Combined Survey for Planning Applications: Measured and Topographical
For planning applications, a combined measured building and topographical survey provides everything the Local Planning Authority needs in one efficient commission.
What's Needed for Planning
| Requirement | Survey | | --- | --- | | Existing site plan with levels | Topographical | | Existing building drawings | Measured building | | Boundary positions | Topographical | | Tree positions | Topographical | | Drainage features | Topographical |
Combined Package Benefits
| Benefit | Description | | --- | --- | | One site visit | Reduced mobilisation | | One report | Single point of contact | | Faster programme | Both surveys delivered together | | Consistent data | Same control network |
2025 Costs (ex VAT)
| Package | Cost | | --- | --- | | Measured + Topographical | From £1,000 | | Measured + Topo + Utility | From £1,500 |
How a Combined Survey Supports a Planning Application
A combined measured building and topographical survey is the right tool when a planning application needs both the existing building dimensions and the wider site levels in a single set of deliverables. The four typical application types are householder application (need existing building dimensions for the design and site levels for the site plan and the location plan, typically at 1:50 or 1:100 for the building and 1:200 or 1:500 for the site), full planning application (need existing building dimensions, site levels, and any agreed drainage features for the full planning pack), listed building consent (need existing building dimensions to heritage standards, typically at LOD 350 or 400, and the site levels for the planning pack), and conservation area consent (need existing building dimensions to heritage standards and the site levels for the conservation area planning pack). To commission a combined survey for a planning application, send a brief covering the property address, the local planning authority, the type of application, the floors in scope, the deliverable list (existing building dimensions, site plan with contours, location plan with the scale, agreed drainage features), the deliverable format (DWG and PDF are standard; the planning pack is typically issued as separate PDF plot files for the application), the coordinate system (OS National Grid with Ordnance Datum Newlyn heights is the UK convention), the deliverable scale (1:50 or 1:100 for building plans, 1:200 or 1:500 for the site plan, 1:1250 or 1:2500 for the location plan as the LPA requires), and the target turnaround. A typical site visit for a combined survey of a planning application takes three to six hours; a small commercial site takes half a day to a day. The four combined package benefits are one site visit (reduced mobilisation cost), one report (single point of contact for the project team), faster programme (both surveys delivered together, with the office processing time shared between the two deliverables), and consistent data (same control network, same coordinate system, same office processing pass). The cost bands are typical ranges for UK combined surveys for planning: measured + topographical from £1,000 ex VAT, and measured + topographical + utility survey from £1,500 ex VAT. All icelabz combined surveys are issued under the RICS Measured Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities standard (3rd edition) and a signed accuracy statement is included with every delivery.