How to read a plat map...and some basic questions!

There is no "common color" really but generally pink I/we used for the corners. The stuff you find in the tree branches is probably just following the line. Don't take that for gospel. I'm not a licensed surveyor. But, I have worked in the field for near about 5 or 6 years until the market tanked a couple years ago.
You might best watch out. Next thing you know you'll be out there surveying. That's what happened to me. Me and a buddy were building a workshop for a retired i-man (instrument man) and he wanted a website. My buddy pointed to me saying "there's your man right there". The rest is history as they say.
Pretty much everyone knows me here. Call on me anytime.
BigE - Eric White

your plat should have the name and phone number of the surveyor who prepared it.

CALL HIM! he should be able to answer most of your questions and can help you find your property corners. don't be cheap. this is likely the most expensive investment you will ever make. spend the money to understand what you have.

Thanks, yep, time to make a call.

Strange map. Bearings and azimuths mixed together. Can you show us more of the map, maybe the notes? I would call the person that made that first. ( note I did not say surveyor).

No, you can't go out with a hand held gps and find anything based on that map.

Ditto Andy. I've never seen 270 degrees on a surveyor's map/plat either.

I, too, always thought this plat map was a little weird. It's like it wants to be a legal description and a plat map all in one.

I can show more of the map, including the legends, but is it safe to post over the public web? Perhaps I can email someone directly if you prefer.

The map probably has lots of interesting info on it. The first thing I'd look for is a "legend" that would tell you what the different symbols mean. It would likely show that an open circle means a certain type of marker set by the surveyor, etc. That way you know what you are looking for at your lot corners. There's no real standard for the flagging colors but they might be placed on the approximate lot lines so if you have any idea where any of the corners might be, near the flagging would be a logical place to start looking for the monuments (pin, pipe, whatever the legend says).

You might have some luck with a hand-held GPS if you can find one or more of your corners, then if you can understand the instructions, there should be a way to project those directions and distances on your map. Actually, a compass would be just about as useful if you know how to set the declination correctly for your area and have a 100-foot measuring tape. The biggest caution I can give you is that just because you find a survey marker of the type shown on the map, don't assume it's your corner. Verify its location by measuring to others, like along your back line, there should be two 90.5 feet apart. This even trips surveyors up now and then.

Other info to look for on the map would be written statements and notes about easements and building setbacks, etc. I imagine you also got some sort of title report when you bought the place. Read that carefully too for restrictions and such that might affect your use of the property.

Snoop probably has the best advice of all, especially if you're not familiar with real estate jargon at all, the notes on the map and title report probably read like ancient Greek. A visit on-site with the surveyor that prepared the map would be well worth paying him/her for a few hours, but I wouldn't be afraid to poke around the property on your own and see what you can find first, you might learn something.

Surveying and property records are very location specific, every state has different laws and customs...

"Is there a way to easily locate the stakes via a consumer hand-held GPS? How do I get that precise of a compass heading as shown on the map?"
GPS could get you as close as about 20 feet if you have the Latitude and Longitude of your corners, but maybe not that close.

"What will the legal description of my property show that is different than my current plat map?"
Your legal description would probably be simply "Lot 31" as shown on some map... the actual deed may have a ton of important data in it that a map would not depict.

"Does my plat map ONLY help me find the stakes in the ground or can I get any other info from it?"
from the clip you posted it shows the document recording number of the property adjoining to the South, probably much more too. Everything on the may is significant... this is not just all about a bunch of numbers.

"Is there a common color code for surveyor's tape? I have some pink and some orange/yellow tape on tree branches throughout the boundary."
Nope, it is true anarchy out there!

What you have posted does not look like a survey map, it has mixed data types (bearings in both quadrant format and azimuth format)... but that may be just a local custom in your area.
More information about what State and County you are in would help a lot.
Finding monuments is easy, knowing what they are and if they mean anything is the hard part. A local surveyor should be able to get you on track pretty easy, most of us will give quite a bit of simple coaching for no charge.

Please at least show us the description of your tract as listed on your deed if not on the plat. What must be a roadway along the west side of your lot is rather bizarre in that it is not of uniform width.

"As a newbie (and non-surveyor), " but you seem to know what you're looking at. You must have some experience comparing maps and legal descriptions.

Naw I wouldn't post here being it's your place.
Send it to me if you like. eric.ewhite@gmail.com
The 270 degrees thing is likely something you do understand - pretty much due west.
The bearings thing is another animal but not hard once someone explains it.

Since we're on the subject, did you all know that the gunfight at the OK Corall never existed? The OK Corall never existed at all. The gunfight was at block 2 lot 37. The OK Corall thing was made up in the 40s to make it sound good for movies.

Yes, Steve has it.

We need to see the entire map including all pages. There could be critical information in the Owner's Statement (usually on page 1).

Also a full copy of the Deed too.

Don't we need to know what state he's in as well?

tx in dosstx might be a clue but the full map should have the state on it. They do here.

The bearings and azimuths could be true or grid or some local basis of bearings. It isn't very likely they are magnetic.

Most maps would not have sufficient information on them to use a handheld GPS to find corners. If they do have information I find that usually calculations are required to convert all of the vector-based information to latitudes and longitudes.

There is 12 counties in Texas that start with a "G."

🙂

Does O.P.R.G.C. stand for Official Plat Record G____ County?

http://www.co.grayson.tx.us/

but I just googled OPRGC, without looking at all the G named counties. Nice work, Dave. I was thinking Official Public Record of "G" County.

Whatever it is, it looks rather yucky, maybe you should call a surveyor different from the one that made the map.

I am a surveyor, and I agree with the others. To go by what you see in the field is to assume what the surveyor was thinking at the time, and that is not good. Another thing, no.... there is not a hand held GPS that will give you the accuracy that we give our clients. Not one I am aware of.... There is another thing to consider, and that is, who's liable if you are wrong? You may lose some of your property in court if you try to stand alone. Just something to consider.

Something you can do is buy a metal detector and a cloth tape and try to find some associated points/ corners. this might lower the cost of a surveyor to come and locate them.

I will say also, it is weird seeing degrees and bearings on the same map. it should state in the key/ notes what was found...ie 1/2"IP, IR etc. If nothing was found/ listed you may have a proposed map. At any rate, you should call the surveyor who made the map. It will be the easiest solution to your problem.....good luck.

open circle usually marks proposed.... looks to me that only the R/W of the rd was set..... you should start there. Of course, you will need your curve data with the chord dist. IDK if any back corners were set. If that is the case, you will diffidently need a surveyor....