Measured Building Surveys
Technics has extensive experience in completing measured building surveys across a wide variety of projects, from single residential properties to commercial portfolios.
Below is an outline of the different types of survey we offer, when each type would be most suitable and the deliverables you can expect to receive. Once the initial brief is agreed, we then tailor our methodology to align with your project programme and budget.
What is a measured building survey?
Measured building surveys present the structure, internal and external features, and services of buildings. They are produced for many purposes, including structural redevelopment, major refurbishment, space planning and lease plans. At Technics all our surveys are digital to ensure the greatest level of accuracy.
What information does it include?
All surveys are carried out according to a client’s specification to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) guidelines on ‘Measured surveys of land, buildings and utilities’.
The extent of details and surveyed features vary depending on the purpose of the survey, but a typically measured building survey consists of:
- An internal floor plan
- Elevations, both internal and external
- Cross and longitudinal section drawings
What are the different types of a measured building survey?
The RICS puts measured surveys into three distinct categories – unconnected, semi-connected and connected. These can be defined as follows:
- Unconnected
Uses simple methods that don’t allow one part of the survey to be connected to another. For instance, when determining the lettable areas of a property or space planning, the area of a specific region is required, but not its relationship to surrounding space.
- Semi-connected
A detailed survey is conducted on one floor – most often the ground floor – to connect all interior rooms and spaces. The verticality of common features is then assumed to match up the other floors.
- Connected
Survey instruments are used, including laser scanners, to accurately connect all floors within a property. This type of survey is typically required when a higher level of accuracy is needed, for instance, if major structural alterations are planned.
How can our building surveys help you?
Our surveys are used for a variety of purposes across a wide range of projects, including:
- To support architects, structural engineers and developers on the planning and design of redevelopment, refurbishment, change of use, extensions, space planning and leasing.
- To support the decision-making process in the renovation and conversion of domestic and commercial buildings
- To support property consultants to calculate Net Internal Area (NIA) and Gross Internal Area (GIA) to assist rent reviews
At Technics, we have an excellent customer satisfaction rating for delivering measured surveys of land, buildings and utilities across multiple sectors and use classes, including:
- Residential
- Offices
- Retail and leisure
- Industrial and logistics
- Education
- Heritage
- Health
- Transportation
Whether a property is being redeveloped, extended, or detailed information is required in order to produce a safety plan, a measured building survey provides all the data necessary.
Since these surveys detail internal floor plans, internal and external elevations, and sections, they also provide the client with a complete record that can be combined with other surveys – such as a topographic survey – to create a comprehensive data set that can inform all property decisions long term too.
When is a measured survey required?
While refurbishments and redevelopments are the most common reason for requesting a survey, there are a variety of potential uses that this data can inform, including:
- The sale, acquisition, leasing or registry of land or property
- Valuing a property and/or establishing tax requirements
- Managing a facility and/or laying out services
- Health & safety planning, such as producing a fire plan layout
- Fulfilling licensing requirements
- Resolving right to light and party wall issues
What measured building survey techniques will be used?
Data is collected using reflectorless Total Station or 3D laser scanners. This is then imported into specialist software and processed to be transferred to CAD or Revit software to create 2D plans and 3D models, depending on each client’s specification.
Our Quality Assurance team then checks and verifies every drawing before it is sent to the client. We have an excellent customer satisfaction rating for this service.
How is survey data delivered?
We can provide you with:
- 3D models, wireframe or rendered
- Point cloud data from laser scanning
- Plans overlaid with rectified photography visualisations and fly-through
How much does a measured building survey cost?
Please contact us with the details of your site or property, including the survey extents and total square metres per floor, together with any existing plan information available.
We can agree the specification of works once the purpose of your survey has been discussed. Our quotation will itemise our fee, project programme and deliverables.
To discuss your project with us, please call one of our offices and speak to our team of experts or email enquiries@technicsgroup.com.
