A brief summary of what is involved when one wants to draft metes & bounds features in a GIS.

1. Understanding and Drafting Metes & Bounds Descriptions in a GIS Kyle Souza TractBuilder

2. What is a GIS? Geographic Information System Computerized Mapping Data that has “Place”

3. What is GIS Drafting? Mapping a Legal Description in a GIS environment Commonly: Individual Properties Political Boundaries Areas of Interest

4. What is a Legal Description? The official written words which delineate a specific piece of real property.

5. Metes & Bounds A legal description where the boundaries are described by working around the parcel of the land in sequence, starting with a point of beginning, then describing individual calls, and finally returning back to the point of beginning. Metes & Bounds on Wikipedia

6. Example Description 1 Sec. 24, T16S, R24W: 3.33 acres, more or less, described as beginning at the SW/c of the NW/4 of the SE/4 of said Section 3, thence East along the Subdivision line 14 chains and 65 links, thence South 50 Yards, thence West 14 chains and 65 links; thence North 50 yards to the point of beginning, AND 10.00 acres, more or less, described as commencing at the NW/c of SE/4 of said Section 3, thence South 7 chains and 89 links to the point of beginning, thence South 12 chains and 11 links, thence East 14 chains and 65 links, thence North 1 chain and 66 links, thence North 54 degrees 30 minutes West 18 chains to the point of beginning, all located in Lamar County, Alabama.

7. Example Description 2 BEING 160.0 acres of land, more or less out of BLOCK FIVE of the Laura Driscoll Thomson Estate Ranch as recorded in Volume 3, Page 49 of the Map Records of Bee County, Texas, said 160.0 acres tract, as shown in the attached "EXHIBIT A", being more particularly described as follows; COMMENCING at a found 5/8 inch iron rod in the south line of said BLOCK FIVE said iron rod being S 89°07'17" W 79.00 feet from the centerline of the Aransas River; THENCE, with said south line, S 89°07'17" W 1317.19 feet to a point; THENCE, leaving said south line, N 00°52'43" W 5413.85 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE, with the perimeter of this 160.0 acre tract, West 2350.89 feet to a point, North 3486.28 feet to a point, East 1133.40 feet to a point on the west bank of the Aransas River; THENCE, with the meanders of said bank, S 23°18'29" E 773.37 feet to a point, S 32°11'08" E 295.36 feet to a point, S 33°14'14" E 140.40 feet to a point, S 64°58'31" E 100.36 feet to a point, S 29°49'41" E 147.93 feet to a point, S 58°22'28" E 559.96 feet to a point, S 78°46'10" E 36.59 feet to a point; THENCE, leaving said west bank, South 1937.09 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING, and containing 160.0 acres of land, more or less.

8. Different Types of Measurements Common Units in Texas Uncommon Units in Texas Inches Feet Yards Miles Varas Links Chains Poles Rods Meters Kilometers Furlongs Arpents

9. Different Types Of Calls Direction / Bearing Most Common Curve Arc Length Delta Chord XY

10. Curve Call Example Beginning at - (WGS84) 95.345614547757,29.7135918170302 Thence north 70degrees 56minutes 34 seconds west 45.87 feet Thence north 19 degrees 14minutes 50 seconds east 121.08 feet Thence along a curve to the right with a radius of 131.58 feet and a chord bearing south 43.3008 and east 110.78 feet Thence south 56 degrees 05 minutes 51 seconds W 87.73 feet to the point of beginning

11. Finding the Starting Position XY or Lat/Long Reference Point Survey Corners Other properties Landmarks Intersections (roads) Aerials

12. Things You Will Run Into Commencing At… Unclear Point of Beginning Missing Calls Rivers Roads Closure Errors

13. Abilities To Look For in a Tool Change Individual Calls Mix Call Types for a Single Feature Mix Drafting Methods for a Single Feature Text-to-Polygon Conversion

14. Some Tools on the Market ArcView Traverse Tool TractBuilder Metes & Bounds Tool Stand-Alone Everest GIS

15. Metes & Bounds in a GIS SINGLE FEATURE WITH CALLS

16. Metes & Bounds in a GIS MULTIPLE FEATURES

17. TractBuilder Products & Services Drafting Web Portals Tools for ArcView Data Provider

18. Understanding and Drafting Metes & Bounds Descriptions in a GIS Kyle Souza TractBuilder