A minute containing a report and a plan, in which the land surveyor expresses his or her opinion of the current situation and condition of a landed property as far as the titles, cadastre and any legislation and regulations affecting it. A certificate of location can be used only for the purpose for which it was prepared.

Certificates of location are required mainly for real estate transactions, and are used by several parties for different purposes. For example, valuers may use them to calculate the fair market value of properties, based on their exact measurements. Real estate agents can obtain a reliable overall picture of properties and advise their clients accordingly. Architects use certificates of location to plan extensions to existing properties, and notaries use them to obtain the information they need for the deed of sale. Banks also ask for certificates of location as an assurance that properties offered as guarantees for loans are free of vice.