How to Extract Metes and Bounds from a Deed

Every land surveyor knows the feeling: a stack of deed documents on the desk, each one containing metes and bounds descriptions that need to be manually read, interpreted, and transcribed into usable data. It's the most time-consuming part of boundary work.

What Are Metes and Bounds?

Metes and bounds is the oldest system of land description in the United States. A metes and bounds description defines a parcel by describing its boundary lines using compass bearings (direction) and distances, starting from a Point of Beginning (POB) and tracing the perimeter back to that point.

A typical call looks like: N 45° 30' 15" E, 150.00 feet — meaning "from here, go northeast at 45 degrees 30 minutes 15 seconds for 150 feet."

The Traditional Extraction Process

Traditionally, extracting metes and bounds from a deed involves:

1. Reading the deed document (often a scanned PDF or even a handwritten original)
2. Identifying the legal description section among the legal boilerplate
3. Manually transcribing each bearing and distance call
4. Converting between different notation formats (e.g., quadrant bearings vs. azimuths)
5. Handling curve data (radius, arc length, chord bearing, delta angle)
6. Entering everything into survey software or a spreadsheet

For a single parcel, this can take 15-30 minutes. For a subdivision with dozens of lots, it can consume an entire day.

Using AI to Extract Metes and Bounds

Modern AI can read deed documents — including scanned PDFs, photographs, and even handwritten deeds — and extract every bearing, distance, and curve call automatically. Here's how it works with CADastral:

1. Upload your deed. Drag and drop a PDF, image, or Word document. The AI accepts scanned documents, photographs, and typed text.
2. AI reads the document. Advanced vision models identify the legal description section and parse every metes and bounds call, including curves, easements, and exceptions.
3. Review extracted data. The AI presents structured data: each call with its bearing, distance, and any curve parameters, ready for verification.
4. Plot immediately. One click sends the extracted calls to the interactive deed plotter, where you can visualize the boundary, adjust the Point of Beginning, and verify closure.

What About Handwritten Deeds?

One of the biggest challenges in land surveying is dealing with historical deeds — handwritten documents from the 1800s and early 1900s with faded ink, inconsistent notation, and archaic language. AI vision models are trained on millions of handwriting samples and can read these documents with remarkable accuracy.

From Extraction to Plot in Under a Minute

The real power is in the workflow: upload a deed, AI extracts the calls, and within seconds you have an interactive plot on screen. You can export as a PDF plat or DXF file for CAD software. What used to take 30 minutes now takes under 60 seconds.