What is a topographical survey?
A topographical survey is an accurate, scaled plan of a site’s terrain, including the positions and levels of both manmade and natural features. These land surveys can be carried out for any size of area. Each point recorded is geo-referenced and relates to Ordnance Survey coordinates and sea level datum. The features included in the survey can be customised to suit your needs.
Topographical surveys are best carried out at the start of a building or development project as they can save time and project delays in the longer term. They provide an accurate and consistent starting point for a planning and design team to work from. They also assist with the feasibility stage of a project as they can be used to identify any physical or environmental constraints that need to be factored in.
Planning authorities often require topographical surveys as part of a planning application. They may want to see the existing layout of the site so a planning officer can review the new proposal.
A topographical survey allows an architect to position proposals accurately on plans that can be passed to the construction team. This enables them to build in line with the approved plans.
Our topographical surveys are used by a wide range of clients including homeowners, house builders, architects, landscape architects, consulting engineers, structural engineers, town planners and chartered surveyors.
When do you need a topographical survey?
Typical project uses
What is included in a topographical survey?
The amount of detail needed for your topographical survey will vary depending on the type of project. The details included in our topographical surveys can be tailored to meet your needs and budget. All our surveys are carried out to RICS standards for land and buildings at scales of 1:500 or larger.
Basic topographical survey
A basic topographical survey can be used to check whether a proposal will fit on your site. The levels of the site are surveyed to a 10m grid. The survey includes the position of any existing permanent buildings, boundary details (fences, walls or hedges) and manhole covers. This type of topographical survey can also assist with any terrain issues where you don’t need the detail of trees, temporary structures or changes in surface.
Standard topographical survey
This level is required for most new build projects, or large scale landscaping or civil engineering projects. It includes everything in the basic survey, plus temporary or mobile buildings, walls and landscaping features, road entrances, and tracks, footways and paths within the site. It also covers street furniture, all statutory authorities’ plant and service covers (where visible), details of changes of surface (e.g. grass, paving, stone), isolated trees, wooded areas and limits of vegetation, as well as any water features.
Enhanced topographical survey
Even greater levels of detail. This enhanced topographical survey includes items such as window and door openings, door heads, sill heights and threshold levels. It also includes outside lights, vents, outside taps, rainwater pipes, electricity and gas points into a building and individual fence posts.
These details may be required if the architect or designer wishes to use the topographical survey to draw elevations of the building. Or a garden designer may need to know more about existing details as part of their proposals.
What does a topographical survey show?
Permanent Building & Structures
Any buildings or structures that have a foundation and any hardstanding slabs or bases that are visible.
- Archways, underpasses
- Culverts
- Bridge over, bridge under
- Buildings or structures detailed at plinth line
- Building or structure corners (spot heights)
- Foundations (where exposed)
- Overhead features
- Canopies, porches, etc.
- Ramps and loading bays
- Ruins
- Steps (generalised)
- Gullies
- Rodding eyes
- Changes in surface
- Rainwater down pipes
- Floor or threshold levels
- Steps: individual
- Steps and ramps, top and bottom (spot levels)
- Threshold or damp proof course levels
- Boot scraper
- Waste pipes
- Heights of features
Temporary Or Mobile Buildings
Any structures on site that could be moved.
- Garden sheds and greenhouses
- Mobile buildings
- Temporary buildings or structures
- Overhead features, canopies and porches
Visible Boundary Features
Features that sit at the extent of the plot to be surveyed including walls, fences and hedges.
- Fences: with type, with height
- Gates
- Hedges and ditches
- Walls: with type, with height
- Wall buttresses Cadastral features (boundary markers, stones, beacons, posts, stakes etc.)
- Trees
- Gate: direction of opening shown
- Individual fence posts
- Heights of individual features
Trees & Vegetation
In relation to isolated trees, wooded areas and limits of vegetation the following is covered.
