Iowa Code § 355.7A — IA Code / Title IX / Chapter 355 / Section 355.7A
Retracement plats of survey.
Status: in_force

A retracement plat of survey shall be made, showing information developed by the survey, for each land survey performed for the purpose of surveying an existing recorded description of one or more parcels or tracts of land and shall not be used for the division of land. Each retracement plat of survey shall conform to the following provisions:

(1) The original plat drawing shall remain the property of the surveyor.

(2) The size of each plat sheet shall not be less than eight and one-half inches by eleven inches.

(3) The scale of the plat drawing shall be clearly stated and graphically illustrated by a bar scale on every plat sheet.

(4) An arrow indicating the northern direction shall be shown on each plat sheet.

(5) The plat shall show that the survey is a correct representation of the recorded description of the parcel or tract. The plat shall show, clearly and unequivocally, the method used by the land surveyor to locate the recorded description of land.

(6) (a) The plat shall show the lengths and bearings of the boundaries of the parcels surveyed. The course of each boundary line shown on the plat may be indicated by a direct bearing reference or by an angle between the boundary line and an intersecting line having a shown bearing, except when the boundary line has an irregular or constantly changing course, as along a body of water, or when a description of the boundary line is better achieved by measurements shown at points or intervals along a meander line or an offset line having a shown course. The bearings shall be referenced to a United States public land survey system land line or recorded subdivision line. If the boundary lines show bearings, lengths, or locations which vary from those recorded in deeds, abutting plats, or other instruments of record, the following note shall be placed along the lines:Recorded as (show recorded bearing, length, or location).

(6) (b) Bearings and angles shown shall be given to at least the nearest minute of arc.

(7) The plat shall show and identify all monuments necessary for the location of the parcel and shall indicate whether the monuments were found or placed.

(8) If United States public land survey system corners control the land description, the corners shall be clearly identified on the plat including a description of the monumentation and shall indicate whether the monuments were found or placed.

(9) Control monuments shall be adequately described and clearly identified on the plat and noted as found or placed.

(10) Distance shall be shown in decimal feet in accordance with the definition of the U.S. survey foot. Distance measurements shall refer to the horizontal plane.

(11) Curve data shall be stated in terms of radius, central angle, and length of curve, and as otherwise specified by local ordinance. In all cases, the curve data must be shown for the line affected.

(12) The unadjusted error of closure shall not be greater than one in five thousand for an individual parcel.

(13) If any part of the surveyed land is bounded by an irregular line, that part shall be enclosed by a meander line or an offset line showing complete data with distances along all lines extending beyond the enclosure to the irregular boundary, and shown with as much certainty as can be determined or as “more or less”, if variable. In all cases, the true boundary shall be clearly indicated on the plat.

(14) The acreage shall be shown for each parcel or tract included in a retracement plat of survey to the nearest one-hundredth of an acre. If a parcel or tract described as part of the United States public land survey system and not entirely within an official plat lies within more than one forty-acre aliquot part of a section, the acreage shall be shown only for assessment and taxation purposes for each portion of the parcel that lies within each forty-acre aliquot part. The surveyor shall not be required to establish the location of the forty-acre aliquot line by survey but is required to use reasonable assumptions in determining its approximate location for assessment and taxation purposes. If appropriate, areas of parcels or tracts of less than one acre may be expressed in square feet to the nearest ten square feet.

(15) The plat shall be captioned to show the date of the survey, and shall be accompanied by a description of the parcel.

(16) The plat shall contain a statement by a surveyor that the work was done and the plat was prepared by the surveyor or under the surveyor’s direct personal supervision, shall be signed and dated by the surveyor, and shall bear the surveyor’s Iowa license number and legible seal.

2016 Acts, ch 1064, §4; 2017 Acts, ch 54, §50