Vastu compass: find North for your floor plan

Chip: **Free · Works on your phone**

By · Published · Updated

Allow compass access

To read your direction we need your phone's compass sensor. We do not store your location or your readings. You can also type the angle by hand at any time.

**Buttons:** Allow compass · Enter angle manually

**Result sentence:** The top of your floor plan should point to **24° (North-North-East)**. Use this as North in your report.

**Buttons:** Use in my report · Check on Google Maps

  • Readout: **Your phone points to 24°** (updates live)
  • Prompt: **Hold your phone flat and steady. Move away from steel doors, speakers and lifts.**
  • Calibration prompt: **Readings jumping? Draw a figure 8 in the air with your phone.**
  • Note: **Compasses show magnetic North. In most of India the difference from true North is small, but check it for large plots.**

How to find North for your Vastu report: four methods

1\. Phone compass (fastest)

  • Stand at the centre of the room, not beside a wall with wiring or steel.
  • Hold the phone flat and wait for the reading to settle.
  • Note the angle toward which the top of your plan should point.

2\. Satellite map (most reliable for plots)

  • Open a map in satellite view and zoom to your building.
  • Most maps show North at the top. Compare the roads and boundary with your plan and rotate the plan to match.
  • Use this when you are not at the site.

3\. The sun

  • The sun rises roughly in the East and sets roughly in the West, but its exact position shifts through the year.
  • Use this as a rough check only.

4\. A hand compass

  • A simple magnetic compass works well outdoors.
  • Take readings on the terrace or in the open, away from metal.

True North and magnetic North

A compass needle points to magnetic North. Maps use true North. The difference is called declination. Across most of India it is small, but on a long plot even a few degrees shifts the zones at the far end. If you use a phone compass, confirm with a satellite map.

How to mark North on a floor plan

1. Find North on site using one of the methods above.

2. Look at which way the top of your floor plan faces. Most plans are drawn with North at the top, but many are not.

3. Write the angle of rotation between your plan's top and North.

4. Enter that angle in the report's North step, or rotate the plan to match.

5. Check one landmark on the plan, such as a road, against the map.

Common mistakes when finding North

  • Holding the phone near a metal gate, car or speaker.
  • Reading the compass while tilting the phone.
  • Assuming the plan's top is North.
  • Using the front door's facing as North.
  • Taking one reading in a steel-framed building and trusting it.

Check this on your own floor plan. Free for one plan.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I find North for Vastu?

Use your phone compass away from metal, then confirm on a satellite map. Enter the angle in your report.

Is a phone compass accurate enough?

It is usually good enough for a flat. For a large plot, confirm with a satellite map.

Should I use true or magnetic North for Vastu?

Most practitioners use the compass reading on site. Use a satellite map to cross-check and keep the same North for the whole analysis.

Does the compass work inside a tall building?

Steel and wiring can disturb it. Take the reading near a window or on the terrace and confirm on a map.

What if my compass app shows degrees and not a direction?

That is normal. 0° is North, 90° East, 180° South, 270° West. Enter the degrees directly.