The hook
Metes and bounds describes a parcel by walking its perimeter: start at a defined point, then follow a sequence of bearings + distances + monument calls back to the beginning. The dominant boundary description format outside PLSS country.
Memorize these
Concepts that show up on the exam
Point of Beginning (POB)
Defined start point of the description. Must be tied to a recoverable physical reference (a monument, a section corner, a road intersection) so it can be located independently.
Mete
A measurement (bearing + distance). "N 30° E, 200 ft" is a mete.
Bound
A boundary call — a reference to a physical feature or adjoiner. "to the south line of Lot 5" or "to a 5/8" iron pin" is a bound.
Closing call
The last call returns to the POB. A description that doesn't close is defective.
Course
A bearing direction. Used as a noun: "the course is N 30° E."
Reverse / running direction
Description direction matters in some courts: "right side" / "left side" depend on the direction of travel along the boundary.
Don't fall for these
What trips people up
POB tied only to a "tree"
A POB must be recoverable. "Beginning at a large oak tree" works in 1850 and fails in 2026 when the oak is gone. Modern descriptions tie the POB to a section corner, government monument, or coordinate.
Description that doesn't close
If you walk all the calls and don't return to the POB within reasonable closure, the description is defective. The surveyor must reconcile (often by treating the closure call as a mathematical "to the POB" rather than a measured bearing/distance).
Conflict between bound and mete
"thence N 30° E, 200 ft, to an iron pin" — what if the pin is at N 30° 15' E and 198 ft? The PIN controls (artificial monument outranks course/distance per the hierarchy).
Test yourself
How well did it stick?
A quick 5-question check on Metes and Bounds. See where you stand and what to review.