Plot Plan to Scale — PDF at 1:100 to 1:500 and DXF
Turn tape measurements into a plot plan at a true scale, with setbacks and a north arrow.
Try before you buy.
- Free preview: the plot area in full and the plan sheet as a watermarked picture, with the first rows of the sides table (up to 3); every other figure is hidden.
- Locked until you unlock it: download and copy.
- Unlock: Pro pass, ₹179 for 30 days, a one-time payment that never renews.
Ways to unlock shows how to get the full result.
Printing this result is locked in the free preview.
Plot
Name the corners A, B, C … in order round the plot. Type every side and the diagonals from corner A; a length may carry its own unit, such as 30 ft or 32' 6".
Road, setbacks and north
Sheet
Title block optional
Enter the plot’s lengths — or load the example — and the plan appears here, drawn to scale.
Plan
Sides and corners
| Side | Role | Length | Angle at its first corner |
|---|
Print the PDF at 100 % (“Actual size”, not “Fit to page”) and the plan measures true with a scale rule.
Locked in the free preview. Opens the ways to unlock this result.
Locked in the free preview. Batch runs unlock with a pass.
Locked in the free preview. Query results unlock with a pass.
About the Plot Plan to Scale — PDF at 1:100 to 1:500 and DXF
Make a plot plan to scale from the lengths you measured: a rectangle (front and depth), every side with the diagonals from corner A — the same measurements as the Plot Area Calculator — or the corners as x, y coordinates from a site plan or survey. The plan is drawn on A4, A3, US Letter or US Tabloid at a true scale (1:50 to 1:1000, or the inch scales such as 1" = 20') with every side dimensioned, the diagonals, the corner names and angles, the road in front, a north arrow from the bearing of one side, a scale bar and a title block with the plot’s area in square metres, square feet, square yards (gaj) and acres.
Enter the setbacks your building rules ask for and the plan draws the buildable area inside them, with its area. The sheet on screen is exactly what prints. A Pro pass unlocks the vector PDF, which measures true with a scale rule when printed at 100 %, a DXF of the boundary for architects and surveyors, a PNG and the summary; without one the result is a free preview: the plot area in full and the sheet as a watermarked picture.
How to use it
- Under Plot, choose Rectangle, Sides or Coordinates and the unit you measured in, then type the lengths. A length may carry its own unit, such as
30 ftor32' 6". - For an irregular plot, name the corners A, B, C … in order round it, measure every side and the diagonals from corner A (four sides alone do not fix a plot’s shape).
- Under Road, setbacks and north, pick the front (road) side and the road’s width, type the setback inside each side, and the bearing of side AB if you know it — such as 90 for east, or N 45 E.
- Under Sheet, keep Largest that fits or pick a scale, a paper and the unit for the lengths on the plan; add the plot’s name, address and survey number in the Title block.
- Check the plan, the area and the sides table. The PDF, DXF and PNG downloads and the copied summary need a pass, or an unlock of this plan; print the PDF at 100 % (“Actual size”) to keep the scale.
Examples
AB 30 ft (front), BC 40 ft, CD 30.5 ft, DA 40 ft, diagonal AC 50 ft; road 20 ft; setbacks front 5 ft, sides and rear 3 ft
A-B-C is a 30-40-50 right triangle (600 sq ft) and A-C-D 609.95 sq ft by Heron’s formula: 1,209.95 sq ft = 112.41 m² = 134.4 gaj; drawn at 1:100 on A4 portrait
Plot 200 m²; buildable area (10 − 1.5 − 1.5) × (20 − 3 − 2) = 7 × 15 = 105 m²; 1:200 on A4 portrait (at 1:100 it would need 100 × 200 mm)
1" = 20'
1 inch on paper for 240 inches on the ground: 1:240. 1/8" = 1'-0" is 1:96.
360° − 30° = 330° from north, clockwise
Scales and printing
At 1:n one metre on the ground is 1000 ÷ n millimetres on paper: at 1:100 a metre is 10 mm, at 1:200 it is 5 mm, at 1:500 it is 2 mm. An inch scale gives the ground length of one inch on paper: 1" = 20' is 1:240 and 1/8" = 1'-0" is 1:96. Largest that fits tries the scales from the largest down and keeps the first at which the plot, the road and the dimensions fit the drawing area above the title block, turning the paper when that gives a larger scale.
