurement and description of the distance and course of a property, while bounds refers to the property boundaries.

For example, a property description might read as follows: “X Property is bound along the east by Smith, along the south by Jackson, along the north by the Green River and along the west by James.” This provides information about what surrounds the property and the sides of the property that exist. The names refer to property owners on the other side.

The metes description would also be added, possibly reading something like “thence northerly for a distance of 500 feet to the southern boundary of the Green River.” What this would mean is that the property goes 500 feet to the north, where it then meets the edge of the Green River. By combining the descriptions of the bounds and metes, this gives a much better idea of the scope of the property that can then be included in a deed description.

It’s easy to see, then, that the kind of language used in a deed description can be a little difficult for some people to understand. The language can feel a bit outdated at times. However, if you’re able to properly decipher it, you’ll have a better understanding of exactly where the property is located, how much space there is until the neighboring properties begin, what the boundaries of the properties are and what natural features act as boundaries. Because the description language is consistent over time, you should be able to decipher deed descriptions in this way going back quite a long time, so long as those deeds are on official record in your area.

If you’re interested in learning more about the work performed by land surveyors, including how they create deed descriptions that accurately describe the layout and scope of a piece of property, we encourage you to contact Bettersworth & Associates, Inc. Our team specializes in land surveys in Guadalupe County, TX, and we would be happy to answer any questions you have.

Categorised in: Land Surveyor