Understanding Metes and Bounds Legal Descriptions in Arkansas
Last updated: April 2026
If you are preparing for the Arkansas real estate licensing exam, mastering property valuation and legal descriptions is non-negotiable. While street addresses are fine for finding a house on a map, the Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC) requires highly precise legal descriptions to legally transfer real property. One of the most historically significant and widely tested methods for describing property boundaries is the metes and bounds system.
In this comprehensive guide, we will break down how metes and bounds legal descriptions work, how they interact with Arkansas’s specific land survey history, and what you need to know to confidently tackle these questions on your exam.
What is a Metes and Bounds Legal Description?
The term "metes and bounds" refers to a system of describing a parcel of land by detailing its shape and boundaries. It is the oldest method of land description used in the United States. To understand the system, you simply need to break down the name:
- Metes: Refers to distance and measurements (e.g., feet, yards, chains, or rods).
- Bounds: Refers to direction or compass bearings (e.g., North, South 45 degrees East) and boundary markers.
A metes and bounds description always starts at a designated starting point called the Point of Beginning (POB). From the POB, the description provides a set of "calls" (a combination of distance and direction) that trace the perimeter of the property until it finally returns to the exact same Point of Beginning. If the description does not return to the POB, the survey does not "close," rendering the legal description defective.
The Role of Monuments
Monuments are fixed objects used to establish real estate boundaries. In Arkansas, these can be natural monuments (like a specific oak tree, a boulder, or the bank of the Arkansas River) or artificial monuments (like an iron pin driven into the ground by a surveyor, a concrete marker, or a highway right-of-way). In the event of a discrepancy in a legal description, the actual physical location of a monument takes precedence over the written linear measurements.
The Arkansas Context: Metes & Bounds vs. The Rectangular Survey System
To pass the Arkansas real estate exam, you must understand how metes and bounds fit into the state's broader land surveying framework. Arkansas primarily uses the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), also known as the Rectangular Survey System. In fact, the initial starting point for the entire Louisiana Purchase survey is located right here in eastern Arkansas (at the intersection of Lee, Monroe, and Phillips counties).
So, if Arkansas uses the Rectangular Survey System (Sections, Townships, and Ranges), why do you need to know metes and bounds?
Because metes and bounds are still used every day in Arkansas to describe irregular parcels of land. When a farmer in Benton County sells 5.2 acres out of a perfectly square 40-acre PLSS quarter-quarter section, the only way to accurately describe that new, irregular 5.2-acre cut-out is by using a metes and bounds description that originates from a known PLSS monument.
Anatomy of an Arkansas Metes and Bounds Description
Let’s look at a practical example of a metes and bounds description you might see on a deed in Pulaski County:
"Beginning at an iron pin located at the Northwest corner of Section 12, Township 2 North, Range 12 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian; thence South 45° 30' East a distance of 200 feet to a concrete marker; thence South 45° 30' West a distance of 150 feet to an iron pin; thence North 45° 30' West a distance of 200 feet to an iron pin on the eastern right-of-way of County Road 14; thence North 45° 30' East along said right-of-way a distance of 150 feet to the Point of Beginning. Containing 0.69 acres, more or less."
Breaking Down the Scenario
If you encounter a description like this on your exam, here is how you analyze it:
- The Point of Beginning (POB): The description clearly identifies the starting point (the NW corner of Section 12) using a PLSS reference and a physical monument (an iron pin).
- The Calls: The surveyor uses compass bearings (Degrees °, Minutes ', Seconds ") and distances (feet) to draw lines.
- Closure: The final call explicitly returns to the "Point of Beginning," ensuring the property boundaries enclose a specific area.
Common Errors in Legal Descriptions
Because metes and bounds descriptions rely on highly specific mathematical calls, errors are common and can cloud a property's title. Below is a breakdown of the most frequent causes of boundary description errors in real estate transactions.
Common Causes of Metes & Bounds Errors (%)
Licensee Responsibilities Under AREC Rules
As an Arkansas real estate agent or broker, you are not a licensed surveyor, nor are you a real estate attorney. It is considered the unauthorized practice of law for a real estate licensee to draft a complex metes and bounds legal description from scratch.
However, AREC rules stipulate that you are responsible for ensuring that a legally sufficient description is included in all listing agreements and purchase contracts. Relying solely on a postal address can void a contract. You must pull the correct legal description from the seller's deed, a prior title policy, or a professional land survey.
Understanding the boundaries of your role is critical. For a deeper dive into what you can and cannot do as a licensee, review our guide on Arkansas Broker vs. Agent Responsibilities. Furthermore, if a contract is deemed invalid because of a defective legal description (e.g., the metes and bounds fail to close), it can create massive complications regarding the return of escrowed funds. You can learn more about managing these funds in our article on Arkansas Earnest Money and Escrow.
Exam Preparation Tips
When sitting for the Arkansas real estate exam, keep the following tips in mind regarding metes and bounds:
- Always look for the POB: If an exam question asks what invalidates a metes and bounds description, look for the answer choice stating that it "fails to return to the Point of Beginning."
- Monuments rule: Remember that physical monuments take priority over written distances if there is a conflict.
- Distance vs. Direction: Know the difference between "metes" (distance) and "bounds" (direction).
Mastering property descriptions is just one piece of the puzzle. To ensure you are fully prepared for every topic on the test, be sure to study our Complete Arkansas Exam Guide. And remember, your education doesn't stop once you pass the exam; maintaining your license will require you to stay updated on these topics, as detailed in our overview of Arkansas Continuing Education Requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Arkansas use the metes and bounds system or the Rectangular Survey System?
Arkansas uses both. The state is officially a Rectangular Survey System (Public Land Survey System) state, with its surveys originating from the Fifth Principal Meridian. However, metes and bounds descriptions are heavily used to describe irregular parcels, subdivisions, and specific cut-outs within those larger rectangular sections.
What happens if a metes and bounds description in an Arkansas contract does not close?
If the final directional call does not return to the exact Point of Beginning (POB), the legal description is considered defective because it does not enclose a defined area of land. This can render a real estate contract void or uninsurable by a title company until a surveyor corrects the description.
Can a real estate agent draft a metes and bounds description in Arkansas?
No. Drafting a metes and bounds description from scratch requires the expertise of a licensed land surveyor or an attorney. Real estate agents who attempt to draft complex legal descriptions risk being disciplined by the AREC for the unauthorized practice of law. Agents should always copy the exact legal description from the seller's recorded deed or a certified survey.
What is the most important element in an Arkansas metes and bounds description?
The Point of Beginning (POB) is arguably the most critical element. Without a clearly defined and identifiable POB, the rest of the distances and directions have no spatial context, making it impossible to locate the property lines.
How do monuments affect metes and bounds boundaries in Arkansas?
In Arkansas real estate law, physical monuments (such as a riverbed, a highway, or an iron pin) hold the highest legal weight. If a deed states a boundary line is "500 feet to the old oak tree," but the actual distance to the tree is 510 feet, the location of the tree (the monument) dictates the legal boundary, not the written 500-foot measurement.
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