- Woodlands perimeter trees and tree canopy
- Bushes and shrubs
- Individual trees (greater than 150mm, minimum trunk girth at 1m above ground level)
- Ornamental and roadside trees, including planting boxes
- Edge of vegetation
- Areas of saplings and young trees
Water Features
- Watercourses (drains, ditches, streams, rivers)
- Waterline
- Water level
- Shore line (detail exposed at low tide)
- Bodies of water (ponds, lakes, reservoirs)
- Top and bottom of banks
- Weirs
- Locks
- Flood defence structures
- Flood and lock gates
- Flood, harbour, sea and retaining walls
- Sheet piling
- Groynes and sea defences
- Pipes, outfalls and culverts
- Piers, jetties, walkways, gantries, landing stages and bridges
- Fountains
- Waterfalls
- Gabions
- Earthworks
- Direction of water flow
- Time of survey for waterline or level
- High water mark (inc. date)
- Low water mark (inc. date)
- Wrack marks
- Bottom bank below water level, surveyed from bank where possible
- Bottom bank below water level, surveyed from within watercourse
- Hard bed levels
- Soft bed and silt levels
- Bed type and material
- Scours
- Floating structures and booms
- Crest and spill levels
- Pipe, outfall and culvert dimensions
- Machinery and pumps
- Telemetry equipment
- Navigation beacons
- Aprons, footings, sills and bases
- Steps and access ladders
- Mooring posts, bollards, rings and piles
- Life rings and life buoys
- Rubbing strips
- Ornamental water features
- Gauge boards
- Fishing platforms
- Pontoons
- Booms
Roads
Normally includes details on the site entrance onto the highway and 10m of the road detail either side of the entrance to the back of the footpath on the opposite side. Additional road length can be provided: for example, where there may be visibility issues for getting into and out of the site. Full width of the carriageway can also be provided.
- Channel line – road
- Centre line – road
- Camber line on roundabouts
- Carriageway edge
- Drop kerbs
- Top of kerb
- Road centreline,channel, kerb, pavement levels
- Crash barriers
- Gullies, kerb outlets
- Pedestrian barriers
- Pedestrian crossings
- Speed humps, tables and traffic calming features
- Traffic islands
- Back edge of footway
- Changes of surface material (hard detail)
- Changes of surface material (soft detail
- Tracks, footways and paths - the extent of any hardstanding areas within a site will be surveyed including track, footpaths, patio areas and paths.
- Road markings, painted
- Other road features e.g. vehicle sensors
- Unmade tracks and paths
- Paving pattern details
Street Furniture
- Belisha Beacons and special road crossings
- Barriers
- Bollards
- Bus stops and bus shelters
- Junction and control boxes
- Hoardings
- Lamp posts
- Telegraph and electricity poles
- Road signs
- Traffic signals
- Post boxes
- Mile posts
- Notice boards
- Posts
- Ticket machines
- Troughs
- Flagstaffs
- Street name plates, wall mounted
- Vent pipes
- Drainage channels
- Cellar hatches and pavement lights
- Coal holes
- Cycle racks
- Litter bins
- Reflector posts
- Salt/grit bins
- Seats and benches
Statutory Authorities’ Plant & Service
The following information is gathered where visible:
- Air valves
- Cable TV inspection covers
- Cabinets (identified)
- Electricity covers
- Electricity poles
- Fire hydrants
- Inspection covers
- Manholes with level
- Gas and water stop valves and stop cocks (cover)
- Water meter or gas meter
- Covers (distinguished from valve)
- Marker posts
- Surveillance cameras
- Telecoms inspection covers
- Telegraph poles
- Telephone call boxes
- Cable TV house points
- Pole stay wires
- Lamp posts
- Heights of features
- Overhead wires
For Pitches & Recreation Areas
Pitch and playground limits only
For Industrial Sites
- Aerials
- Cable tracks/ ducts (outline only)
- Chimneys
- Electricity substations or transformers (perimeter fence only)
- Filter beds (limits only)
- Inspection pits
- Inspection covers, gullies, ducts and conduits (spot levels)
- Pipe work or ducts (outline only)
- Overhead pipes and cables
- Overhead line tower and freestanding mast or pylon, including visible bases
- Tanks and storage chambers (outline only)
- Flood lights
- Water taps, stand pipes and troughs
- Earth rods
Cost of a topographical survey
The topographical survey cost is influenced by numerous factors so we price every project individually. Size is one factor, but not the only thing we have to consider. Large open sites with few features can cost less to survey than sites that are small but with lots of buildings and intricate features. The cleaner and tidier the survey area is the better – removing any unnecessary clutter makes the topographic surveying less challenging and therefore less costly.
