What is a measured building survey?
A measured building survey gives highly detailed, professional and accurate measurements of existing buildings and structures. It is essential for renovating or extending a building, as well as other construction work.
Modern measured surveys are performed with laser scanning survey equipment, often alongside total station and GPS kits. The survey provides a series of documents that can be used by a wide range of professionals including architects, structural engineers, interior designers, and steel and fenestration fabricators. The measured building drawings can include floor plans, elevation drawings and cross section plans, as well as roof, loft and basement plans.
Development or maintenance work on a property can benefit from a measured building survey. It provides a record of a property’s current state, which may be needed before a planning application, including for a demolition and rebuild. They also help you to check a build as it progresses. The measured survey provides accurate as-built measurements for steel construction and window or door design and installation.
When do you need a measured building survey?
Accurate measured survey of the elevation and walls that are to be removed or modified. This helps to design how the extension will tie into the existing structure and for quantifying materials required.
Documents the existing property. The measured building survey can be used from drafting proposals for redesign and changes right through to the construction phase. All professionals involved can work off the same
Provides an accurate record of the site’s existing structures. This can be used as a record of what exists before demolition or to inform the design of large extensions or a refurbishment.
Supports condition and/or structural surveys, providing accurate measurements of the walls, floors, roof and window openings. Can be used to annotate where issues are and to document a schedule of proposed maintenance and repairs.
An application for listed building consent is often needed to make changes to a listed building. This requires documents detailing both the existing property and the proposed changes. A measured building survey provides drawings suitable for submission as the existing plans.
Full planning permission requires details of both the existing property and the proposed changes. A measured building survey provides suitable drawings for submission as the existing plans.
A measured survey provides a base for drawing up Land Registry compliant plans. This may be needed for the selling, letting, subletting, valuation or purchase of a property.
Explore by project
What is included in our measured building surveys?
The survey is completed in two stages. First, our measured building surveyors complete site work to survey the building and gather information. We then use this information to draw the measured plans. What’s included in the drawings can vary depending on the project. We’ll establish what level of detail your project needs at the quote stage.
Floor plans
Floor plans are precisely measured plans of any floor of a building, including the basement, as seen from a bird’s-eye view. They show the position and levels of walls, ceilings, doors, stairs and windows, and the existing layout through a building. Floor plan surveys can be a part of a measured building survey or are sometimes produced on their own.
Cross sections
A cross section shows a building cut through from a particular point. We can draw this from any chosen point to best highlight the features that a proposal may impact. For example, through a staircase, or to show window detailing to be replicated. It also enables us to clearly show changes in floor levels.
External elevations
External elevations show the building’s exterior, including details and measurements of key characteristics like windows, doors, guttering and chimneys. Where required, we can pick out the smallest architectural details, such as stained glass detailing or stone features.
Roof plan
A roof plan shows all the features and exact measurements of a building’s roof, as seen from a bird’s-eye view. It is useful for showing the structure and composition of a roof, especially where the roof line is being extended.
Levels of measured building survey
Basic measured building plans
Our basic measured survey is suitable for small residential extensions or remodelling. It includes limited outline information of the layout and of the elevations. It still includes a full site survey, so if you need more information later we can add this to plans without needing to return to site.
The basic measured building survey is ideal for projects with a smaller budget. It gives you a basic floor plan showing the layout of the building. It also provides a set of basic elevations with key features.
Standard measured building survey
Our standard measured building survey is suitable for full planning applications, remodelling and refurbishment works. This is the level of survey that most of our clients require.
What’s included
- Site survey
- Floor plans
- Wall position and thickness
- Door position
- Window position with soffit and cill height
- Floor and ceiling height/level
- Beam and vertical columns (lengths, widths, heights)
- Stairs
- Elevation plans (main elevations only)
- Building outline with ground, roof and external walls
- Window openings including frames
- Door openings including frames
- Roof details including apex and eaves
- Changes in material
- Guttering and down pipes
- Steps and ramps into building
- 1 cross section
Enhanced measured building survey
An enhanced measured survey supports projects that require very detailed information or bespoke information. This could be because the building is listed or there are major structural issues that need to be addressed.
What’s included
All the detail of a standard survey plus:
- Floor plans
- Window framing detail
- Primary sanitary ware locations
- Fixed furniture detail
- Gas and electricity meters/consumer unit
- Elevations
- Brick detailing
- Signs
- Bespoke ironmongery
- Statues
- Roof plans
- Additional cross sections of the building
Why choose Cheshire Surveys
We provide a range of surveys and related services across the North West, Cheshire, North Staffordshire and North Wales.
