By Metes and Bounds
From deed to map
Turn legal land descriptions into visualized parcels. Enter metes and bounds calls from deeds, patents, and surveys - including curves and historical units. See the parcel on a map, calculate closure, apply adjustments, and export to GIS-ready formats.
Why By Metes and Bounds?
Historical Units
Work with the units actually used in old deeds: chains, links, rods, poles, perches. Spanish varas (Texas, Castilian, Mexican). French arpents, toises, and pieds. Fathoms and furlongs. All converted correctly.
Curve Calculations
Enter curves by radius, arc length, chord, or delta angle. The app calculates the rest. Left or right curves rendered correctly on the map. Essential for railroad and highway descriptions.
Local Processing
All calculations happen on your machine. No internet required after installation. Your survey data and property descriptions never leave your computer.
Features
Call Entry
Enter bearings in degrees-minutes-seconds format. Quick entry with validation and error checking.
Closure Calculation
See closure error in real-time as you enter calls. Display precision ratio and bearing/distance of misclosure.
Bowditch Adjustment
Apply proportional adjustment to close the traverse. Compare original and adjusted positions.
Plat Overlay
Import scanned plat images and georeference them using control points. Compare deed description to original plat.
Reference Layers
Import GeoJSON or shapefiles as reference layers. Overlay parcels on existing GIS data.
GIS Export
Export parcels to Shapefile or GeoJSON format. Compatible with QGIS, ArcGIS, and other GIS software.
Who Uses This?
Title Researchers: Visualize legal descriptions from deeds and compare to modern parcel boundaries. Identify discrepancies between historical records and current surveys.
Genealogists: Map ancestor land holdings from original patents and deeds. Understand the actual ground your family once owned - even when described in chains, rods, or Spanish varas.
Surveyors: Quick field verification of written descriptions. Enter calls from notes and see if they close. Useful for reviewing old plats and planning retracement surveys.
Historians: Map historical boundaries, original town lots, railroad rights-of-way, and other land divisions from primary sources.
System Requirements
Desktop
- Windows 10+, macOS 10.14+, or Linux
- 4 GB RAM minimum
- 200 MB disk space
- WebGL-capable graphics for map rendering
- Internet only needed for base maps (optional)