Surveys and design
Measured building survey in London
A measured building survey records your house accurately as it stands, and every plan, section and elevation after it depends on that record. We carry out measured building surveys across London from £200 including VAT, and MCIAT chartered architectural technologists draw the results.
From £200 (VAT included)
- MCIAT chartered
- £2m PI insured
- LABC Partnered
- Fixed fees, VAT included
Request a fixed quote
What a measured survey records
On site we measure rooms, wall thicknesses, window and door openings, ceiling heights, floor levels, stairs, the roof and the boundaries. Levels are taken from one datum, so the ground floor, the garden and the loft can all be read against each other.
We also record the things that decide a design: drains and manholes, trees near the house, and the neighbours' windows that the 45-degree and 25-degree tests depend on. Those daylight tests are impossible to do honestly from a sketch.
The result is a scaled set of existing plans, sections and elevations, plus a site plan. Your next set of drawings, whether for planning or building control, starts from this record rather than from guesswork.
Why drawings need a proper survey
Councils expect precision. The national guidance is simple: Application plans must be drawn to an identified scale and show north. A plan that does not match the building can be returned before an officer ever reads the design.
Mistakes also cost money later. A wall out by a few centimetres can change a stair position, a kitchen run or the length of a steel beam. Surveying first means fewer surprises on site.
For floor space, there is a fixed convention: Gross internal area is measured to the internal face of perimeter walls (party walls for attached houses). We measure to it so that your areas can be compared with space standards and sale particulars.
Two more figures are worth having on record before design begins. Bedroom sizes are tested against a national benchmark: Single bedroom at least 7.5 m² and 2.15 m wide; double at least 11.5 m², one double at least 2.75 m wide (others 2.55 m). Eaves height near a boundary is also capped: Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary. Surveying both now avoids redesign later.
Headroom, the original house and your rights
Under-roof space is only counted when it is tall enough. The rule is: Floor to ceiling at least 2.3 m for 75% of GIA; areas under 1.5 m headroom not counted. For a loft that decides whether the room is a bedroom or a store, so we take headroom at many points.
Permitted development limits are tied to the original building, not to what stands today. The Order says: PD limits are measured from the 'original' house: as built, or as it stood on 1 Jul 1948. We record earlier extensions so the allowances you have left can be worked out.
That makes a survey the start of a permitted development check as well as of the drawings themselves.
What you get from us
You receive existing floor plans for every level, at least one section through the stairs, elevations of every side and a site plan. We deliver them as PDF and as DWG for your engineer or builder.
The house is also modelled in Revit, which becomes the base for the proposals. A floor plans set can be issued on its own if that is all you need, and the survey flows into elevation and section drawings when the design is ready.
Because everything is drawn from one model, plans, sections and elevations always agree.
Measured building survey prices
Measured building surveys start at £200, VAT included. The fee is fixed and published before you commit, and we confirm it after the free constraints check for your address.
Larger houses, several storeys or outbuildings add to the work, and we quote those from the same price list rather than a guess. If you go on to commission drawings, the survey is the first part of that job.
We redraw at no charge if an officer asks for changes on a submission that follows.
How a survey visit works
You send the address and when you can give us access. We run the constraints check, send a fixed quote and book a visit.
On the day we measure inside and out, photograph the building and check the boundaries. Back in the office we draw the results and a second chartered technologist checks them against our site notes.
Drawings are normally ready about a week after the survey. The same record then serves planning drawings and technical sets.
Preparing for survey day
Access is the main preparation. We need every room, the loft, any cellar and the outside of the building, so tell us if a tenant, a locked store or a shared stair needs notice. Clear the floor edges where you can, because walls hidden behind furniture are measured less precisely.
Tell us what the survey is for. A survey feeding planning drawings and one feeding a set of floor plans can need different levels of detail, and a short brief saves a second visit.
Afterwards we draw the building as found, not as it was meant to be. Crooked walls, uneven floors and out-of-square rooms are recorded and carried into every later sheet, so the builder meets no surprises at setting out.
Measured surveys by council
A survey is the same anywhere, but what you do with it depends on the borough's heritage and planning rules. Each council page lists conservation areas, Article 4 directions and listed buildings. See architectural drawings in Camden for an example.
Choose your borough from architectural drawings by area.
The national rules in figures
| Measure | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPG Making an application, para 023 | Application plans must be drawn to an identified scale and show north | — | gov.uk |
| Nationally described space standard, para 10 footnote 1 | Gross internal area is measured to the internal face of perimeter walls (party walls for attached houses) | — | gov.uk |
| Nationally described space standard, para 10(f), (i) | Floor to ceiling at least 2.3 m for 75% of GIA; areas under 1.5 m headroom not counted | — | gov.uk |
| GPDO 2015 art 2(1), definition of "original" | PD limits are measured from the 'original' house: as built, or as it stood on 1 Jul 1948 | — | legislation.gov.uk |
| Nationally described space standard (Mar 2015), para 10(c)-(e) | Single bedroom at least 7.5 m² and 2.15 m wide; double at least 11.5 m², one double at least 2.75 m wide (others 2.55 m) | — | gov.uk |
| Class A, para A.1(i) | Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary | — | legislation.gov.uk |
A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.
Building regulations, layer by layer
The Approved Documents that shape most house projects, from structure to the application itself.
- A · Part A: structure
- Approved Document A: Structure, 2004 edition incorporating 2004, 2010 and 2013 amendments
- B · Part B: fire safety
- All dwellings: fire detection and alarm system minimum Grade D2 Category LD3 (BS 5839-6), mains-operated smoke alarms to BS EN 14604
- C · Part L: insulation
- New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4
- D · Part K: stairs
- 2.0 m clear headroom over stairs
- E · Full plans application
- Building control body must decide a full plans application within 5 weeks, or longer if agreed in writing
What you receive
Questions
How much does a measured building survey cost?
It starts at £200 including VAT, fixed and published up front. We confirm it for your house after the constraints check.
What does a measured survey include?
Existing plans for every level, sections, elevations and a site plan, with levels from one datum, drains, trees and neighbouring windows recorded.
Why can't I use my estate agent's floor plan?
Marketing plans are not survey-accurate. Councils expect an identified scale and north point, and small errors compound through a design.
How is floor area measured?
Gross internal area is measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls, which are party walls in attached houses.
Will you survey the outside as well?
Yes. We record elevations, the roof, boundaries, trees and drains as well as the interior.
Sources and dates
- gov.uk, retrieved
- gov.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- gov.uk, retrieved
- gov.uk, retrieved
- gov.uk, retrieved
- gov.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
- Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Historic England data © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
Tell us about your property.
We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.