Plats And Mapping

(1) When a Land Surveyor furnishes a Survey Plat, it shall be properly and accurately drawn, and should legibly depict information developed by and during the survey. (2) The size of the Survey Plat shall be such that details can be shown clearly and be of a size no less than 8.5”x11”. (3) Preliminary documents must be clearly marked as such prominently on the face of the document. (4) Property lines which are not actually surveyed must be clearly indicated as such on the Survey Plat. A statement shall be included revealing the source of information from which the lines are derived. In the compilation of a composite Plat, the Land Surveyor shall indicate and cite the source of all lines copied from a previous source. STANDARDS OF PRACTICE CHAPTER 0820-03 (5) Unless containing a digital signature and seal in reference to Rule 0820-04-.08(10), electronic or digital survey documents such as, but not limited to, CAD files, PDF files, and word processor files or other digital media are considered “Preliminary” or “Draft” documents. (6) Pertinent information on the Survey Plat shall be correctly plotted to the scale shown or noted otherwise. Enlargement “Detail” of a portion of a Plat is acceptable in the interest of clarity, where shown as inserts on the same sheet and/or with a description of where to find the “Detail” if it is located on another sheet of the same Survey Plat. (7) Visible and apparent rights-of-way, utilities, and roadways where crossing or forming any boundary line of the property shall be accurately located and shown on the Survey Plat. (8) Easements evidenced by Record Documents which have been provided to the Land Surveyor shall be shown. These include both those burdening and those benefiting the property surveyed, indicating recording information. If an easement cannot be located, a note to this effect shall be included. Observable evidence of easements and/or servitudes of all kinds, such as those created by roads; rights-of-way; water courses; drains; or utilities on or across the surveyed property and on adjoining properties if they appear to affect the surveyed property, shall be located and noted. If the Land Surveyor has knowledge of any such easements and/or servitudes, not observable at the time of the survey, such lack of observable evidence shall be noted. Surface indications, if any, of underground easements and/or servitudes shall also be shown and noted. Where non-observable data is shown relative to existing utilities in reliance on apparent surface markings or available utility plans or the apparent surface indicators which are not visible to the Land Surveyor, a statement as to the source of the data shall be included on the Survey Plat as well as a note stating such data should not be relied upon without verification from the proper utility authority having jurisdiction. (9) Area: When a boundary is formed by a closed survey, the area shall be shown in acres and/or square feet. Area computations by estimation, planimeter, by scale, or copying from another source are not acceptable methods except in preliminary maps and non-accessible areas, in which case the method shall be clearly stated. If the survey is a new/original tract or the area is different from the recorded area, then the survey must show the area of any closed surveyed tracts. (10) When using abbreviations and/or symbols, a thorough legend describing all abbreviations and symbols used shall be included on the Survey Plat. (11) The presence of a Land Surveyor’s seal and personal signature upon the face of a Survey Plat or document shall constitute a certification that the Plat or document conforms to the minimum Standards of Practice for Land Surveying in Tennessee as defined by the Rules of the Tennessee State Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors.