List of 387+ Common Land Survey Abbreviations


I have found myself in the past looking at a site survey and couldn’t for the life of me figured out what an abbreviation meant and the surveyor didn’t provide a legend. Below is a extensive list of many common survey abbreviations. Not every surveyor will use all the same abbreviations but I hope this guide can help if you are stuck in a similar situation. If this abbreviation chart is helpful to you, go ahead and bookmark it for future reference.

ABBREVIATIONDESCRIPTION
A.AREA
AbutABUTMENT
ACAIR CONDITIONER or ACRES
Adj.ADJUSTED
AGABOVE GROUND
A.I.AREA INLET
AIFANGLE IRON FOUND
AISANGLE IRON SET
Ang.ANGLE
ASTOP OF ASPHALT
ASHASH TREE
ASPASPHALT
ASPHASPHALT
AXLFOUND AXLE
Av.AVERAGE
Ave.AVENUE
AZAZIMUTH
BBEGIN
BARBARRICADE
BCBACK OF CURB or BEGINNING or CURVE
B/CBACK OF CURB
BDRYBOUNDARY
BFPBACKFLOW PREVENTOR
BHBORE HOLE
BKBANK
BLBUILDING LINE
BLDGBUILDING or BUILDING CORNER
BLKBLOCK
BLVDBOULEVARD
BMBENCHMARK
BOBASIN OUTLET
BOLBOLLARD
BOSBEGINNING OF SURVEY
BOVBLOW OFF VALVE
BOXFOUND BOX CUT
BPSBLUE PAINT STRIPE
BRTOP OF BRICK or BRIDGE
BRDGBRIDGE
BRGBRIDGE
BRLBUILDING RESTRICTION LINE
BSCKBACKSITE CHECK
BSNBUSINESS SIGN
BTBURIED TELEPHONE CABLE OR DUCT
BXCBOX CULVERT
BWBARBED WIRE
CCUT or CONTINUE
C/ACONTROLLED ACCESS
CAPCORRUGATED ALUMINUM PIPE
CBCABLE BOX or CURB or CATCH BASIN
CBCCONCRETE BOX CULVERT
CCCONTROL CORNER
CEDARCEDAR TREE
CEMCEMENT
C&GCURB & GUTTER
CSFCOTTON SPIKE FOUND
CSSCOTTON SPIKE SET
CHCHAIN or CHORD
CHANCHANNEL
CHINACHINABERRY
CICURB INLET or CAST IRON
CIPCORRUGATED IRON PIPE or CAST IRON PIPE
CIRFOUND CAPPED IRON ROD
CIRCIRCLE
CKCHECK POINT
CLCENTER-LINE OF ROAD
C/LCENTER-LINE OF ROAD
—- C/L —-CENTER LINE
CLFCHAIN LINK FENCE
CLSCLOSE
CMCONCRETE MONUMENT or CABLE MARKER
CMBCONCRETE MEDIAN BARRIER
CMFCONCRETE MONUMENT FOUND
CMPCORRUGATED METAL PIPE
CMSCONCRETE MONUMENT SET
CNTOP OF CONCRETE
COCLEAN-OUT
Co.COUNTY
COLCOLUMN
CORCORNER
CONCCONCRETE
CONSTCONSTRUCTION
CPCONTROL POINT or CONNECT POINT or CONCRETE PAD
CPEDCABLE PEDESTAL
CRCURB RETURN
CRMCRAPE MYRTLES
CSGCASING
CSPCORRUGATED STEEL PIPE
Ct.COURT
Ctr.CENTER LINE
CTFCRIMPED TOP PIPE FOUND
Cu.CUBIC
CULVCULVERT
—- D —-DRAINAGE LINE
D.B.DEED BOOK
DEDECLINATION
DEGDEGREE
Descp.DESCRIPTION
DESTDESTROYED
D.I.DROP INLET
DIADIAMETER
DISTDISTANCE or DISTRICT
D.M.U.E.DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE AND UTILITY EASEMENT
Dr.DRIVE
DSKFOUND DISK
EEAST or END
E or Estm. or – – – EASEMENT
— E —ELECTRICAL EASEMENT
EAEDGE OF ASPHALT
EBELECTRICAL BOX
EBREDGE OF BRICK
ECEND OF CURVE
ECREND OF CURB RETURN
EGEDGE OF GRAVEL
EIE-INLET
E.I.P.EXISTIN IRON PIPE
EL or ELEVELEVATION
ELMELM
ENGRENGINEERING
E/OEAST OF
EOP or E/PEDGE OF PAVEMENT
EWTREDGE OF WATER
EXFOUND “X” CUT or EXISTING
FCFACE OF CURB
FDFOUND
F.E.S.FLARED END SECTION
–x–x–x–x–FENCE
FFFINISHED FLOOR
FHFIRE HYDRANT
FIRFIR TREE
FLFLOW LINE
FLPFLAGPOLE
FNFENCE
FNCFENCE
F.O.FIBER OPTIC WITNESS MARKER
FPFIRE PLUG
FPVFIRE PROTECTION VALVE
FSCKFORESIGHT CHECK
Ft.FOOT or FEET
FVFLUSH VALVE
GGATE or GAS LINE or GUTTER
—- G —-GAS LINE
GAGUY ANCHOR
GALVGALVANIZED
GBGRADE BREAK
GDGUTTER DRAIN
GDRGUARD RAIL
GIGRATE INLET
GIPGALVANIZED IRON PIPE
GMGAS METER
GPGUARD POST
GPSGREEN PAINT STRIPE
GRGRADE or GUARDRAIL or GRATE or TOP OF GRAVEL
GRVLGRAVEL
GTGUTTER
GTEGATE POST
GUMSWEETGUM
GUTGUTTER
GUTTRGUTTER
GVGAS VALVE
HACKHACKBERRY TREE
HBHIGHBANK
HCHANDICAP or HELICOPTOR
HDPHIGH DENSITY POLY PIPE
HDWLHEADWALL
HNDRLHANDRAIL
HOLLYHOLLY TREE
Hor.HORIZONTAL
Ht.HEIGHT
H.W.HIGH WATER
H.W.M.HIGH WATER MARK
HWLHEADWALL
HWY or HYHIGHWAY
HYDHYDRANT
IFIRON FENCE
In.INCH
INTERSINTERSECTION
INVINVERT
IPFOUND IRON PIN/ PIPE
IPEIRON PIN/ PIPE EXISTING
IPFFOUND IRON PIN/ PIPE
IPSIRON PIN/ PIPE SET
IRFOUND IRON ROD
IRFFOUND IRON ROD
JBJUNCTION BOX
JCT or JUNCTJUNCTION
LLEFT or LENGTH OF ARC
Lat.LATITUDE
LDNGLEADING
LKSLINKS (1/100TH CHAIN)
L/OLEFT OF
LOCLOCATE or LOCATION
LODLIMIT OF DISTURBANCE
Long.LONGITUDE
LPLIGHT POLE
LSLAND SURVEYOR
LTLEFT or LIGHT STANDARD
LWLOW WATER
MMETER
MAGMAGNOLIA
MBMAP BOOK
MBLMINIMUM BUILDING LINE
MBSMETRO BUS STOP
MBXMAILBOX
MEASMEASURE
Mer.MERIDIAN
MHMANHOLE
MHELECELECTRIC MANHOLE
MHSANSANITARY MANHOLE
MHSTMSTORM MANHOLE
MHTMEAN HIGH TIDE
MHTELTELECOM MANHOLE
MHWWATER MANHOLE
MHWMMEAN HIGH WATER MARK
MIMISCELANEOUS POINT or MILE
MIDMIDDLE or MIDWAY
MINMINIMUM or MINUTE
MKMARK
MMMILE MARKER
mmMILLIMETER
MOCMIDDLE OF CURVE
MONMONUMENT
MPMILE POST or MAP
MSLMEAN SEA LEVEL
MWMONITORING WELL
NNORTH
N&CNAIL AND CAP
N&DNAIL AND DISK
NENORTHEAST
NGNATURAL GROUND
NGSNATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY
NIPNEW IRON PIPE
NLFOUND NAIL
No.NUMBER
N/ONORTH OF
NPPNAIL IN POWER POLE
NTCFPNAIL ON TOP OF CORNER FENCE POST
NTFPNAIL ON TOP OF FENCE POST
NTSNOT TO SCALE
NWNORTHWEST
OAKOAK TREE
OCPOINT ON CURVE
OE or —-OE —-OVERHEAD ELECTRIC LINE
OHOVERHEAD
OHEOVERHEAD ELECTRIC
OHGOVERHANG
OHTOVERHEAD TELEPHONE
OPASSOVERPASS
OT or —- OT —-OVERHEAD TELEPHONE LINE
OTPFOPEN TOP PIPE FOUND
OTPSOPEN TOP PIPE SET
OUOVERHEAD UTILITIES
—- P —-OVERHEAD POWER LINE
PALMPALM TREE
PARPARELLEL
PAVPAVEMENT
PBPHONE BOX or PLAT BOOK
PBMPRECISE BENCHMARK
PCBEGIN CURVE or POINT OF CURVE
PECANPECAN TREE
PFPINFLAG
PFCPINFLAG CENTERPOINT
PFSPINFLAG SWBT
Pg.PAGE
PIPOINT OF INTERSECTION
PINEPINE TREE
PKPOINT KNOWN
PK NAILPOINT KNOWN NAIL
PL or PLPROPERTY LINE
PLAPLACE
PLTPLANTER
PMPIPELIME MARKER
PNTPAINT STRIPE
Po. POLE or ROD (16.5 ft)
POBPOINT OF BEGINNING
PPPOWER POLE
PSTPOST
PTPOINT or END CURVE
PTPFOUND PINCH TOP PIPE
PVPIPE VENT
PVCPVC PIPE
PVMTPAVEMENT
RRADIUS
RBFREBAR FOUND
RBSREBAR SET
RCPREINFORCED CONCRETE PIPE
RDROAD
RDWY or RdyROADWAY
RECTRECTANGLE
RESRESERVOIR
RET WALLRETAINING WALL
RGERANGE
RLSREGISTERED LAND SURVERYOR
RMPRAMP
R/ORIGHT OF
RodROD or POLE (16.5 FT)
ROODROOD (1/4 ACRE)
ROWRIGHT OF WAY
RPRECALL POINT
RPSRED PAINT STRIPES
RRRIP RAP or RAILROAD or RAILROAD SPIKE
RRTRAILROAD
RTRIGHT
R/WRIGHT OF WAY
RWLRETAINING WALL
RYRAILWAY
SSOUTH or SANITARY SEWER LINE
—- S —-SEWER LINE
SANSANITARY
SDSTORM DRAIN
SDMHSTORM DRAIN MANHOLE
SESOUTHEAST
SHLDRSHOULDER
SNSIGN
S/OSOUTH OF
SPSERVICE POLE
SPDLFOUND SPINDLE
SPKFOUND SPIKE
SPVSPRINKLER
SQSQUARE
SQFTSQUARE FOOT or FEET
SQIFSQUARE IRON FOUND
SQISSQUARE IRON SET
Sq. Mi.SQUARE MILE (640 ACRES)
SRSTEEL REBAR
SSSANITARY SEWER
—- SS —-SANITARY SEWER LINE
SSMHSANITARY SEWER MANHOLE
SRSSTEEL ROD SET
SSMSTANDARD SURVEY MONUMENT
STSTREET or STORM LINE
STASTATION
STDSTANDARD
STKSTAKE
STPSTAND PIPE
STRUCTSTRUCTURE
SWSOUTHWEST
S/WSIDEWALK
—- T —-TELEPHONE LINE
TALTALLOW TREE
TBMTEMPORARY BENCH MARK
TCTOP CURB
TELTELEPHONE
TEL PHTELEPHONE POLE
TFTRANSFORMER
TKTACK
TLTREE LINE
TNKTANK
T.P.TRANSFORMER PAD or TELEPHONE PEDESTAL
TPEDTELEPHONE PEDISTAL
Tr.TRACT
TREEUNKNOWN TREE
TSTOW
TSBTRAFFIC SIGNAL BOX
TSNTRAFFIC SIGNAL
TSPTRAFFIC SIGNAL POLE
TTTRUCK TRAIL
TWPTOWNSHIP
TWRTOWER
UPASSUNDERPASS
—- U —-UTILITY LINES
UGUNDERGROUND
UGE or —- UE —-UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC LINES
UEUTILITY EASEMENT
UGMRKUNDERGROUND GAS MARKER
UGTUNDERGROUND TELEPHONE
USACEUNITED STATES CORPS OF ENGINEERS
USC&GSUNITED STATES COAST & GEODETIC SURVEY
USGSUNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
—- UT —-UNDERGROUND TELEPHONE LINE
VLTWATER VAULT
WWEST or WATER LINE
—- W —-WATER LINE
WALWALL
WILWILLOW TREE
WCWITNESS CORNER
WDWOOD DECK
WMWATER METER or WATER MAIN
W/OWEST OF
W/PWITNESS POST
WRWIRE
WVWATER VALVE
WWWATER WELL
W WLWINGWALL
XINGCROSSING
X-RDCROSS ROAD
X-SECCROSS SECTION
Yd.YARD (3 ft)
YPSYELLOW PAINT STRIPE

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