What are surveys of land that show boundaries, dimensions, monuments, and other features called?

Surveys of land that depict boundaries, dimensions, monuments, and other significant features are referred to as maps and plats. These documents are essential in the fields of real estate, land use planning, and property development, as they provide a detailed representation of a specific parcel of land.

Maps are broad representations of geographical areas, while plats specifically illustrate how land is divided into lots or parcels. They serve as visual tools to help understand land characteristics and property lines clearly, which is crucial for ensuring compliance with zoning and property regulations. By accurately conveying the layout and features of the land, maps and plats facilitate informed decision-making for landowners, developers, and code enforcement officials alike.

In contrast, easements relate to the rights to use a portion of someone else's land for a specific purpose but do not provide the detailed layout of boundaries. Legal descriptions are more about the formal terminology used in legal documents to describe property locations but do not illustrate them visually. Frontages refer to the amount of property bordering a street or body of water, which is more about property characteristics than comprehensive land representation.