Measured building surveys of existing buildings

Existing drawings for design and planning

A measured building survey records an existing building accurately enough to design from. Our guide What is a measured survey? explains the process in detail. We produce floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plans and as-built drawings for residential, commercial and specialist buildings, typically in DWG and PDF, with E57 point clouds and Revit models where needed.

Depending on the building, we capture it with 3D laser scanners, total stations and conventional measurement. Laser scanning is our default on most jobs because it records every surface on the first visit, which means fewer return trips when the design develops.

When you need one

Most measured surveys are commissioned for one of these reasons:

• Planning and building control. Accurate existing drawings reduce design errors and avoid re-submissions.
• Extensions and renovations. Your designer works from exact dimensions, so new work ties into the existing structure.
• Floor areas. Measured drawings support valuations, leasing and GIA and NIA measurement, and NSA verification surveys on new-build apartment schemes.
• Heritage and conservation. Listed building surveys recorded in detail before work starts, using non-contact measurement.
• Fit-out and facilities management. Accurate records for space planning, refurbishment and asset management.

What the drawings include

A typical measured building survey of a house includes a floor plan of every storey, the external elevations and one or two sections, all drawn from the same data so they agree with each other. Plans show true wall thicknesses, openings, stairs, floor levels, ceiling heights and visible structure. Elevations show openings, materials and roof lines with levels, and sections cut through the stair and main roof. Commercial buildings often add reflected ceiling plans, and planning work often adds roof plans and street scene elevations. Our measured survey example drawings show what each drawing type looks like.

Scales and level of detail

Most measured surveys are drawn at 1:100 or 1:200, with 1:50 for complex or high-detail projects such as listed interiors or tight refurbishments. The scale sets how much detail is drawn: at 1:50 we show items such as skirtings, architraves and individual steps that would be clutter at 1:200. Tell us what the drawings are for and we will agree the scale and detail at quote stage, so you are not paying for detail you will never use.

Measured survey or 3D laser scan?

Both can produce plans and elevations. A measured survey is the right service when you need traditional architectural drawings and nothing more. If you also need a registered point cloud, a Revit model or clash detection, start with 3D laser scanning instead.

Measured building survey or topographical survey?

The two are often confused and often ordered together. A measured building survey records the building: its floor plans, elevations, sections and roof. A topographical survey records the land around it: levels, boundaries, trees, drainage and hard surfaces. An extension or new-build scheme usually needs both, and we capture them on the same survey control so the building and site drawings line up.

Who does the work

Our in-house team handles both site capture and drawing production, so the people who measured your building are the people who draft it. We have been doing this since 2013, and we are members of The Survey Association.