North Carolina Questions

What counties will you be working in?

Our office is in Raleigh so Wake and the Surrounding counties mainly. But with some of our clients, it may be any county in the state. I would guess 75% of our work will be within 1 hour of Raleigh, which I guess really doesn't help narrow it down all that much...?ÿ

As bushaxe says check with your county register of deeds. For instance the county I practice in use to only allow 18x24 because they did not have big enough cabinets to hang 24x36. Now they scan our plats and return the original to us. No more mylars.

Great point brought up about checking with recording requirements with any county you may work in. It is up to the elected Register of Deeds in any given county to decide which of the GS 47-30 approved plat sizes they will record in (I have experienced the "Arch C only,?ÿ because that's our plat cabinet size" issue as well... seems like it should be a non-issue in the e-signature era)

GS 47-30(a) controls standard plats for public record.... Counties mays pecify either: (1) Only 18 inches by 24 inches; (2) A combination of 18 inches by 24 inches and 21 inches by 30 inches; (3) A combination of 18 inches by 24 inches and 24 inches by 36 inches; or(4) A combination of all three sizes.

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See also GS 47-30(m): Maps attached to deeds or other instruments and submitted for recording in that form must be no larger than 8 1/2 inches by 14 inches .....

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For Private/ non recorded surveys:

21 NCAC 56 .1604 MAPPING REQUIREMENTS FOR BOUNDARY SURVEYS (a): The size of a map shall be such that all details are legible on a copy.

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Hopefully I'm not missing anything here...typically everything I do is either 18x24 or 24x36 so any additional phases of a project can be quickly revised/ prepared per GS 47-30

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All counties are required to accept 18x24 size plats. But each county may have additional sheet sizes it may accept. GS47-30 is specific to recordable plats. The mappings regs in the Standards of Practice (21 NCAC 56.1600) apply to all maps, recordable or not.?ÿ

NC's admin rules are needlessly confusing in regards to platting.?ÿ Fortunately they are quick to respond to request for clarification, so don't hesitate to call them.?ÿ My understanding is thus:

N.C. Code 56.1604 Mapping Requirements for Boundary Surveys: (a) The size of a map shall be such that all details are legible on a copy.?ÿ?ÿThis is about text, font, and line weight.?ÿ You should be able to photocopy your plat and still be able to read the text.?ÿ Like it or not, our plats are copied and still need to be legible.?ÿ Some get away with a .08 text scale, I prefer .1.

"Plat and Subdivisions"; mapping requirements says everything has to be 18x24. Am I correct in assuming "Plats and Subdivisions" are referring to newly formed parcels and new subdivisions??ÿ?ÿThey are talking about a recordable plat, so this would include recombinations, easements, retracements, the whole shebang.?ÿ Any plat that is intended to be recorded in a plat book, map book, book of maps etc., must be 18x24" with 1.5" margin on left side of a landscape and .5" on all others except that some counties may choose to accept 24"x36".

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I prefer 11x17 or legal size for regular small lot surveys but this has been confusing reading back and forth. Any help from those experienced practicing NC surveyors would be appreciated!?ÿ?ÿThis is a weird one and I have been given conflicting information regarding the correct certification on a legal (8.5"x14") sized plat.?ÿ In NC an 8.5x14 can be recorded with a deed but:

(m) Maps attached to deeds or other instruments and submitted for recording in that
form must be no larger than 8 1/2 inches by 14 inches and comply with either this subsection or
subsection (n) of this section.

(n) A map that does not meet the requirements of subsection (m) of this section may be
attached to a deed or other instrument submitted for recording in that form for illustrative
purposes only if it meets both of the following requirements:
(1) It is no larger than 8 1/2 inches by 14 inches.
(2) It is conspicuously labelled, "THIS MAP IS MAY NOT BE A CERTIFIED
SURVEY AND HAS NOT BEEN REVIEWED BY A LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AGENCY FOR COMPLIANCE WITH ANY
APPLICABLE LAND DEVELOPMENT
REGULATIONS AND HAS NOT BEEN REVIEWED
FOR COMPLIANCE WITH RECORDING REQUIREMENTS FOR
PLATS."

So, if you go with legal size, it must be attached to a quit claim or other deed and will have a lesser pedigree than a full sized plat.?ÿ I know of no county that accepts 11x17 for recording or review.?ÿ Your best bet is to have someone in your organization create an Arch-C title block with the margins specified above.?ÿ

I've seen legal sized sketches/plats used for utility easement conveyances.?ÿ Keep in mind:

(12) Any map not certified for recording under G.S. 47-30, and all reports of survey, shall contain this
certificate signed by the Professional Land Surveyor in substantially the following form:
"I certify that this map was drawn under my supervision from an actual survey made under my supervision (deed
description recorded in Book ______, page ______ or other reference source ____________________); that the
boundaries not surveyed are indicated as drawn from information in Book ______, page ______ or other reference
source ____________________; that the ratio of precision or positional accuracy is ___________________; and
that this map meets the requirements of The Standards of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina (21 NCAC
56. 1600)."
This ______ day of _______________, 2_____.
Seal __________________________________________
Professional Land Surveyor ?ÿ

The significance here is that G.S. 47-30 includes language governing the recording of plats (as in full size not legal).?ÿ As a legal size is not truly a plat and can never be recorded in a plat book, it would be incorrect to certify that a legal size plat meets the standards for recording in a plat book.?ÿ?ÿ

So, full size plats (18x24) get a cert that includes G.S. 47-30 and 21 NCAC 56. 1600 and all the other language.

Legal (8.5X14) get a cert that omits G.S. 47-30, but contains 21 NCAC 56. 1600 as well as an obnoxious and confusing disclaimer that that review officer didn't review your illustrative plat-like sketch.

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Thanks for the input, I have also contacted the board for help as well. We do a lot of title surveys for closing, and typically those would not be recorded, but if we have to go back and re-do the plat every time someone does decide to record it, then doing everything on 18x24 as if it would be recorded might make sense.?ÿ

e-recording is slowly catching on in NC. The big municipal areas are usually on board but the smaller adjoining counties can be difficult at times. Some want paper copies & others want mylar. Just call the ROD & planning offices in each county before you get too invested time wise into anything - I have learned the hard way