Survey Records

How to Find and Read Survey Plats

San Juan County maintains several types of survey records that document property boundaries and land divisions. These records are public documents and are available for viewing through the links on this site.

This page explains what these records are and how to find the information you may need.

Types of Survey Records

Record of Survey

A Record of Survey is a document prepared by a licensed land surveyor that shows the results of a boundary survey or other land survey work.

These records often include:

• Boundary measurements
• Monument locations
• Section corners
• Easements
• Property descriptions

Records of Survey are filed to preserve survey information for future reference.

ROS Plat Details Sheet

Annexation Plats

An annexation plat documents land that has been incorporated into a municipality.

These plats show the boundary changes between a city and surrounding areas.

Subdivision Plats

A Subdivision Plat divides a large parcel of land into smaller lots for development.

Subdivision plats typically show:

• Individual lots
• Streets and rights-of-way
• Easements
• Utility corridors
• Lot dimensions

These plats are commonly used for residential neighborhoods and developments.

Townsite Plats

Townsite plats are historical maps showing the layout of towns or communities. These documents may include:

• Street layouts
• Block numbers
• Lot divisions
• Public areas

Some townsite plats date back many decades and provide historical information about how a community developed.

Understanding Townships, Ranges, and Sections

Many survey records in Utah use the Public Land Survey System (PLSS).

This system divides land into a grid made of:

• Townships – columns of land running north and south
• Ranges – rows of land running east and west
• Sections – one-mile-square blocks within a township

Each standard township contains 36 sections.

Survey plats are often organized by Township and Range.

Example:

Township 33 South
Range 23 East
Section 36

This identifies a specific location within the survey grid.

How to Find Your Property

To locate a plat related to your property:

• First method: (coming soon)
  1. Use the Record of Survey layer on the GIS General Map to view the boundaries of existing Records of Survey.
  2. Determine if any boundaries contain or are adjacent to your area of interest.
  3. Identify the Record of Survey number either by the label associated with the boundary or by selecting the boundary to view additional information.
  4. Search for the Record of Survey number on the appropriate page. (Use the 'Search' field instead of the 'ID' field.)
• Second method:
  1. Identify your parcel number, address, or legal description.
  2. Determine the Township, Range, and Section for your property.
  3. Navigate to the corresponding plat list on this website.
  4. Review the available survey records for that area using the tabs in the menu, or using the 'Search' field.

If you are unsure of your Township and Range, the GIS General Map can help identify it.

How to Read a Survey Plat

Survey plats contain details, symbols, and measurements used by professional surveyors.

Common elements include:

Property boundaries
Shown with solid lines and labeled distances.

Bearings and distances
Measurements showing the direction and length of boundary lines.

Survey monuments
Physical markers placed in the ground by surveyors.

Easements
Areas reserved for utilities, access, or public use.

Because survey plats are technical documents, interpretation may require assistance from a licensed land surveyor.

Important Notice

Survey plats and GIS maps are provided for reference purposes only.

They are not a substitute for a professional land survey and should not be used as the sole source for determining property boundaries.