Setting Out Offset Calculator

About this calculator

In surveying, setting out a point requires computing its coordinates from a known reference. Given a centerline point's coordinates and its bearing (direction), a point offset perpendicular to that line is found by adding an offset distance in the direction of the bearing rotated ±90°: E_offset = E + d·sin(bearing ± 90°) and N_offset = N + d·cos(bearing ± 90°), where d is the offset distance.

Land surveyors and construction engineers use this calculation constantly when marking out building corners, road edges, pipeline routes or fence lines relative to a surveyed centerline or baseline, since it lets a total station or GPS crew stake a precise point on the ground without needing to physically measure out from the centerline at every location.