Editing Plat (section)

==Reading==

Plats contain a number of informational elements:

* The property boundaries are indicated by bearing and distance. The bearing is in the format of [[Degree (angle)|degrees]], minutes, seconds with compass point letters before and afterward to indicate the compass quadrant. For example, '''N 38 00 00 E''' is 38 degrees into the northeast quadrant or 38 degrees east of [[north]]. Similarly, '''S 22 00 00 W''' is 22 degrees west of south. [[North]] here is true north, so magnetic orientation must be corrected for [[magnetic declination]].
* The certification note provides information on the surveyor and is the location where recent US plats place the flood survey code in accordance with the [[National Flood Insurance Act of 1968]].
* The [[north arrow]] is familiar to most map readers
* The title block and lot numbers provide information specific to a development or [[Land use planning|land use plan]]
* An [[easement]] is usually indicated by a dashed line, although it is also common to have to look them up in supplementary documents (such as a title report)
* Streets are usually indicated by a graphical outline of the [[Right-of-way (transportation)|right of way]]; the outline also sometimes depicts the paved area.