Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0820 - Land Surveyor Examiners
Chapter 0820-03 - Standards of Practice
Section 0820-03-.06 - MAPS AND MAPPING

(1) When a Land Surveyor furnishes a Survey Plat or Survey Map, it shall be properly and accurately drawn, and should depict information developed by and during the survey.

(2) The size of the Survey Plat or Survey Map shall be such that details can be shown clearly.

(3) Preliminary documents must be clearly marked as such prominently on the face of the document. The Land Surveyor has the professional discretion not to sign, stamp or seal any preliminary survey, documents, drafts, drawings or composite drawings. In the compilation of a composite Survey Map or Survey Plat, the Land Surveyor shall indicate and cite the source of all lines copied from a previous source.

(4) Property lines which are not actually surveyed must be clearly indicated on the Survey Plat or Survey Map. A statement shall be included revealing the source of information from which the line is derived.

(5) Electronic survey documents such as CAD files, PDF copies, and word processor documents or other emailed or digitally copied and/or other electronically forwarded information and documents are considered "Preliminary" or "Draft" documents.

(6) Pertinent information on the Survey Plat or Survey Map shall be correctly plotted to the scale shown or noted otherwise. Enlargement "Detail" of a portion of a Plat or Map 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 Map or Survey

Plat.

(7) Visible and apparent rights-of-way, utilities, and roadways shall be accurately located where crossing or forming any boundary line of the property shown.

(8) Easements evidenced by Record Documents which have been delivered to the Land Surveyor shall be shown, both those burdening and those benefiting the property surveyed, indicating recording information. If an apparent 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. 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 Map or 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 is to be computed by double meridian distance or equally accurate method. Area computations by estimation, planimeter, by scale, or copying from another source, or non-accessible areas, are not acceptable methods except in preliminary maps and non-accessible areas, in which case the method will 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 or lots.

(10) Unless necessary because of space or other limitations, abbreviations and symbols should not be used in land surveying work. However, when it is deemed necessary, a thorough legend, describing all symbols and abbreviations used, shall be included on the Survey Plat or Survey Map.