Clear answers to common questions about cadastre and surveying

The land book is the official record describing a property and the rights registered in relation to it. It may include details about the land or building, its owner, cadastral number and area, as well as mortgages, restrictions or other relevant entries.

A land book excerpt shows the registered situation at the time it is issued. To determine whether it matches the supporting documents and the situation on site, all of these sources need to be reviewed together.

Registration, commonly referred to in Romanian as intabulare, is the entry of a property right—such as ownership—in the property's land book. It is based on legal documents and, when the situation requires it, on cadastral documentation prepared by an authorised professional.

The appropriate type of entry and the documents needed depend on the ownership deed and the existing record. They can be established only after the available documents have been checked.

A cadastral number is the identifier assigned to a property in Romania's integrated cadastre and land book system. It links the property's technical description to its land book record.

A topographic number generally comes from older records and may still appear in deeds or historical land books. The two numbers should not be treated as automatically equivalent; their relationship must be checked against the property's documentation.

No. A title deed or another ownership document is the legal basis for a person's right to a property. The land book is the record in which the property, the holder of the right and other relevant entries are registered.

The two complement one another but are not interchangeable. If the deed and land book contain different information, the reason should be clarified before new documentation is prepared or a transaction proceeds.

It may be needed when a property has not yet been registered, when a right is acquired or transferred, when a building is added, or when the technical data no longer reflects the actual situation. An update may also follow a change to the area, boundaries, address, land-use category or property layout.

The correct operation cannot be determined from the intended outcome alone. The deeds, current land book and situation on site need to be reviewed first.

Start with a recent land book excerpt and compare the registered owner, property identification, area, address, buildings and any encumbrances with the documents you hold. Boundaries and layout should also be compared with the cadastral plans and the situation visible on site.

A recent excerpt shows what is registered, but it does not by itself confirm that all technical information is correct. If you notice discrepancies, an authorised surveyor can review the cadastral aspects and explain what further checks may be needed.

The list depends on the type of operation and the property's legal and technical situation. A typical starting point includes the ownership deed, identity documents, existing land book and cadastral information, together with any relevant plans or administrative documents.

Additional documents may be needed when there are area discrepancies, unregistered buildings, inheritance matters, court decisions or other particular circumstances. The exact list should be confirmed after the documents have been reviewed and before the cadastral work begins.

The documents vary with the age of the building, how it was authorised and what is already registered. The property deed, cadastral information, documents relating to the building permit and completion, and any available plans are usually useful for the initial review.

Cases involving incomplete records or changes from the approved design require separate assessment. The surveyor can establish the technical work needed, while administrative or legal documents should be confirmed with the relevant authorities or professionals.

An authorised surveyor carries out the measurements and prepares the technical part of the cadastral documentation. Depending on the assignment and the authority granted, it may be submitted by the authorised professional or by another entitled person.

The county cadastral office, OCPI, examines the documentation and decides on the registration request; the surveyor does not approve their own work. The owner supplies accurate documents, while a notary, court or local authority may have a separate role when legal or administrative acts are required.

Describe the result you need, not only the assumed name of the service—for example, a land book update, boundary setting-out or a plan for design work. Provide the property's location, its known legal situation and when the final documentation will be used.

Share the deeds and plans you already have before requesting a final quotation. After an initial review, the surveyor can define the correct scope, stages and deliverables, along with any circumstances that may require additional documents or services.

Make sure the land, buildings and relevant measurement points can be accessed. Where possible, clear obstacles hiding the boundaries and tell the surveyor about boundary markers, fences, utilities or hard-to-reach areas. Do not move existing markers.

Keep the available deeds and plans close at hand and mention any boundary disagreement in advance. If access through neighbouring property or another person's presence is needed, arrange this before the site visit.

Check that the person is authorised for the documentation you need and has experience with comparable situations. Ask for a proposal that states the purpose, deliverables, documents you must provide, whether submission is included and how any requests for additional information will be handled.

Avoid choosing on price alone, promises of guaranteed approval, or measurements started without a document review. A surveyor can prepare the documentation correctly, but the final outcome depends on the property's circumstances and the competent authorities.

A surveyor accurately measures and represents land, buildings and infrastructure. Their work may include identifying and setting out boundaries, producing surveys for design, determining levels or volumes, monitoring construction work and preparing cadastral documentation.

We use “surveyor” here as the general, plain-language term. Documentation intended for Romania's cadastre and land book system must, where required, be prepared and signed by a person authorised for that type of work.

Surveying may be requested for building design and permits, urban planning documentation, roads and utility networks, property division or consolidation, boundary and construction-axis setting-out, completion records, measured building surveys, monitoring, volume calculations or terrain models.

The required survey and plan format vary with the project and the institution requesting them. Before fieldwork starts, the brief from the designer, authority or client should be checked.