CAD Standards for Land Registry-Compliant Boundary Survey Plans (PG40 Supp 5)

What PG40 Supplement 5 requires from the plan

HM Land Registry's Practice Guide 40 Supplement 5 (PG40 Supp 5) sets out the operational requirements for determined boundary plans. The plan must be:

• At a scale that makes every feature legible (typically 1:500 residential, 1:1250 larger plots)
• Drawn on a sheet size that allows every dimension to be checked (typically A3 or A1)
• North-oriented (preferably to OS National Grid true north)
• Have a linear scale bar in metres
• Have every vertex labelled with a unique reference (V1, V2, V3, ...)
• Have a coordinate schedule in OSGB36 (eastings, northings, heights to 3 decimal places)
• Show the current general boundary in red (line width 0.5mm minimum)
• Show the proposed determined boundary in green (line width 0.5mm minimum)
• Show sufficient OS detail to identify the land (roads, buildings, distinctive features)
• Be signed and dated by both the applicant and the surveyor
• Be RICS or CICES surveyor certified (Section 4 of Form DB)

The Icelabz layer standard

The Icelabz CAD standard (based on BS 1192 / ISO 19650 conventions) is a six-layer template for boundary survey plans:

The layer names are prefixed BDRY- to distinguish boundary survey layers from architectural or topographic survey layers in mixed drawings.

Line weights and plot scale

PG40 Supp 5 requires minimum 0.5mm line weights for boundary lines. The Icelabz standard uses 0.5mm for boundary lines, 0.3mm for monuments, and 0.25mm for features, all plotted at 1:500 on A1.

For plots at 1:1250, the line weights scale up by 2.5x to maintain visual weight.

Title block and metadata

The title block (typically bottom-right of the sheet) must include:

• Property address (full postal address with postcode)
• Title number (HM Land Registry title number, e.g. BD123456)
• Date of survey (when the site visit happened)
• Surveyor name + RICS / CICES membership number (e.g. "Bhavesh Ramburn, MRICS #1234567")
• Firm name (e.g. Icelabz)
• PI insurance confirmation (e.g. "PI cover held, £2m")
• Plan reference (firm internal reference)
• Scale (e.g. 1:500 at A1)
• Coordinate system (e.g. "OSGB36 / OS National Grid")
• Datum (e.g. "Ordnance Datum Newlyn (ODN)")
• Statement (e.g. "Plan produced in accordance with RICS Measured Surveys 3rd ed Section 4 + PG40 Supp 5")

North arrow and scale bar

The north arrow is typically top-right, with a clear indication of whether it points to OS National Grid true north (the convention for boundary surveys in 2026) or magnetic north.

The scale bar is typically bottom-centre, in metres, with both 0m, 5m, 10m, 15m, 20m markers (for a 1:500 plot) and the scale stated as text below.

Coordinate schedule

The coordinate schedule is a separate table (typically on the right of the sheet or in a top-right corner box) listing every vertex with:

• Vertex reference (V1, V2, V3, ...)
• Easting (m) to 3 decimal places in OSGB36
• Northing (m) to 3 decimal places in OSGB36
• Height (m AOD) to 3 decimal places in ODN
• Description (e.g. "V1: oak tree, NE corner")
• Evidence (e.g. "stone marker found at this position")

For a typical residential boundary, the schedule has 4-6 vertices. For a larger plot, it may have 20+.

Hatching and pattern conventions

PG40 Supp 5 doesn't mandate specific hatching, but the Icelabz standard uses:

• Hatched every 5m along the determined boundary to indicate the line is a "boundary" rather than a "building outline"
• Cross-hatched at every vertex to highlight the precise location of the vertex
• No hatching for features (hedges, walls, etc.) — these are drawn in their natural colour and line style

Coordinate system and datum

UK 2026 boundary survey plans are produced in:

• Horizontal: OSGB36 / OS National Grid
• Vertical: Ordnance Datum Newlyn (ODN)

GNSS observations are taken in ETRS89 (the satellite datum) and transformed to OSGB36 using the OSTN15 transformation grid (the current version as of 2026). Heights are converted from ellipsoidal to ODN using the OSGM15 geoid model.

File format and delivery

PG40 Supp 5 accepts both DWG and PDF formats for the plan. The Icelabz standard delivers:

• DWG (AutoCAD 2018 or later format) for the editable plan
• PDF (A1 size, 1:500 scale) for the printed view
• Coordinate schedule as a separate CSV or Excel file for use in HM Land Registry's processing

The plan is delivered to the client (and HM Land Registry, where applicable) via secure file transfer, not email.

Common errors that fail PG40 Supp 5

In 2026, the most common reasons a Form DB plan is returned by HM Land Registry:

• Wrong line weight — boundary lines drawn at 0.18mm or 0.25mm instead of the 0.5mm minimum
• Wrong colour — general boundary in green and determined boundary in red (reversed)
• Missing coordinate schedule — or coordinates that don't match the plan (e.g. V1 shown at 532,400 on the plan but 532,500 in the schedule)
• Wrong scale — drawing at 1:1000 when 1:500 was specified
• No surveyor certification — or the certification is missing the RICS / CICES membership number
• Insufficient OS detail — the plan shows the boundary but no roads, buildings, or distinctive features for context

A well-prepared plan passes HM Land Registry's automated checks on first submission.

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Next in the series

• Asset 3: Determined Boundaries: Form DB Step-by-Step
• Asset 8: Pricing a Boundary Survey in 2026
• Service page: Boundary Survey

References

Book a 15-minute clarity call with an Icelabz boundary surveyor. We'll review your situation and give you a fixed fee in 24 hours. Or read the complete boundary survey guide and see the boundary survey service page for the full service description.