What Is A Floor Plan Survey And When Do You Need One?

What is a Floor Plan Survey?

A floor plan survey produces a representation of a building as seen from a bird’s-eye view. The floor plan shows the positions and levels of walls, ceilings, doors, and windows. It should provide a clear and accurate blueprint of a space’s layout.

Floor plans are often just one part of a larger measured building survey. They can be produced alongside other survey documents such as roof plans, cross sections, or an elevation survey. Comprehensive floor plans are an essential starting point for any construction or renovation project.

Who Can Produce Floor Plans?

Who you choose to create your floor plan is defined by what you’ll be using this floor plan for. Floor plans can be produced by a number of different professionals following a floor plan survey. You can even create a basic floor plan yourself. Apps and websites may use augmented reality technology to create a floor plan, or you could stick to old-fashioned pen and paper and draw your plan by hand.

Estate agent floor plans are primarily a marketing material to show potential buyers or renters the layout and space of a building. These floor plans are generally created by software and may not be accurate or to-scale. Estate agents or DIY floor plans are not suitable for construction projects or as part of a planning permission application.

Interior designers can also create floor plans but they tend to focus on layout optimisation and FF&E (furniture, fittings and equipment). These types of floor plans can be fairly accurate, but not always enough to use for construction work.

Professional land surveyors produce precise and detailed floor plans which show the building’s existing layout. They carry out floor plan surveys using state-of-the-art tools, like laser scanners and total station kits, to create a scaled floor plan that is millimeter accurate. This level of detail is required for any construction project, working with an architect, or applying for planning permission.

What is Included in a Floor Plan Survey?

The level of detail a floor plan survey provides can vary depending on what it’s needed for. Basic annotations and measurements on the floor plan can be enough detail for selling a property. If they’re for a full renovation project then the floor plans will need to have more detail. Information such as the gross and net internal areas, fixed furniture details, or ceiling heights can also be included.

Basic Annotations

Basic annotations such as room names, door opening directions, or stair directions are usually included on all floor plans. These annotations are essential for understanding the overview of any building and are used by everyone from prospective property buyers to designers and architects. However, for complex projects floor plans may also need to include added information or be paired with further surveys.

Scales

Floor plan surveys can be produced in various scale measurements. This depends on the size of the building and the detail needed for the project. Some projects require measurements down to the millimetre while others don’t need to be as exact.

Floor plan scales can range from 1:5 for engineering or MEP surveys to 1:200 for large buildings or site context surveys. The most common scales are 1:100 or 1:50 for standard floor plans or 1:20 for more detailed interior design plans.

2D and 3D Floor Plans

Many floor plans are shown in a 2D CAD or PDF file. However, a land surveyor can use a laser surveying scanner to create a 3D point cloud which is a 3D digital twin of the building. These types of files require a high-powered computer to read and output the data, but this can then be used as a starting point for designers or architects creating a BIM (Building Information Modelling) model.

All modern floor plan surveys use computer-aided design to present their data. The CAD file can be passed on as it is, or it can be converted into a PDF for ease.

Area Calculations

Floor plans may show the amount of space inside the building being surveyed. The most common area calculations are for gross internal area (the total space within the outer walls) and the net internal area (the total usable space).

Some floor plans may also include the area calculations for gross external area, which shows the measurements including the outer walls. This can be used to calculate the depth of the outer walls, or to include features such as balconies or chimney breasts.

Extra Added Details

Floor plans can be as basic or as detailed as your project requires. Optional details can include directions, fixtures, and ceiling heights.

A compass on the floor plan will show you which direction your building is facing. This can be useful for refurbishment projects where spaces need to have certain light levels, or to see where the sun would be facing at any given time. This can also be helpful if you are considering installing solar panels.

Fixed furniture and sanitary ware locations such as built-in wardrobes, sinks, toilets, or showers can be a useful addition to floor plan surveys. This can give you an idea of where plumbing systems are installed or how much usable floor space there is.

Ceiling heights can also be a commonly overlooked aspect. Asking for them to be included in a floor plan helps you understand the best way to use a space. For instance, you won’t be able to add a bedroom if everyone has to stoop to walk into it.

How Can You Use a Floor Plan?

Selling or Renting

A basic floor plan is increasingly common on property listings as it gives potential viewers a better sense of space. If you’re planning on selling or leasing a property, your listing can attract up to 30% more interest if a floor plan is included.

Redevelopment

Floor plans and other land and building surveys are essential for any redevelopment project. These surveys give you a precise overview of a site and help ensure that designs and plans are as accurate as possible. This can help to avoid any costly mistakes caused by working with outdated or inaccurate surveys.

Local councils often require detailed existing condition drawings before granting planning permissions. They are especially strict with building work on listed or heritage buildings, so having a detailed floor plan can help to progress this stage and gain planning approval.

Accurate survey data ensures that any redevelopment work aligns with the existing structure. This will help your project to run smoother long term, as well as mitigating any major issues.