The PDF page is exactly the paper size, so print it at 100 % or Actual size — “Fit to page” shrinks it and the scale is lost. Check a print against the scale bar or a dimension with a ruler.
How the plot is drawn
- Sides and diagonals: three sides fix a triangle, so the diagonals from corner A cut the plot into triangles A-B-C, A-C-D … whose areas come from Heron’s formula √(s(s − a)(s − b)(s − c)); the outline is built triangle by triangle.
- Coordinates: the corners as given, in either direction; area by the shoelace formula ½ |Σ (xᵢ yᵢ₊₁ − xᵢ₊₁ yᵢ)|.
- Turning: with Front at the bottom the front side runs along the bottom of the sheet with the plot above it; with North up the bearing of side AB turns the plan so north is at the top. The north arrow is drawn from that bearing; without one the sheet says “North not given”.
- The interior angle at each corner is listed, and written on the plan if you ask for it — a quick check against the corners you can see on site.
Setbacks and the buildable area
Each side moves inwards, parallel to itself, by its own setback; the new corners are where the moved sides meet, and the buildable area is the area inside them. Setback rules differ from city to city and with the plot’s size, the road width and the building’s height, so none are built in: enter the ones your local building rules give. When the setbacks of two neighbouring sides meet before a side ends, the page says which side has no room left. For the floor area you may build on that, see the FSI / FAR Calculator.
The DXF for CAD
The DXF is in AutoCAD’s Release 12 ASCII format, which most CAD programs open. It is at full size — one drawing unit is one metre, or one foot when the plan is labelled in feet — turned as on the sheet, with corner A at 0,0. Layers: PLOT (the boundary as one closed polyline), SETBACK, DIAGONALS, ROAD, DIMENSIONS (side lengths as text), TEXT (corner names, the plot’s name and area) and NORTH.
Limitations
- A drawing of the measurements you enter, not a survey, an approved or sanctioned plan or a legal document. Have the boundary surveyed for buying, selling, dividing or registering land.
- Sides are straight lines between corners: measure a curved edge as several short sides (or use the Plot Area Calculator’s baseline and offsets for its area).
- Up to 12 corners by sides and diagonals, and 60 by coordinates.
- No setback or building rules are built in — they depend on where the plot is; enter the ones that apply to it.
- One sheet per plan, up to A3 or US Tabloid. A plot too big for 1:1000 on the chosen paper is refused with the size it needs.
Privacy
Your measurements and title-block details stay in this browser and are kept on this device for your next visit: nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
What do I get without a pass?
Without a pass, Plot Plan to Scale — PDF at 1:100 to 1:500 and DXF shows the plot area in full and the plan sheet as a watermarked picture, with the first rows of the sides table (up to 3); every other figure is hidden. Until you unlock it, the result can’t be downloaded or copied. A Pro, Premium or Ultimate pass, a one-time payment that never renews, unlocks the full result. The pricing page lists the passes and their prices.
What scale should a plot plan be?
Whatever makes the plot fit the paper with room for its dimensions: the page picks the largest scale that fits. A plot of about 10 × 20 m fits A4 at 1:200 and A3 at 1:100; a large farm plot needs 1:500 or 1:1000. If an office asks for a particular scale, pick it under Scale and the page tells you whether it fits.
Why do I need a diagonal?
Four sides do not fix a four-sided plot: it can lean like a parallelogram and change its area. A diagonal splits it into two triangles, whose three sides fix them. Each extra corner needs one more diagonal from corner A.
Can I submit this plan for a building permit?
It is a drawing of your own measurements. Many authorities ask for plans prepared and signed by a licensed architect, engineer or surveyor, so check what yours needs; this plan and its DXF are a good start for them.
How do I print it to the right scale?
Open the PDF and print at 100 % or “Actual size” on the paper the plan was made for. Then measure the scale bar: its length should match the numbers on it at the plan’s scale.
What if I only know the plot’s coordinates?
Choose Coordinates and paste them as x, y pairs in metres or feet, one corner per line in order round the plot. For latitude and longitude from a phone, use the GPS Field Area Measure.
Do I need a pass?
To download the PDF, DXF or PNG, or to copy the summary, yes: a Pro pass unlocks every Pro tool. Without a pass you see a free preview of your own plan: the plot area in full and the plan sheet as a watermarked picture, with the first rows of the sides table.