Passion & technical expertise
25+ years experience
Quality services tailored to your project
Meet our team on site
Why is accurate survey data so important?
A measured building survey often serves as the foundation for a project’s design process, which makes accuracy vital. Specialised measurement techniques help to achieve this, avoiding potential delays and increased costs.
Accurate measured survey data gives design and construction teams a reliable baseline. This can be crucial to your project’s success. It enables these professionals to concentrate on the design process and bring your plans to reality.
For a number of our long-term clients, we are automatically part of their team when they start a new project. Rather than trying to measure a building themselves, we do it for them so they can be sure of accurate methods and results. This saves time and costs across the project overall. It means numerous parties can use the same plans from inception to completion.
Issues caused by inaccurate data
A range of issues can arise when a professional measured building survey has not been carried out.
The constraints of an existing building need to be identified and considered in full at the planning stage. When they aren’t, designs that seem fine on paper may be undeliverable in reality. Designs may be based upon inaccurate building measurements. They may have assumed that a structure’s walls are completely straight but then discover that they’re actually crooked.
Poor data can lead to delays with planning applications. The Planning Authority may not have enough information to consider the application. This can result in requests for extra information and longer decision making times.
Inaccurate data often leads to overrunning budgets or unexpected costs in a project. This can be due to issues with an existing structure, or because incorrect quantities or sizes of materials have been ordered for the build. Correcting the mistakes can add to these costs even further.
How is a measured survey carried out?
Site survey
Our surveyors will require access to the property internally and externally. We’ll place black and white targets inside and outside the property. They may be taped to windows and doors or placed on stakes in the garden. These will need to stay in place for the duration of the survey.
We will let you know how long we need to be on site as this can range from a couple of hours to several days, depending on the scale of the work. Our work then continues in the office, where we create a digital data file. Depending on the size of the project, this can take up to two days.
Survey equipment
The measured building survey is carried out on site with a Leica RTC 3D laser scanner, supported by a total station and GPS kit.
The laser scanner is the key piece of equipment used to ‘scan’ the building internally and externally. White total station points only record single measured points in time and space, a laser scanner sends out beams of light to capture millions of points of data. We use this to produce a highly precise ‘point cloud’ of the building’s structure.
The total station and GPS kit are used to fix the laser surveying scan data to its geographic position. This is unique to a land surveyor’s process for measuring a building, and it cannot be replicated with a tape measure or a disto measurer.
This process also means that the measured building survey data can be combined with any other surveys we carry out on site. e.g. a topographical survey can be drawn on the same survey grid and to the same level.
Laser Surveying
The evolution of laser surveying equipment means we can use it to quickly capture high-precision and detailed data for all scales of projects.
Until relatively recently laser scanners were large, heavy and bulky, so usually only used for larger and more complex projects. Smaller, compact laser surveying equipment means we can now use them in smaller spaces and for more agile and efficient work.
While most of our other surveys are completed using total station and/or GPS kits, laser scanning has particular advantages for measured building surveys.
2D and 3D laser surveying benefits
More detail
Quickly captures a higher level of detail than total stations
Tailored 2D plans
Can be used to produce better quality 2D measured plans tailored to your project
BIM compatible data
Provides ‘registered’ survey point cloud data that supports use in BIM
Lower costs
Less time needed on site so lower measured survey costs
Single data capture
All data is captured in one go, reducing the need for additional visits
Low contact surveying
Less obtrusive and non-invasive so ideal for fragile structures or sensitive environments
2D measured survey plans
The measured survey data file is a 3D point cloud model. This is made up of lots of data points in a grid that looks like a low resolution photograph. We use the 3D point cloud to produce the 2D measured survey drawings. Our specialist software (including AutoCAD) enables us to read and draw from the point cloud more easily. This makes our process as efficient and detailed as possible.
The detail in the drawings will vary depending on what was commissioned: a basic, standard or enhanced measured building survey [anchor link to Levels of Measured Building Survey]. We issue the measured survey drawings in PDF and CAD formats. We can also provide paper copies if requested at commission.
Using 3D point clouds
We can make the 3D point cloud available to the project’s design and construction team. This ‘raw’ laser scanner data from a measured survey can be used for several purposes. It can help professionals to understand the site better and reduce risks later in the project. They can identify the impact of decisions and plan for changes or ongoing maintenance.
The size of the 3D measured survey data file will require high-powered computer processing power and specific software to read it. The 3D point cloud can be the starting point for architects or designers creating a BIM model or for exploring details using Revit.
