How Much Does a Measured Building Survey Cost?
A measured building survey is a comprehensive document that relates to the external and internal aspects of a site or building. From basic floor plans and drawings, to highly accurate 3D models, a measured survey sets the foundation from which all construction design and development plans are created. If you are considering commissioning a measured survey, cost will obviously feature in your thoughts. But it is important to bear in mind that the price of a survey is influenced by a variety of factors, and that cost vs quality is an essential consideration.
What influences measured building survey cost?
There are numerous factors that will affect how much you pay for a survey, not least the type of survey you need.
The type of survey you might need includes:
Each survey we carry out here at Callidus Surveys is tailored to specific needs, objectives and circumstances. Which is why when asking how much does a measured building survey cost, there is a lot to consider.
The level of detail required, for example, will impact the level of input required into the survey, how long it will take and how many surveyors will be needed onsite.
In some situations, an outline plan is sufficient. However, for others, in-depth detail is called for. This is why here at Callidus Surveys, we take time to understand our clients’ requirements before quoting a measured building survey cost.
For example, if you are looking for internal plans, the number of floors you want to cover would influence the time we’d need to spend on the survey.
Standard plans include windows, doors, door swings, structural walls, partitions, floor-ceiling heights, window heights and positions within the floor-ceiling, location of downstand beams, sills, heads, parapets, soffits, changes in floor levels, steps, ramps and all significant sanitary fittings and visible incoming services.
Should you wish to extend the detail of your internal survey outside of standard, for example if you’d like to include service switches, sockets, lights and outlets, etc., then we would need to consider this within the measured building survey cost.
If you are commissioning the survey of a building, would that need to include topographical survey information? If we’re conducting your survey in connection with a boundary dispute, then we may also need to undertake additional desktop research ahead of the onsite survey so that we can ascertain whether adjacent property boundaries also need to be surveyed. Again, this would require more time, which would affect the cost of the survey.
In terms of external elevations, the measured building survey cost would depend on which elevations you’d like surveyed, whether there are any offsite elevations to include for context or rights-to-light issues, and whether you require a basic survey (openings and profiles only), or fully detailed (including brick coursing, window fenestration, etc.)
For internal elevations, if you require these in every space, then this will more than double the measured building survey cost. For this reason, we ask our clients to be specific when choosing which internal elevations to include to minimise costs.
If sections through the building are required, the price will vary depending on how many are needed, and whether they need to be internally elevated.
The location of the property and associated required travelling time is another influencing factor.
Value vs cost – an important consideration when looking at measured building survey costs
A measured survey forms the foundation for all construction design and development projects, with the aim of avoiding the pitfalls of unforeseen problems that have the potential to increase costs, delay schedules, damage reputation and sometimes derail projects altogether.
But one measured survey is not necessarily the same as the next. The level of detail, the accuracy of the survey and the expertise and experience of the surveyor can all directly impact upon the quality of a measured survey.
Whilst construction projects will inevitably at some point eat into the contingency allowance, the fact is, with a higher degree of detail and a superior quality measured survey to ward off unexpected issues, that contingency allowance may look a whole lot healthier at the end of the project, leaving the developer in a better position financially.
At Callidus, we have developed our ‘Whole Building’ approach. This means that when drawing any and every survey element, we are considering what happens above, below and adjacent, so that the survey drawing package combines into a coherent representation of the physical building as it is in reality, and not just a series of independent linework drawings.
We ensure that only the very best measured survey specialists in the UK form part of our survey team, and guarantee that every individual measured survey is overseen by one of our highly experienced principal surveyors. Our surveys are drawn by surveyors, not just CAD draughts-people.
We strongly recommend that when you are asking the question of how much does a measured building survey cost, you consider value as well as price, and that you carefully check what you are getting for your investment.
Looking to book a measured survey in London?
Whether you’re looking for a basic floor plan or a highly accurate 3D model, you can rely on Callidus Surveys for the most detailed and precise data sets to suit your needs and reduce your risk.
Looking for a measured building survey cost? Simply send us your specification and we’ll get back to you with a tailored quote.