Georeferenced plan: what it is and when it is required

A georeferenced plan is the plan of a property in which every corner is defined by coordinates in the official system, ETRS89 UTM. It is what the Cadastre (Catastro, Spain’s land and property register for tax purposes) and the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) ask for when a plot has to be drawn, corrected, subdivided or registered, and what an architect or a lawyer needs to overlay your property on the official mapping. This guide explains what it is, when it is needed, what it contains, what to give the surveyor and what to do if the result is not good.

What is a georeferenced plan?

It is a plan in which the position of the property does not depend on the drawing but on measured coordinates. Each corner of the plot has an Easting and a Northing value in ETRS89, zone 30 for this whole area, and the plan can be placed over any other mapping in the same system without shifting. If you are not sure what those numbers mean, we explain them in survey coordinates: UTM, ETRS89 and geographic.

The difference from an ordinary plan is simple. An architect’s plan or a sketch can have the right dimensions and be anywhere. A georeferenced one says where it is, with a stated margin of error. That is why a georeferenced plan can be compared with the Cadastre’s plot map, with an orthophoto or with another survey.

When is a georeferenced plan asked for?

Usually someone else asks for it; you do not choose it. These are the most common situations:

• Subdividing or merging properties. The notary and the Registry need the geometry of each resulting property.
• Correcting the area or boundaries of a property that does not match the deed or the Cadastre, including an excess of area.
• Registering the property with its graphic representation in the Registry, which the Mortgage Law provides for after the reform of Law 13/2015 and which the registrar can require.
• Declaring or regularising a building with the cadastral building location report (ICUC), which carries the footprint of the building.
• Updating the Cadastre when the cadastral plot is shifted or badly drawn.
• A boundary demarcation (deslinde) with neighbours, to record the agreement in coordinates.
• Projects and permits, when the town council or the architect asks for the plan of the plot referred to the official mapping.

Each procedure has its own conditions and its own authority. It is the notary’s office, the Registry, the Cadastre or the town council that says what it requires in your case. We do not give legal advice: we prepare the technical part so that it fits what you are asked for.

What does a georeferenced plan contain?

The content depends on the commission, but a well-made plan always includes the following:

• The outline of the property with numbered corners and a table with the coordinates of each one.
• The area and how it was calculated.
• The reference system: ETRS89 UTM 30N, units in metres and, if there are heights, the height reference.
• The boundaries and the neighbours, with their cadastral references where known.
• What is built, if the job requires it: house, pool, porches, walls.
• The technician’s signature, with their professional registration number, and the date of the survey.

It is delivered as a PDF to read and as DWG or DXF for the technician who will use it. If the procedure calls for it, we also supply the GML file, which is the same geometry written so that the Cadastre’s electronic office can read it. The plan is for people; the GML is for the Cadastre’s software.

What documents does the surveyor need?

The more complete the commission, the fewer rounds afterwards. We normally ask for:

• The cadastral reference or the exact location of the property.
• The deed and the land registry extract (nota simple), if you have them.
• Earlier plans: from a subdivision, from the urbanisation, from the project.
• The formal notice from the notary’s office, the Registry or the Cadastre, if there is one. It is the most useful information of all, because it says what is needed.
• Authorisation or representation, when the procedure requires it.
• How to get to the property and who lets us in.

If you have almost nothing, that is fine: we start from the cadastral reference and find the rest.

How is the work done?

1. Review of the paperwork: deed, land registry extract and current and historical cadastral mapping.
2. Field survey with GNSS RTK and a total station: walls, fences, boundary markers, terraces and buildings.
3. Calculation and drawing in ETRS89 UTM 30N, with the boundaries according to each source and the differences marked.
4. Plan and GML, checking that the file is consistent.
5. Graphic validation, when it is part of the commission: the Cadastre returns the alternative graphic validation report (IVGA).
6. Delivery and explanation, in plain terms, of what each item means and what comes next.

What if the result is negative?

If the Cadastre returns a negative report, it does not mean the property was measured wrongly or that you have lost any area. It means the geometry, as submitted, does not fit the plot map around it or the file has a technical fault. The report usually gives the reason: an overlap with a neighbouring plot, an unclosed outline, coordinates in another system.

The sensible order is to read the whole report, check the file, go back to the ground if some corners are in doubt and compare the survey with the deed and the Cadastre. If the conflict with a neighbour is real, it is not solved by moving corners, and it is worth asking the notary’s office or a lawyer which route applies. We cover it in detail in negative graphic validation report: what it means and what to do.

What determines the price and the timescale?

Every property is different. What counts is the area, the slope, the vegetation, how many corners and boundaries have to be measured, whether there are buildings, how many plots are involved, the paperwork to review and how much support you need with the procedure. We give you the scope and the technical timescale once we have seen the documents. The timescales of the Cadastre, the notary and the Registry are separate, and corrections or the involvement of neighbours can lengthen them.

Frequently asked questions

Is a topographic plan the same as a georeferenced plan?

Not always. A topographic plan represents the terrain, and it may be in a local system. A georeferenced one also carries coordinates in the official system, so it can be overlaid on the Cadastre’s mapping. Many of our surveys are both.

Does a georeferenced plan prove that the property is mine?

No. It describes the geometry of the property, but it does not prove ownership or replace the procedure of the Registry, the Cadastre or the town council.

Do you need to visit the property?

For a procedure, almost always, because the elements that bound the plot have to be measured. If you live abroad, all we need is someone you trust to let us in, and we send you the plan and the note with the conclusions by email.

Who signs it?

It is signed by Vicent Doménech, geodesy and cartography engineer, chartered surveyor no. 8948. The signature carries his number and the date of the survey.

If you have received a formal notice or are going to subdivide, sell or register a property, tell us about it through the contact page. You can also see how we handle plot and boundary measurement and the Cadastre, Registry, GML and IVGA service.

Tags georreferenciacionlevantamiento topograficoplanotopografia

Written by Vicent Doménech, geodesy and cartography engineer, chartered surveyor no. 8948.