AZ Land Surveyor cheat sheet

Boundary evidence hierarchy: natural monuments, artificial monuments, courses and distances, then area or quantity; a call to a monument generally controls over a conflicting distance.

Original survey corners are held as fixed under the federal rectangular system; a later resurvey cannot move an original corner, only restore or perpetuate it.

Monument of record vs. physical monument: if the physical monument does not match the record description or position, the surveyor must evaluate whether it is the original, a re-established, or an errant monument.

Proportionate measurement applies to lost corners of the PLSS between existing corners; it does not apply to corners that can be located by other acceptable evidence.

Single proportionate distance formula: (record distance to corner / record total distance) x measured total distance = measured distance to the lost corner position.

For a lost interior section corner, use double proportionate measurement: proportion in latitude and departures between controlling corners north-south and east-west.

Adverse possession, boundary by agreement, estoppel, and practical location are legal doctrines the surveyor must recognize and report, but the surveyor does not decide title.

Possession lines, occupation lines, fence lines, and improvements are evidence to be located and compared with record lines, not automatically the boundary.

Water boundaries: ordinary high water mark for meanderable streams and lakes; accretion belongs to the riparian owner, while avulsion leaves the boundary where it was.

A valid description must be sufficient to identify the parcel: a competent surveyor must be able to locate it on the ground without recourse to parol evidence beyond the document.

Order of construction for conflicting calls: natural monuments, artificial monuments, adjoining boundaries and lines, courses and distances, then area.

Metes and bounds descriptions should close; the record closure error is reported as a ratio (e.g., 1:5,000) and does not itself alter the record bearings and distances.

An aliquot part description (e.g., the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4) depends on the PLSS subdivision; check the official plat for acreage and any lot or exceptional subdivision.

Words of conveyance and exceptions must be read together; a call to a named adjoining owner's line is a monument call when the line is established.

A description that is ambiguous may be clarified by a subsequent survey only as evidence of intent; the surveyor should note the ambiguity rather than silently choose a location.

Senior and junior rights: the earlier (senior) conveyance generally holds where a later (junior) conveyance overlaps, absent contrary intent or other controlling facts.

Record title, tax description, and assessed description can differ; a survey must be based on the deed of record and note any discrepancies with tax or plat descriptions.

Traverse closure: linear error of closure = sqrt((sum of departures)^2 + (sum of latitudes)^2); relative precision = total traverse length / linear error of closure.

Latitude = distance x cos(bearing angle); departure = distance x sin(bearing angle); bearings are measured from north or south, so signs follow quadrant.

Compass rule (Bowditch) adjusts latitudes and departures proportionally to the total traverse length; transit rule adjusts proportionally to the magnitude of the latitudes and departures.

Coordinate geometry: inverse between two points gives distance = sqrt(delta N^2 + delta E^2) and azimuth = atan2(delta E, delta N) normalized to 0-360 degrees.

Curve formulas: tangent T = R tan(I/2); length L = R x I (radians); long chord = 2R sin(I/2); middle ordinate M = R(1 - cos(I/2)).

Area by coordinates (shoelace): 2A = sum of (N_i x E_(i+1) - N_(i+1) x E_i) around the closed figure; take the absolute value and divide by 2.

GNSS: RTK and network RTK provide centimeter-level positions when fixed; a single-baseline or network solution requires adequate satellite geometry, low PDOP, and a valid coordinate/geoid model.

Total station accuracy depends on instrument angle and EDM accuracy plus setup and target errors; prism constants and atmospheric corrections must be set correctly.

Leveling loop misclosure is distributed proportionally to the distance or number of setups between benchmarks.

Arizona survey practice is regulated by the State Board of Technical Registration, which licenses land surveyors and enforces the statutes and rules.

Arizona land surveyors must be licensed; practicing or offering to practice land surveying without registration is prohibited and subject to disciplinary action.

The Arizona Boundary Survey Minimum Standards establish required content for boundary surveys, including monumentation, research, field evidence, and a record of survey when required.

A record of survey is required when a survey establishes or re-establishes a boundary, discovers evidence conflicting with the record, or creates new corners not shown on a recorded plat, as specified in the standards.

Records of survey, plats, and corner records must be filed with the county recorder and, where applicable, the county surveyor within the time limits set by statute and standards.

Arizona is a PLSS state; original government corners are protected, and remonumentation is administered through county remonumentation programs under state statute.

Continuing professional competency and adherence to the standards of practice, including proper monument types, caps, and survey records, are enforceable obligations.

Seals and signatures: the licensed surveyor must sign and seal survey documents; the seal certifies responsibility for the work and must not be applied to work not performed or supervised.