How Much Do Measured Surveys Cost?
Get a rough estimate of how much a measured building survey will cost.
Article By: Tom Ayre | Last Update: January 2022
Getting a fair price for your measured survey works is important, as costs on a building project can quickly spiral out of control! Take a look at some example engineering projects that went massively over budget!
So how much does a measured survey cost?
Short answer: We don’t have an easy answer to this question because the cost of a measured survey is influenced by so many factors.
Long answer: find out about these factors below and how to get the best price for your next measured building survey.
Contents
Example Measured Survey Costs
For a typical 3-bedroom house with measured survey drawings such as floor plans, elevations, and sections, you can expect to pay between £1000 and £2000 + VAT from an experienced measured building survey company.
Here we give you three examples of how much we charged to undertake three fairly standard measured building surveys.
The costs quoted included a site survey and producing drawings in CAD and PDF format.
Please note that the costs quoted are heavily based on the distance to the site. Our travel costs are charged from our office in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
4 Bedroom House
✔ Surveyed with 3D Scanner
✔ Floor Plans x 2
✔ Elevations x 4
✔ Loft Plan x 1
✔ Sections x 1
£1650 + VAT
6 Bedroom House
✔ Survey with 3D Scanner
✔ Floor Plans x 5
✔ Elevations x 4
✔ Sections x 2
✔ Roof Plan x 1
£1650 + VAT
What Factors Influence the Measured Survey Cost?
Key things that influence the cost of a measured survey include:
Size and Location Of The Property
It goes without saying that the larger the property, the higher the survey costs. A one-bedroom flat will take a lot less time to survey than a five-bedroom house!
Similarly, if your property is in a difficult-to-reach location, travel time and thus cost will increase. This isn’t usually an issue in the South East of the UK, but it could be in more remote areas.
The Level Of Detail Required
The amount of drawings and detail required will influence the amount of time spent on site and in the office.
More drawings are required by some clients (sections, elevations, roof plans etc). Some elements, such as light positions, electrical plugs, and architrave details, require more attention. All of these variables can affect the length of time and thus the price.
Accuracy Requirement
Different types of projects require different accuracy specifications. If a tighter accuracy tolerance is required, then the on-site work time will be increased.
Some projects do require millimetre accuracy, whilst others do not. When specifying a project it is important to gauge this with the surveying company.
What Is Included In A Measured Survey?
The cost of the measured survey includes:
- Travelling to the property / site.
- Measured survey of the property.
- Producing the required CAD drawings.
- Amendments if required.
How To Get The Best Value Measured Survey Quote
Think about where you are undertaking your proposed work. If you are simply adding a loft extension, then it may only be necessary to produce floor plans for the top floor of the house. There is no need to survey the whole property as it simply isn’t required for the proposed work.
Think about where you are undertaking your proposed work. If you are simply adding a loft extension, then it may only be necessary to produce floor plans for the top floor of the house. There is no need to survey the whole property as it simply isn’t required for the proposed work.
The location and type of property that needs surveying can make a huge difference in your survey costs. For instance, surveying a multiple-roomed old house will be more complicated than surveying an open-plan office.
If you have a particularly odd-shaped room in your property, it may be worth emptying it so it’s easier and quicker to navigate. Your surveyor will thank you and your bank balance will too!
When getting in contact with a surveying company for a measured survey cost, you must give them all the information they need to accurately price the required work.
Outlining your exact requirements will potentially save you money as the company will know exactly what you do and don’t need out of the survey.
In the specification, you must state elements such as the types of drawing you need, which features are important, etc. Another good idea is to provide photographs of the property if you have them. Photos are really helpful as it gives the survey company a better idea of what the site is like in person.
A measured survey is an important part of any building project and serves as a key component when planning out your property development projects. If you want to save on future costs, then ensure the survey company you employ is:
Experienced – Are they a new company that has just started? This may be a sign of inexperience.
Suitably insured – If things do go wrong, then it’s comforting to know that the company you are dealing with is insured.
See previous measured survey projects – Have a look at examples of work they have produced. Does it come across as professional?
Practical Tip: A legitimate survey company should be able to demonstrate their level of customer service through positive reviews from clients, good quality drawings and they should be able to provide insurance certificates.
When you receive a quote from the surveying company, check that it contains all the relevant information you need for your survey. Your company must understand your specification – you don’t want them coming back and asking for more money because they either didn’t understand your specification or they misunderstood it.
It is also worth checking terms and conditions to check there are no additional fees for revisions to the drawing or returning to the site if they haven’t picked something up correctly.
When getting quotes for your measured survey, ask for example drawings in both PDF and CAD format. You can then have a little look at the measured survey drawings to see how organised they are, what level of detail they typically pick up, etc.
Having a poor quality survey drawing will cost you time and money as you may need to send the surveyor back to site to pick up more detail, thus causing delays!
When getting quotes for your measured survey, ask for example drawings in both PDF and CAD format. You can then have a little look at the drawing to see how organised they are, what level of detail they typically pick up, etc.
Having a poor quality survey drawing will cost you time and money as you may need to send the surveyor back to site to pick up more detail, thus causing delays!
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• Estimated drawing return dates.
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