What is the starting point in a metes-and-bounds land description called?

• A. Baseline
• B. Point of Beginning
• C. Meridian
• D. Township

Answer: (B)

In metes-and-bounds descriptions, the boundary starts at a clearly defined point that marks where the description begins and from which all directions and distances are measured. That starting point is called the point of beginning. From there, the survey describes the perimeter step by step with directions and distances, and it typically ends back at the same point, closing the loop around the parcel.

This term is specific to metes-and-bounds because it names the exact spot thatAnchor the entire description. Other options belong to different surveying systems: a baseline is an east–west reference line in the rectangular (government) survey, a meridian is the north–south reference line paired with a principal meridian, and a township is a six-by-six-mile square unit in the government survey. In metes-and-bounds, the point of beginning is the starting landmark—often a natural feature or a marked monument—from which the property’s bounds are traced.