FS Exam Preparation

Comprehensive preparation for the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam. 7 modules covering all 7 exam domains with 60 in-depth topics.

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Lesson 6

Metes & Bounds Descriptions

Learning Objectives

After completing this topic, you should be able to:

Define metes and bounds and identify the components of a description
Interpret bearing and distance calls in a legal description
Identify the point of beginning (POB) and its requirements
Recognize ambiguities and defects in legal descriptions
Understand curve descriptions in metes and bounds
Trace a metes and bounds description on paper or in coordinates

Overview

Metes and bounds is the oldest and most common system of describing real property boundaries. "Metes" refers to measurements (distances and directions), and "bounds" refers to boundaries (natural and artificial features that define the limits of the property). A metes and bounds description traces the perimeter of a parcel by starting at a defined point and following a series of courses (direction and distance pairs) back to the starting point.

Understanding metes and bounds descriptions is essential for every surveyor. The FS exam tests your ability to read, interpret, and identify issues in legal descriptions.

Key Concepts

Figure FS.3.6 — Metes and bounds: components (caption, POB, courses, closure, area), bearing conventions (quadrant system), curve descriptions, common defects, rules of construction, step-by-step tracing

Figure FS.3.6b — Metes and Bounds Description Components (compact)

Components of a Metes and Bounds Description

A well-written description includes:

1. Caption (title and reference):

Identifies the property location (county, state, section/township/range or other reference)
References the source document (deed book and page, plat reference)

2. Point of beginning (POB):

The starting point for the boundary traverse
Must be tied to a recoverable reference (monument, survey point, intersection of roads, corner of a section)
Must be identifiable on the ground -- not an abstract point

3. Courses (calls):

Each course consists of a bearing (direction) and a distance
Additional information may include curve data, monument calls, and adjoiners
Example: "North 45 degrees 30 minutes East, a distance of 200.00 feet to an iron pipe"

4. Closure:

The description must return to the point of beginning
A properly written description forms a closed polygon

5. Area statement:

The total area of the parcel (in acres, square feet, or hectares)
Usually qualified with "more or less" because area is the least reliable element

Bearing Conventions

Figure FS.3.6c — Bearing quadrant convention with examples

Bearings in legal descriptions use the quadrant system:

Always start with North or South
Followed by the angle from north or south
End with East or West
Example: N 45° 30' E means 45 degrees 30 minutes measured from north toward the east

The four quadrants:

Quadrant	Bearing Format	Azimuth Range
Northeast	N _ E	0 to 90 degrees
Southeast	S _ E	90 to 180 degrees
Southwest	S _ W	180 to 270 degrees
Northwest	N _ W	270 to 360 degrees

Curve Descriptions

Figure FS.3.6e — Curve description geometry (R, L, C, Δ)

When a boundary follows a curve (common along roads and waterfront), the description should include:

Element	Description
Radius (R)	The radius of the circular curve
Arc length (L)	The distance along the curved path
Central angle (delta)	The angle subtended by the arc at the center of the circle
Chord bearing	The bearing of the straight line connecting the curve endpoints
Chord distance	The length of that straight line
Direction of curvature	Whether the curve is concave to the left or right

Example: "...thence along a curve to the right having a radius of 300.00 feet, an arc length of 157.08 feet, a central angle of 30 degrees 00 minutes, a chord bearing of S 75 degrees 00 minutes E and a chord distance of 155.29 feet..."

Common wrong path — confusing arc length with chord distance. A curve call like "along a curve having a radius of 300 ft, arc length 157.08 ft" describes a curved path. If you treat the 157.08 ft as a straight-line distance and plot it along the chord bearing, you'll position the next point 1.79 ft too far (chord = 155.29, not 157.08). Exam questions plant this trap by listing the full curve data and asking you to compute the coordinates of the next turning point — you must use the chord to go point-to-point along a straight line, and the arc only for stationing or area computations along the curve. Read the description: "thence along a curve" means you're following the curved boundary; the specific value you plug into coordinate math depends on which element you need (chord for point position, arc for length along the curve).

Quick retrieval check — try before reading on.

▶A boundary curve has R = 500 ft, delta (central angle) = 60° 00'. What are the arc length and chord length? If you used the arc length to plot the curve's endpoint from its start point, how far off would you be?

Arc length $L = R \times \Delta \text{(in radians)} = 500 \times (60 \times \pi/180) = 500 \times 1.0472 = 523.60$ ft.

Chord $LC = 2R \sin(\Delta/2) = 2 \times 500 \times \sin(30°) = 1000 \times 0.5 = 500.00$ ft.

Using the 523.60 ft arc length as if it were a chord places the endpoint 523.60 − 500.00 = 23.60 ft past the true endpoint. For a 60° central angle the chord is notably shorter than the arc — the difference grows with delta. For small delta (under 10°), chord and arc agree within ~1%; for large delta (above 30°), the difference is exam-relevant.

Common Defects and Ambiguities

Figure FS.3.6d — Six common metes-and-bounds description defects

Defect	Problem
No point of beginning	Cannot locate the start of the description
Description does not close	Missing course or angular/distance error
Conflicting calls	Bearing says one thing, monument says another
Vague references	"To the old oak tree" (which one? is it still there?)
Missing course	A gap in the boundary traverse
Overlapping descriptions	Two parcels claim the same land
Internal inconsistency	Stated area does not match computed area

Rules of Construction for Legal Descriptions

When interpreting ambiguous or conflicting descriptions:

Read the description as a whole -- do not interpret phrases in isolation
Give meaning to every part of the description if possible
Specific controls over general -- a specific call controls a general statement
Grant is construed against the grantor -- ambiguities are resolved in favor of the grantee
Apply the hierarchy of controlling elements (SICMoMe) to resolve conflicts between calls
Words control over figures -- "two hundred" controls over "20" if there is a conflict

Tracing a Description

Figure FS.3.6f — Four-step description tracing workflow

To trace a metes and bounds description:

Identify the point of beginning and plot it
From the POB, draw the first course using the bearing and distance
At the end of the first course, draw the second course
Continue until the description returns to the POB
Check for closure -- the last course should return exactly to the POB
Note any monuments called for at turning points

Exam Tips

The POB must be tied to a recoverable reference -- it cannot be an undefined point in space
Bearings use the quadrant system (N/S first, then angle, then E/W)
A proper description closes on itself -- returning to the POB
Area is the least reliable element and is usually qualified with "more or less"
Curves are typically described in plats and deeds using five elements (radius, arc length, central angle, chord bearing, chord distance); geometrically only two of {R, Δ, L, C, T, E, M} are required to compute the rest, but listing several aids redundancy checking
When deed calls conflict, apply SICMoMe to resolve (monuments over measurements, etc.)
Grant is construed against the grantor in cases of ambiguity
The FS exam may ask you to identify defects in a description, interpret a bearing, or trace a description to find a missing course
Know how to convert between quadrant bearings and azimuths

FS Exam Preparation

Module 1: Surveying Processes & Methods

Module 2: Mapping Processes & Methods

Module 3: Boundary Law & Real Property

Module 4: Surveying Principles & Geodesy

Module 5: Survey Computations

Module 6: Business Concepts

Module 7: Applied Math & Statistics