Land Registry Plans

Land registry documents are recorded, maintained and protected by HM Land Registry. They include a set of plans showing the boundaries of land and properties as well as a title register that includes written details about a property.

While floor plans are not necessary for most compliant land registry plans, there are some circumstances where floor plans should be included. If you are registering a leasehold, flats or maisonettes, split-level properties, or a small property then floor plans may be a requirement when submitting your land registry plans.

Floor Plan Surveys For Planning Permission

Accurate and scaled floor plans can help to speed up planning permission applications. Local planning authorities take many things into consideration when looking at planning applications. Floor plans can help to clear up any uncertainties with your project. They can help demonstrate that any changes or additions to the building are compliant with regulations.

Floor plans often form part of a wider set of documentation needed for planning applications. Other surveys can show whether the proposed changes may affect any neighbouring properties or the surrounding areas.

Types of Floor Plan

Simple Floor Plan

A simple floor plan usually shows the layout of the building along with basic dimensions and measurements. This covers all the rooms, including a loft or basement. This is the best choice for projects with a smaller budget, or projects where a detailed floor plan isn’t needed.

Standard Floor Plan

Standard floor plans are the level that most people’s construction projects will require. Along with other land and building surveys, a standard floor plan is suitable for full planning applications, remodelling and refurbishment works.

What’s Included:

• Wall position and thickness
• Door position
• Window position with soffit and cill height
• Floor and ceiling height and level
• Beam and vertical column measurements (lengths, widths, heights)
• Stairs

Enhanced floor plan

Enhanced floor plans are generally for projects that require a lot of detailed information. An enhanced floor plan is also used when there are major structural issues, and for listed buildings projects.

What’s Included:

• Everything in a standard plan
• Window framing detail
• Primary sanitary ware locations
• Fixed furniture detail
• Gas and electricity meters/consumer units

How Accurate Are Modern Floor Plans?

While surveying used to be completed by hand, nowadays land surveyors use many different tools and techniques that can help us to complete an accurate floor plan efficiently. This can include a combination of a 3D laser scanner, a total station kit and a GPS kit.

A 3D laser scanner is a high speed measuring method that uses a laser to capture millions of points inside a building. These points are then assembled into a highly precise ‘point cloud’. This allows land surveyors to remotely scan dangerous, inaccessible or busy sites. Laser scanning also includes a lot of detail that can be helpful at complex sites like heritage buildings.

Total station kits use line-of-sight measurements to capture distances to the millimetre. GPS kits use satellite positioning, which can be useful when surveying large sites.

This combination of tools and techniques ensures that modern floor plan surveys are extremely accurate, no matter what type of building or project you’re working on.

How Long Does a Floor Plan Take?

The short answer is, it depends. Basic floor plans will take less time to produce than more detailed floor plans. Smaller buildings will be completed faster than large industrial sites. Floor plan surveys are usually done alongside other surveys, so each project will have different timeframes.

Your land surveyor should let you know how long they need to be on site. This can range from a couple of hours to several days. The surveyor will then return to their office to begin creating a digital data file. How long it takes to produce your floor plans will depend on the size of the project and the surveying company’s turnaround time. However, it can take as little as two days.

Does Furniture Need to be Cleared?

Generally, you shouldn’t need to clear all of your furniture for a floor plan survey. However you should have a clean and tidy space to provide the best access. You may also want to consider removing items or smaller furniture that obstruct walls, corners, or the floor. Surveyors need to reach corners and baseboards, so just keep in mind that larger pieces of furniture may also need to be moved around.

How Much Do Floor Plan Surveys Cost?

The cost of a floor plan survey will vary depending on the project. Key things that will influence the costs are the size of the site, how complex the building shapes are and how easy it is to access.

Costs can increase if there are any hazards on site or other work going on, that makes the survey more challenging. Surveyors normally work regular office hours, so your costs will be lower if you can have the surveyor visit on weekdays, avoiding evenings or weekends.

Depending on your project, you may need a more comprehensive measured building surveys package. This includes other surveys that provide details like external elevations, cross sections, or roof plans. The cost of a measured survey is unique to every job, but basic surveying costs can be around £1500 – £2000 + VAT for a residential property.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Getting your floor plan survey correct at the beginning of your project can prevent costly issues and bottlenecks further down the line. Common mistakes can include:

• Using outdated architect drawings
• Measuring by yourself
• Ignoring floor level changes
• Assuming that walls are straight (especially in older buildings)
• Failing to check ceiling heights (vital when planning a loft conversion)
• Not getting enough details and measurements

Floor plan surveys can be an integral part of any project, whether you’re planning a full property refurbishment or a smaller update to a building. While the level of details required in a floor plan can change based on need, there are numerous benefits to getting a professional floor plan survey. With a range of technologies and tools at their disposal, the right land surveyor can guide you through the process.