btdeed
This is a tool for seeing property deeds on real maps. You paste in the legal description, the old survey language with directions like “North 45 degrees East” and distances in feet, poles, chains, or rods, and the boundaries appear on a satellite or street map.
I built it because the existing tools for this felt outdated, and I thought it would be useful to have something that runs in a browser and just works. It's free, no account needed to get started.
what it does
paste & plot
You paste in the legal description from a deed, the old survey language with directions and distances and all, and the tool figures it out for you.
map & compare
Drop the parcel onto a real satellite or street map. Layer multiple deeds on top of each other and see how neighboring parcels line up.
save & share
Export your map as an image or a scaled print, or save the data to KML, CSV, or Shapefile. Share projects with others if you want.
why this exists
The main tool people used for this, DeedMapper, hasn't been updated in years and only runs on Windows. I wanted something that works in a browser, handles the old survey language properly, and lets you see the result on an actual satellite map instead of a blank canvas.
So far it supports metes and bounds descriptions, PLSS section/township/range, distances in feet, poles, chains, and rods, and you can overlay historic maps on top to compare against modern imagery. You can also calibrate the scale of those overlays, which turns out to be quite useful.
who it's for
Mostly genealogists tracing family land history and title researchers working through property chains. But really, anyone who has a deed with a legal description and wants to see what it looks like on a map.
desktop app
A desktop version is in development. It will work offline, save files locally, and won't require a browser. If you're interested, check back soon.