Speak to our experts
Get free advice or a quote from our experienced team.
We’re known for our reliable, quality service and attention to detail.
How much does a measured survey cost?
The cost of a measured building survey is unique to every job. When we give a quote for a project, we will say how many days our surveyors need on site. We will also include the time expected to finish the drawings in the office.
- Size of the area to be surveyed
- How built up the site is and access to the building elevations
- Complexity of the building shapes
- Levels of vegetation on and around the building
- Tidiness of the site and the inside of the property
- Amount of traffic or vehicle movement
- Hazards on site or any unusual circumstances
- Ease of access
- Distance from our offices, if greater than 30 miles or over 1 hour’s travel
- Poor access around the site to be surveyed e.g. if a site is cluttered or there are lots of items in the way of the elevations or the internal rooms
- Any day-to-day operations that must continue while the survey is happening. These operations may limit when the surveyor can access the site
- If the survey has to be performed outside normal working hours e.g. weekends, evenings or overnight
- Hazards on site that mean we need more than one measured building surveyor to carry out the survey
- Hazardous sites such as those that are fire damaged, derelict or in poor condition e.g. damaged floors or staircases
- Dense vegetation around a property: our measured building surveyors need to move around the site freely and have lines of sight of all the elevations
- Inaccessible rooms that are cluttered or used for storage so we cannot see the walls or floors easily
- If day-to-day operations have to continue on a site we cannot use our equipment as it will not work. These can be activities that create dust, high levels of traffic or movement, vibration or fumes
Examples of measured building survey costs
Basic measured survey
Basic survey and measured building plans for a semi-detached property to support planning applications for a side and rear extension.
Estimated cost: £1500-£2000 + VAT
Large industrial property
Measured building survey of large industrial premises to inform the upgrade of pipework and tanks.
Estimated cost: £7500.00 + VAT
Large residential survey
Measured building survey of a large country house to inform an extensive refurbishment and extension.
Estimated cost: £4000.00 + VAT
Do we keep your report on record?
The industry standard for keeping measured survey data is 7 years. However, we keep all measured building survey data in perpetuity. This means that you can refer to it for future projects, and we’ll have it ready for you to access.
How we work
Step 01
Request a quote
We’ll need your project’s address and a site plan. We’ll then get in touch for a consultation to confirm site details and understand exactly what your project needs.
Step 02
Quote accepted
Once your project is confirmed with us, we’ll arrange a convenient date for your survey.
Step 03
We complete your survey
We’ll visit your project site to carry out the survey. We can meet you on site if needed. We will then process the survey data and create a survey drawing.
Step 04
Receive your survey
We’ll share the survey data with you, usually within a few days. We use industry standard file types and can issue all the drawings in multiple formats.
Who we work with
More surveys we offer
Topographical Surveys
Accurate, scaled plan of a site’s terrain, and a record of the position and levels of both manmade and natural features.
Measured Building Surveys
3D site survey of a building’s layout and structure that can also be used to produce floor plans, elevations and cross-section drawings.
As-Built Surveys
A fully up-to-date record of what has just been constructed, ensuring it matches the proposed plans. Useful for producing further plans that require an accurate site layout.
Boundary Surveys
Clearly understand your boundary lines, remove uncertainty around neighbouring land, and prevent disputes.
Floor Level Surveys
Quality survey check for various floor construction stages, from existing floors to newly constructed slabs.
Garden Surveys
Highly detailed, specialist topographical survey for garden landscaping and redesigns.
GPS Surveys
Ideal for covering large open spaces, like fields, or where access may be restricted or challenging.
Ground Investigation Services
Reliable and accurate location data for ground investigations like CBR tests, boreholes and trial pits. We record data and mark out investigation and monitoring points.
Movement Monitoring Surveys
Tracking and recording movement or alterations, such as crack monitoring and land movements, in either a built structure or a landform.
River & Floodplain Surveys
Surveys of riverbanks and beds, as well as adjacent floodplains. We record water levels and significant features for flood risk assessments and erosion monitoring.
Road Surveys
Comprehensive record of current road layouts and levels, including kerbs, street furniture and road markings. Ideal for visibility splays and new highways designs.
Setting Out
Geocordinated setting out services for building groundworks and steelworks for new housing, commercial and industrial sites.
Surveys for Land Registry Title Plans
Site surveys for creating Land Registry compliant plans to record areas of sale, transfer, correction or first registration.
Volumetric Surveys & Terrain Models
Measuring the total amount of stockpiled, extracted or collected materials and aggregates. Suitable for construction, calculating and auditing.
