Methodology

Four categories

Water

Ocean, bay or lake of at least 20 acres, or a river at least 50 ft wide.

Mountain

At least 1,000 ft of local relief, measured from where you stand.

Cityscape

A genuinely dense skyline, not a single tall building.

Landscape

Natural or cultivated land, scored on its own merits.

What we measure

Five factors, every category.

Length 20 pts

Distance, in miles, to the farthest clearly visible subject, plus the median sightline across the open field.

Width 20 pts

Degrees of continuous open arc, measured by compass bearing. Every certified view needs at least 15° of continuous open arc. Any blockage of 15° or more splits the field; additional arcs earn diminishing credit.

Subject 25 pts

The inherent quality of what you're looking at, against category-specific anchors, with a bonus when a second category qualifies in the same view.

Obstruction 20 pts

Each item inside the open field is logged by bearing and angular size, then weighed by how much it clashes with the scene and how much of it there is.

Site Utilization 15 pts

How many of the rooms and outdoor spaces you actually use share the view, not just a bathroom window.

Field Report · Mountain

Report No. VUE-M-26-0007

Illustrative sample · not a real certification

Property: Blue Ridge Overlook
Vantage point: Main deck · eye height 5.5 ft
Coordinates: 38.5712° N, 78.3861° W
Vantage elevation: 2,410 ft
Assessed: Jul 14 · 09:40 · leaf-on
Method: In person · theodolite + GPS

01 Panorama & bearings

Primary open arc · 148°22°

Open arc Blockage ≥15° (splits field) Outside field · residence AMeasured subject OObstruction

02 Plan view of the field

Distance rings on a log scale. Vantage at center.

03 Measured subjects

	Subject	Bearing	Distance	Ang. width	Elev. Δ
A	Near ridge crest	206°	4.2 mi	48°	+1,120 ft
B	Reservoir · secondary: Water	248°	6.5 mi	9°	−1,380 ft
C	Second ridgeline	268°	11.8 mi	71°	+940 ft
D	Farthest ridgeline	292°	41.3 mi	38°	+1,460 ft

Local relief in view: 2,840 ft
Mountain gate (≥1,000 ft): Met
Seasonal condition: Leaf-on · worst case
Secondary category: Water (B)

04 Score by criterion

Length of view

20 / 20

Farthest visible subject (D)41.3 mi
Median sightline across primary arc9.6 mi

Width of view

17 / 20

Primary continuous arc, 168°–316°148° · 13/15
Secondary arc, 334°–356° (tree stand ≥15° splits field)22° · 4/5

Obstruction / distraction

18 / 20

O1 Utility line, 6° · low congruity × minor−1.5
O2 Dead snag, 2° · natural × minor−0.5

Site utilization

14 / 15

Primary spaces with direct sightline5 of 6
Excluded: home office, north-facing0 of 1

Subject interest

22 / 25

Relief & prominence (2,840 ft local relief)8/8
Depth & layering (4 distinct ridgelines)6/6
Scarcity & character5/5
Multi-category bonus: Water (reservoir, B)+3

The Standard