Is a measured survey the same as a structural survey?

No. A measured survey records shape and dimension. A structural survey assesses condition and defects. They answer different questions and are usually carried out by different people.

How long does the site visit take?

For a typical house, a matter of hours rather than days, with the drawing up afterwards taking longer than the visit. Larger or more complicated buildings take proportionally more of both.

What do I receive at the end?

Scaled drawings of the existing building as PDFs, and CAD files where they are needed by others such as your builder, engineer or kitchen supplier.

Do I need to be there?

Someone needs to provide access, but you do not need to follow the survey around. It helps if loft hatches, cellars and outbuildings can be opened on the day, because a return visit costs time.

Can the survey fee come off the design fee?

Ask when you get the quote. What matters is that the survey is included in the scope somewhere, rather than appearing later as an unexpected extra.

Guide · Surveys

What is a measured survey, and when do you need one?

A measured survey is an accurate dimensional record of a building as it exists today, drawn up as plans, elevations and sections. It is not a structural survey and it is not a valuation. It is the base layer that every design, planning application and building regulations package is built on, and it is the reason a proposal fits when it reaches site rather than being adjusted with a saw.

Book a free consultation See built work

Free · No obligation

Ask us about your project

A free first conversation — no obligation, no sales calls.

What a measured survey captures

The point is dimensional truth about the existing building, taken on site rather than assumed from old paperwork.

Floor plans of each level with wall thicknesses, openings and fixtures
Elevations with heights set out from a controlled datum
Sections showing floor to ceiling heights, roof structure and level changes
Roof plan with pitches, ridges, valleys, chimneys and rooflights
Drainage positions, manhole covers and external levels where relevant

When you need one

Any time new work has to meet existing work. That covers nearly every extension, conversion, structural alteration and refurbishment. It is also required in practice for a planning application, because the authority needs accurate existing and proposed drawings to compare, and for building regulations, because the technical detail has to connect to real dimensions.

Why old plans are usually not enough

Estate agent floor plans are indicative and not dimensionally reliable. Original architect drawings show what was intended, not what was built, and buildings drift during construction and again over decades of alterations. In older Cornish stock in particular, walls are rarely parallel, thicknesses vary along their length, and floors are seldom level. A design drawn on optimistic dimensions produces a steel that does not fit.

What changes the cost of a survey

Surveys are priced on time on site and time drawing up afterwards, so size, complexity and access are the drivers.

Total floor area and number of storeys
Complexity of the roof and the number of level changes
Access, including cellars, loft spaces, outbuildings and restricted frontages
How much external and site information is needed alongside the building
Whether extra detail is required, for example for listed building consent

Frequently asked

Straight answers.

Is a measured survey the same as a structural survey?: No. A measured survey records shape and dimension. A structural survey assesses condition and defects. They answer different questions and are usually carried out by different people.
How long does the site visit take?: For a typical house, a matter of hours rather than days, with the drawing up afterwards taking longer than the visit. Larger or more complicated buildings take proportionally more of both.
What do I receive at the end?: Scaled drawings of the existing building as PDFs, and CAD files where they are needed by others such as your builder, engineer or kitchen supplier.
Do I need to be there?: Someone needs to provide access, but you do not need to follow the survey around. It helps if loft hatches, cellars and outbuildings can be opened on the day, because a return visit costs time.
Can the survey fee come off the design fee?: Ask when you get the quote. What matters is that the survey is included in the scope somewhere, rather than appearing later as an unexpected extra.

Need an accurate survey of your building?

Tell us the property and what you are planning, and we will quote the survey and the drawings together.

Free · No obligation

Book your free consultation

Tell us about your project — we usually reply within 2 hours (working day).