SURVEY SERVICES & GUIDANCE

Survey Brief Checklist for Architects

A clear brief helps your survey capture the information your design team actually needs. Use this checklist when commissioning a measured building survey, topographical survey or laser scan.

1. Explain the project and survey extent

Provide the site address and postcode, a contact for access and a short description of the proposed work. Tell us whether the survey supports an extension, refurbishment, redevelopment or another project.

  • Mark the buildings, floors and outside areas to be surveyed.
  • Identify basements, lofts, roofs and neighbouring features that may affect the design.
  • Provide existing plans or photographs where available, with their source and date.
  • Flag any area that must be surveyed on a particular visit or before another contractor starts.

A marked-up plan is useful for agreeing survey limits. See measured building surveys for the core drawing service.

2. Specify the drawings and data

List each required output. Floor plans alone will not provide every height or external detail needed for a design.

  • Floor plans: floors, roof spaces and the internal features required.
  • Elevations: which external faces, neighbouring context and roof detail.
  • Sections: positions and viewing directions through the building.
  • Topographical information: survey boundary, levels and relevant external features.
  • Point cloud or Revit model: file format, software version and model scope.

Agree drawing scale, units, layering and naming conventions. For model work, see Revit and BIM survey deliverables.

3. Agree control, levels and critical dimensions

Confirm whether a local grid is sufficient or whether the survey must relate to a specified coordinate system. Identify an existing datum or survey control information if the project already uses one.

Tell us which dimensions or interfaces are critical. Required accuracy depends on the intended use, site conditions and output; it should form part of the agreed scope. If the building drawings and site survey need to work together, commission them on a coordinated basis.

Our topographical survey service covers external levels and visible site features.

4. Plan access and practical constraints

Set out available working hours, parking or unloading arrangements, keys and contacts. Identify occupied rooms, security procedures, inductions and areas requiring an escort.

Explain known access restrictions before the visit. A surveyor should not have to guess whether a locked room, roof or adjacent property forms part of the brief. Arrange permission for every area you want included. See our property preparation guide for a practical checklist.

5. Confirm programme and handover

Distinguish the site visit date from the date you need completed drawings or models. Tell us about planning deadlines, design meetings and other dependencies so the programme can be reviewed before the work is booked.

  • Confirm the person who will approve the scope.
  • Agree the final deliverable list and file formats.
  • Identify any draft issue or review stage required.
  • Ask for inaccessible areas, assumptions and survey limitations to be identified at handover.

Send the brief through our contact page or email hello@linesurveying.uk. You do not need every answer before contacting us; explaining what is still undecided helps us advise on the scope.

Discuss your survey

Send your site address, required deliverables and programme. We will review the scope with you.

Request a survey quote