Glossary
Back to DeedSketchAcreage
Acreage is the land area enclosed by a parcel’s boundary. For a metes-and-bounds parcel it is computed from the plotted, closed shape of the calls. One acre is 43,560 square feet. A deed’s stated acreage is often approximate ("more or less"), so it can differ from the area the calls actually enclose.
Also called: area · parcel area
How it is computed
Once the calls form a closed polygon, the enclosed area is calculated geometrically (the "shoelace" formula on the corner coordinates) and converted to acres at 43,560 square feet per acre.
A computed area is only as good as the calls. If closure is poor, the area estimate is unreliable too — fix the description first, then trust the acreage.
Stated vs. computed acreage
Deeds frequently say "containing 10 acres, more or less." That figure may be rounded, inherited from an old survey, or simply wrong. Comparing the deed’s stated acreage to the area computed from the calls is a quick, useful check — a large mismatch is worth investigating before you rely on it.
Related terms
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