Generally, for each day we are on site we will spend half the time again in the office afterwards to produce the survey drawings.
- Size of the area to be surveyed
- How built up the site is
- Complexity of the shape of the buildings on site
- Levels of vegetation on site
- Number of trees and areas of woodland
- Tidiness of the site
- 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 cars parked
- Any day-to-day operations that need to continue whilst the survey is being carried and restrict when access is available
- If the survey has to be performed outside of normal working hours e.g. weekends, evenings or overnight
- Areas of dense vegetation or poor visibility that mean we need more than one surveyor to carry out the survey
- Hazards on site that mean we need more than one surveyor to carry out the survey
- Steep or hazardous sites
- Densely vegetated sites that have been left for a long time and are overgrown. We need to be able to walk across the whole site freely and have lines of sight from the Total Station measuring equipment to the surveyor
- Sites where the grass is above knee height
- Livestock in the area to be surveyed, including sheep, cows and horses – this is for the welfare of the animals and the surveyors safety
Examples of topographical survey prices
Complex Building Extension
This can be especially complex for historic and listed building projects due to the nature of the building. Accurate measurements and levels are needed to ensure any additions are feasible and fit aesthetically with the existing character of a building.
Estimated cost: £750 – £1250 + VAT
Land Development for Housing
Topographical survey of a large brownfield site at the feasibility or planning application stage, but post-demolition of any existing buildings
Estimated cost: £4000 – £6000 + VAT
As-Built Survey of Barn Conversion at Completion
Assisting with the sale of plots and providing an accurate record of the conversion as constructed. A survey of building positions, plot divisions, hard landscaping, finished levels and drainage positions.
Estimated cost: £1250 – £2000 + VAT
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.
Related Surveys
Boundary surveys
Comprehensive survey of built and natural features on or near a property’s boundaries. Provides information to show what the general boundary relates to on a legal title plan. Also provides an accurate plan for recording the position of a boundary, as agreed by both neighbours.
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.
Level surveys
A very basic survey of a site’s ground levels, normally required to check levels before construction starts. These can be used after site preparation works to check if the site strip is correct or where concrete slab has been laid and needs to be checked before the building starts.
Manhole levels & inverts
Recording the position of drainage manhole or plastic cover positions on a site and their levels. In addition, we can lift the covers and record the invert of the pipe within it. These are usually required to update out of date drainage records or when preparing plans for the adoption of drainage by the statutory authority.
How is topographic surveying done?
Our topographical surveys can often be carried out by a single surveyor, although we may need a bigger team for complex or overgrown sites. We use a robotic total station and a GPS kit, which allows us to coordinate to Ordnance Survey grid level with relative accuracy of +/- 20mm, but we can work to a lower tolerance where needed.
We will arrange all access requirements with you in advance. We need your site to be as clean and tidy as possible, and we need to be informed of any health and safety issues that could impact how we access the site.
There may be circumstances where the site visit has to be postponed, such as severe weather, access issues or restrictions on site that impact our ability to carry out the survey.
Once the survey has been successfully completed, the surveyor will need time to process the data and create the survey drawing.
This can vary depending on the size of the site, but also on the complexity and detail of it. For instance, a large open field can take less time than a small enclosed terraced garden. It can be anything from a couple of hours to several days. We’ll tell you in advance how long we expect to be on site.
We aim for you to receive your survey data from us as soon as possible. How long this takes will, again, depend on the complexity and size of the site. We’ll give you an expected delivery date and update you if this changes for any reason.
We keep all topographical survey data in perpetuity in case you need it again for future projects. However, the industry standard is 7 years and we recommend that you should review your data every 3 years.
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.
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
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.
