AL Land Surveyor key terms

A physical object placed or found on the ground to mark a boundary corner or survey point, such as an iron pin, concrete post, or stone. Its location controls the written description when it is called for.

A point where boundary lines meet or change direction, including original government corners and property corners. Corners are located by evidence and then marked by monuments.

The wording in a deed or plat that describes a boundary, whether by monument, course and distance, adjoining owner, or area. Courts generally rank monument calls above course and distance calls.

A boundary description given as a bearing (course) and a measured length (distance). It yields to a called monument when the two conflict, because the monument is stronger evidence of the original location.

The direction of a line expressed as an angle measured from a reference meridian, usually stated in degrees, minutes, and seconds with a quadrant label such as N45E.

A direction angle measured clockwise from a chosen reference meridian, typically north, through a full circle from 0 to 360 degrees. Used in control and boundary computations.

Physical or documentary indications of a boundary's original location, such as monuments, blazes, fences, occupation lines, and field notes. Retracement relies on evidence before measurement.

The process of reestablishing or verifying the location of an existing boundary by recovering and evaluating original evidence and following the original surveyor's footsteps rather than creating new lines.

The first survey that established a parcel or government section boundary and created the controlling record. Later surveys must honor its monuments and intent where they can be recovered.

A survey conducted under the General Land Office system that divided public lands into townships, ranges, sections, and aliquot parts. Its plats and field notes are controlling records for retracement.

A unit of the public land survey system nominally one mile square containing about 640 acres, bounded by section lines and identified by number within a township.

A public land survey unit nominally six miles square containing 36 sections, identified by a range number east or west and a township number north or south of a base line.

A method of restoring a lost corner by dividing the record distances between found controlling corners in proportion to the measured distances, used when no better evidence exists.

A corner whose original position cannot be recovered from physical evidence or reliable testimony. It may be reestablished by proportion or other accepted methods depending on its type.

A corner whose monument no longer exists but whose position can still be determined from traces, nearby reference marks, or reliable testimony. It is treated as found, not lost.

A legal doctrine allowing a person who openly, notoriously, exclusively, and continuously occupies another's land for the statutory period to gain title, subject to state law requirements.

A settled boundary established when adjoining owners, uncertain about the true line, agree on a location and treat it as binding. It resolves dispute rather than relocating title.

A nonpossessory right held by one party to use another's land for a specific purpose, such as access or utilities. It does not convey ownership of the servient land.

An easement acquired through open, continuous, adverse use of another's land for the statutory period, similar in requirements to adverse possession but granting use rather than title.

A right of passage across land, held by the public or another party, often for a road or utility. It may be an easement or a fee strip depending on how it was acquired.

An unauthorized physical intrusion of a structure or improvement onto another's land or into an easement area, often revealed by a boundary or improvement survey.

A required minimum distance between a structure and a property line, street, or other feature, established by zoning or subdivision regulation to control development.

A map of a subdivision or parcel showing boundaries, lots, streets, and dedications, prepared for recording. A recorded plat can create lots and bind future owners.

The division of land into two or more lots or parcels for sale or development, usually subject to local platting approval and improvement requirements.

The intentional transfer of private land to public use, such as streets or parks shown on a plat, which becomes effective upon acceptance by the public authority.

A stable, known point of reference with published elevation or coordinates used as a basis for vertical or horizontal control in surveys.

A surveyed point with known position or elevation used to orient and check other survey work. Horizontal and vertical control points anchor traverses and construction layout.

A reference surface or system from which elevations or coordinates are measured, such as a vertical datum for elevations or a geodetic datum for horizontal positions.

Positions expressed as latitude and longitude on a reference ellipsoid, or as state plane coordinates, accounting for the curvature of the earth rather than a flat plane.

A system of projected coordinates defined for each state to allow survey positions to be expressed on a flat grid while controlling distortion from earth curvature.

A series of connected survey lines whose lengths and directions are measured to determine point positions. Closed traverses are checked for angular and linear misclosure.

A line on a map connecting points of equal elevation, used to depict terrain shape and slope. Contour interval is the elevation difference between adjacent lines.

A map showing natural and cultural features of the land, including elevations, drainage, vegetation, and improvements, used for planning and design.

Curves used in route and street design: horizontal curves change direction in plan, while vertical curves transition grade changes in profile. Both are laid out during construction.

A method of referencing positions along a line or route by distance, usually in 100-foot stations such as 10+00. It provides a common language for design and construction layout.

The slope of the ground or a constructed surface, expressed as a percentage or ratio of vertical rise to horizontal run. It controls drainage and layout elevations.

The vertical distance of a point above or below a chosen reference surface or datum, usually stated in feet or meters and determined by leveling or GPS methods.

A recordable drawing showing the results of a boundary survey, including boundaries, monuments, and dimensions. It documents the surveyor's professional opinion of the property lines.

Testimony or statements outside the written deed, sometimes admitted to explain ambiguities or establish boundary locations when monuments and records are unclear.

The degree of care and skill that a reasonably competent surveyor would exercise under similar circumstances. Departing from it can support a negligence claim.

Failure to exercise the standard of care owed to others, resulting in harm. In surveying, it may involve erroneous boundaries, inadequate research, or careless monument placement.

The professional principles governing honesty, competence, and fairness in practice, including truthful reporting, avoiding conflicts of interest, and protecting the public.

A surveyor's official stamp applied to maps, plats, and reports to certify professional responsibility for the work and to meet licensing requirements.