Land boundary app: occupation line, parcel reference and legal boundary
Recording an occupation line and determining a legal boundary are different jobs. MapLab Survey helps with the field record.
Field takeaways
- Occupation lines may be fences, walls, ditches, roads or vegetation rows.
- Parcel lines are references, not legal declarations by themselves.
- Measured boundary, parcel reference and RTK control should be separate layers.
- Photos and notes make field interpretation understandable.
- For disputes, the app is documentation, not an authority.
Know which boundary you are asking about
Someone asking "where is the boundary?" may mean the ploughed edge, the fence line, the registered parcel boundary or the site working limit — and they may not coincide. There is the boundary you can see and the boundary in the register: an app measures the first and can display an approximation of the second; only a licensed survey determines it.
Layer discipline
Open at least three layers in MapLab Survey: parcel reference, occupation boundary, and control or measured detail. Then nobody at the office confuses the KML line with the fence you actually walked, and every boundary sits in the record under its own name.
Walking the boundary
- Open the reference parcel as KML/KMZ.
- Walk the visible boundary or take its break points.
- Add photos and short notes at uncertain corners.
- Check the area and perimeter figures.
- Report the result as a field observation, not a legal boundary.
Compare, do not conclude
Overlay the reference geometry on your measurement and note the differences. A gap is information, not proof of encroachment. Recording the fences, walls and corners actually on the ground, with photographs, is useful whatever the register says.
Know when to escalate
If the difference affects a sale, a build or a neighbour, document it properly and bring in a licensed surveyor before anything is built. A boundary walked with a phone is valuable as reconnaissance and evidence; official stake-out, disputes and cadastral outcomes belong to the authorised process. That separation protects the user and the surveyor alike.
Try these steps on your own phone.
MapLab Survey handles RTK/GNSS point capture, drawing, area and volume calculations and coordinate conversion, then exports to DXF, KML/KMZ, GeoJSON, Shapefile, GeoPackage, NCZ or CSV. Capture, calculation and export work offline. Live NTRIP corrections and online basemaps need a connection.
Frequently asked questions
Can an app determine a land boundary?
It can record field references, not declare legal boundaries.
Can a field line be walked?
Yes, for reconnaissance.
Is a fence a parcel boundary?
Not always.
How does MapLab Survey help?
It organizes layers, measurements, photos and exports.
Technical references
The field guidance in this article is aligned with the technical and official references below.
Related: Walk parcel boundary · Find parcel by phone · Registry area comparison · MapLab Survey