Measured Building Surveys
A Measured Building Survey is an accurate representation of the building’s floor layout, showing all structural elements and architectural features including walls and ceilings, doors and windows and more.
Overview
Using the combined benefits of traditional surveying methods along with the latest technology, we are able to produce highly accurate and informative floor plans, sections and elevations of existing structures and buildings.
Measurements for the survey are captured using a wide variety of techniques and tools. They are typically delivered as 2D CAD drawings, 3D Revit models, IFC files and other 3D BIM formats. Our method involves a mixture of fast and accurate terrestrial laser scanners, digital photography, GPS satellites, and sometimes a good old reliable tape measure.
Sova Surveys are expert providers of Measured Building Surveys for property clients in the South West, Greater London and other parts of the UK. This type of survey is tailored to individual client requirements and specifications. It is particularly valuable for proposed major works or redevelopment and is suitable for any residential or commercial building. Whether you are looking to update existing plans or create a brand new set of ‘as-built’ drawings, our team of professional surveyors has the experience and the know-how to deliver fast, reliable results.
The Benefits
Our surveys are conducted by highly experienced professional surveyors. The key benefits of having a survey with us include:
- Accurate floor plans, cross sections and elevations
- Position and dimensions of structural features and architectural elements clearly shown
- Full reports available in digital and hard copy
- We survey both commercial and residential properties
- Customised to suit the exact needs of the client
- Fast response times & reliable results
What types of property can be surveyed?
Whether your property is residential, commercial, healthcare or education-related, or in a different sector altogether, you can count on Sova to quickly and accurately get pin-point precision measurements of your project.
We can survey any size or shape of property and building. Some examples include:
- Houses and flats
- Farmsteads and agricultural buildings
- Schools and universities
- Hospitals and healthcare facilities
- Offices and commercial spaces
- Warehouses and industrial units
- Derelict properties
- Development opportunities
- Heritage Buildings
- High Design Interiors
- Castles
- Museums
What Our Clients Say
How We Work
Our team will cause minimum disruption at your premises when carrying out your survey, making the entire process as efficient and discreet as possible. We also understand the need for flexibility in today’s busy lifestyle, so although we usually operate on an 8am – 6pm schedule, we can arrange out of hours services, and often at short notice.
Our team consists of friendly staff offering the highest quality customer service – we have a proven track record and have built up an excellent reputation. From our office based in Bath, and have taken on projects across the South West and Bristol, as well as in London and other parts of the UK.
How much does a survey cost?
This depends on a number of factors including the size and shape of the building being surveyed, as well as the needs and requirements of the client.
Projects are always quoted individually to ensure that we can provide you with the best value for money, as well as making sure that you are getting all of the aspects of the survey that you need for your work.
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Contact our experienced team for your free, no-obligation quote.
Speak to a member of our Team
Fill in the contact form below, call us on 0117 248 2222 or email us on ask@sovasurveys.co.uk. We will get back to you shortly.
Related Services
Varying requirements are no issue – our flexible range of services allows you to tailor options to your specific needs.
Measured Survey FAQs
This type of survey is required if you are looking to have extensive work carried out on a property, such as extending or redeveloping. They are also used for quantity surveying, estimating, property valuation and more.
Do you have a more specific question? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team by calling us on 0117 248 2222.
We cover areas from Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Plymouth, London, Oxford, Guildford, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Swindon, Gloucester, Poole, Salisbury, Chichester, Maidstone, Reading and the rest of the UK.
Our surveys work around your needs and requirements – we always work closely with our clients to understand their needs. Typically, however, our surveys will produce:
- Floor plan
- Roof plan
- External elevations
- Internal elevations
- Ceiling plan
- Sections
On-site measurements are taken with a variety of instruments to capture measurements at the required accuracy – these include laser measures or ‘distos’, optical total stations, digital cameras and laser scanners (Lidar). All of these methods allow as minimal intrusion as possible.
Once all the data has been captured on site, the surveyor will process and interpolate the on-site measurements back at the office into a usable format in either 2D to produce floor plans, elevations, sections etc, or 3D as a model with varying degrees of Level of Detail (LOD).
Our surveyors work to a standard specification as recommended by the RICS for surveys of land, buildings and utilities. Alternatively, we can take instruction on client requirements whose own specifications may be needed as the basis for the survey.
We offer floor plans, sections, elevations, and orthographic images, depending on your unique requirements. We can also tailor our service to heritage standard and listed buildings, where that extra detail within the building survey can make all the difference.
Measured building surveys may be required for property renovations, redevelopments and extensions, and may be commissioned by a variety of stakeholders, including architects and interior designers, property developers and building contractors, private homeowners and private estates. They’re a useful way to record key ‘as is’ information such as internal and external elevations, floor plans and cross sections. Traditionally, surveys are produced as 2D CAD drawings, but the industry is moving more and more towards 3D BIM.
Measuring a house professionally involves a lot more than running a tape measure around the rooms. At Sova Surveys, we use a combination of traditional and modern techniques- including terrestrial laser scanners, optical total stations, digital cameras, GPS satellites, and yes, sometimes a reliable tape measure too.
Each tool is chosen to capture the level of accuracy your project requires. Once the data is collected on site, our technicians process and convert those measurements into precise floor plans, sections, and elevations back at the office.
In the UK, floor plans are measured and drawn in millimetres, with larger-scale drawings sometimes using metres. Our surveyors work to the standard specification recommended by the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) for surveys of land, buildings and utilities. We can also work to a client’s own specification if required.
Contact us today to discuss your specific requirements!
A measured floor plan typically shows the layout of each level of a building, including all walls, doors, windows, stairs, and structural columns. We can also include ceiling heights, floor levels, fitted elements, and architectural features depending on what you need. At Sova, we always work closely with our clients to agree the scope before we start, so the final drawings contain exactly what’s useful for your project – whether that’s a straightforward residential layout or a detailed heritage survey.
On a professional floor plan, dimensions are shown as annotation lines indicating the distances between key points – walls, openings, structural features, and so on. Our drawings are produced as 2D CAD files (or 3D BIM models if required), and all annotations are clearly labelled in millimetres in line with standard practice. If you have specific requirements for how dimensions are presented – for example, for a planning application or a heritage brief – we can tailor the annotation style accordingly.
A measured survey (or measured building survey – MBS) is a professional, accurate record of an existing building’s layout and dimensions. Unlike a basic sketch or an estate agent’s floor plan, an MBS captures precise measurements of every floor, wall, opening, and structural feature, and translates them into detailed technical drawings.
These drawings give architects, designers, developers, and contractors a reliable starting point for any renovation, extension, or redevelopment project. Sova Surveys specialises in exactly this – producing fast, accurate, highly detailed surveys for residential, commercial, heritage, and specialist properties across Bristol, Bath, London, and the wider UK.
Getting a survey plan is straightforward. Simply get in touch with us, and we’ll ask you a few questions about the property and what you need the survey for. From there, we’ll provide a no -obligation quote. Once agreed, one of our professional surveyors will attend the site to capture the data – working quickly and with minimal disruption. All deliverables are provided electronically, and our clients can then have the flexibility to print them out on paper in the size of their choice.
You can reach us on 0117 248 2222, by email at ask@sovasurveys.co.uk, or via the form on our website.
The cost of a measured building survey depends on a number of factors, including the size and complexity of the building, the level of detail required, and the deliverable format. Because every project is different, we always quote individually to make sure you’re getting the right service at the right price – not a one-size-fits-all figure. We already price competitively, and we’re always happy to discuss your requirements.
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote.
