2025 Survey Costs (ex VAT)
| Property | Standard | Fast Track (+25%) | Rush (+50%) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2–3 bed | £400–£600 | £500–£750 | £600–£900 | | 4+ bed | £500–£800 | £625–£1,000 | £750–£1,200 | | Commercial | £800–£1,500 | £1,000–£1,875 | £1,200–£2,250 |
Survey Deliverables Reference
| Deliverable | Format | Use | | --- | --- | --- | | Floor plans | DWG + PDF | Design reference | | Elevations | DWG + PDF | Planning submission | | Sections | DWG + PDF | Building regulations | | Site plan | DWG + PDF | Planning boundary |
What's Inside a Measured Building Survey: Annotated Deliverables Guide
A measured building survey delivers more than just floor plans. The complete survey package includes multiple drawing types, data formats, and supporting documentation. Understanding what is inside a measured building survey helps you commission the right deliverables for your project and use them correctly.
This annotated guide walks through every component of a measured building survey package.
Floor Plans
Floor plans are the core deliverable of any measured building survey. They show the layout of each floor level with accurate dimensions for every room, corridor, lobby, and circulation space.
A floor plan drawing includes: room names and dimensions, window positions and sizes, door positions and swing directions, built-in fixtures including sanitaryware and kitchen units, ceiling height annotations where relevant, floor level annotations, and north point and scale bar.
Floor plans are produced at standard scales: 1:50 for residential properties, 1:100 for commercial properties, and larger scales for detail drawings. The drawing sheet includes a title block with the property address, survey date, drawing number, revision status, and surveyor details.
Floor plans are delivered in DWG format for CAD workflows and as PDF drawings for reference and submission. icelabz delivers floor plans in both formats as standard.
Elevation Drawings
Elevation drawings show the external appearance of the building from each compass direction. Every opening — windows and doors — is shown in its correct position, size, and style. Architectural features including string courses, window surrounds, and decorative elements are recorded.
Elevation drawings are produced at the same scale as floor plans for consistency. Each elevation is labelled with the direction it represents — north, south, east, west — and includes a scale bar, title block, and survey metadata.
Elevation drawings are essential for planning applications, heritage assessments, and exterior design work. They provide the accurate dimensional record of the building envelope that floor plans alone cannot show.
Section Drawings
Section drawings show the building cut along a vertical plane. They reveal floor-to-floor heights, ceiling heights, roof profiles, structural configurations, and the relationship between different floor levels.
A measured building survey typically includes at least one section through the building. Additional sections are produced where the building configuration is complex or where specific structural elements need to be recorded.
Section drawings include: floor levels at each floor, ceiling heights, window and door opening heights, roof pitch and covering, structural element positions including walls and columns, and ground level and external datum.
Sections are annotated with dimensions and levels. They are produced at the same scale as floor plans and elevations for consistency.
Staircase Details
Staircase details are an important part of a measured building survey. Stairs are complex three-dimensional elements that require both plan and section representation to capture fully.
Stair detail drawings include: plan of each stair at the appropriate level, section through the stair showing rise and go dimensions, tread depths and nosing positions, handrail height and configuration, landing dimensions and levels, and minimum headroom measurements.
Stair details are essential for planning applications — means of escape requirements — and for design work involving stair repositioning or new stair installation. Building regulations compliance often depends on accurate stair dimensions.
Feature Details
For period properties, heritage buildings, and buildings with significant architectural features, feature detail drawings capture these elements in appropriate detail. Features may include: fireplaces and chimney breasts, cornices and ceiling roses, skirtings and architraves, panelling and Dado rails, stair balustrades and newel posts, and window and door surrounds.
Feature details are produced at larger scales than general floor plans — typically 1:10 or 1:20 — to show the detail needed for specification and heritage assessment.
Feature detail drawings support planning applications for heritage properties, Listed Building Consent applications, and design work involving feature retention or restoration.
Site Plan and Level Data
A measured building survey may include a site plan showing the building in its context. The site plan shows: the building footprint relative to site boundaries, levels data for the site and building, hard and soft landscape features, and access points and neighbouring structures.
Site plan level data is referenced to Ordnance Survey datum or a site-established datum. The datum is clearly noted on the drawings. Level data is essential for drainage design, hardstanding design, and any external works.
Topographical surveys — which record the external site in more detail — are separate from building surveys. Where both are needed, they can be commissioned together.
BIM Models and Point Cloud Data
For BIM projects, a measured building survey may include a Revit model. The model contains the same geometric data as the 2D drawings — floor plans, elevations, sections — but in a 3D format that supports design development, clash detection, and project coordination.
Revit models are produced to defined levels of development — LOD 200 to LOD 350 depending on project stage. The model content is agreed at the brief stage.
Point cloud data is captured when laser scanning is used for the survey. Point cloud files can be delivered as supplementary data for verification, clash detection, or as-built recording.
Drawing Metadata and Standards
Every measured building survey drawing includes metadata confirming the survey standards applied. This includes: survey date, surveyor name and qualifications, accuracy standard applied, coordinate system and datum, and software version used for production.
Drawing metadata confirms the professional basis of the survey. It is important for quality assurance, for lender requirements, and for future reference if the survey data is used on a later project.
All icelabz measured building surveys include full metadata on each drawing. Surveyors are RICS-accredited and professionally insured.
Drawing Numbering and Revision Control
Professional survey drawings include a drawing numbering system. Each drawing has a unique number: for example, MBS-001 for the first floor plan, MBS-002 for the second floor plan, and so on.
Revisions are controlled. If amendments are made after delivery — for example, to correct an error or reflect a design change — the revision number is updated and a revised drawing is issued. Revision history is recorded in the title block.
Drawing numbering and revision control ensure that the correct drawing version is used throughout the project. Always check that you are using the current revision.
File Formats and Delivery
Measured building survey files are delivered electronically. Standard formats include:
DWG files: AutoCAD format. Compatible with AutoCAD and other CAD software. This is the primary format for professional use.
PDF files: Drawings in PDF format. For reference, client presentation, and submission with planning applications.
Revit files: BIM models in Revit format. Version compatibility confirmed at brief stage.
Point cloud files: LAS or PTS format where laser scanning has been used.
File delivery is typically via secure electronic transfer or cloud storage link. Large BIM models or point cloud datasets may require large file transfer methods.
Quality Review
All icelabz measured building survey deliverables are reviewed by a senior surveyor before delivery. The review checks: drawing accuracy against survey data, completeness against the brief, labelling and annotation clarity, and file format and compatibility.
Senior surveyor review ensures quality before delivery. If discrepancies are found in your own review of the deliverables, raise them promptly — survey amendments are typically provided at no additional cost for errors in the original survey.
Fixed-Fee Survey Packages
icelabz provides fixed-fee measured building survey packages. The package contents are agreed at the brief stage and confirmed before instruction. No hidden charges.
Standard packages include floor plans, elevations, sections, and stair details. Additional deliverables — feature details, BIM models, site plans — are priced as additions to the standard package.
Contact icelabz with your property address and project requirements for a fixed-fee quote. All surveys reviewed by a senior surveyor before delivery. Fixed-fee pricing applies across London.