Why do I need a measured building survey? Is this not what architects do?

Client asked me: In the past I have simply engaged an architect who has drawn up the drawings of my house and then the revised drawing based on my requirements for the renovations.

Why do I need a measured Building survey?

You see nothing really changes in how the work is carried out. The only thing that changes is who does the work.

Planning and Construction Project Visual Timeline

While there’s nothing stopping you from measuring the house, creating the drawings, coming up with the ideas, translating them into plans, and even submitting the planning application yourself, there’s really no need for anyone else to be involved that’s exactly how the work would get done.

But in reality, we’re all good at what we do. Just like nothing stops us from fixing our own car, most of us still take it to a garage because that’s their expertise, while we focus on what we are good at.

In the same way, whether it’s you or the architect measuring the house, it’s not a question of who can do it, but who can do it with better quality and faster, with the right tools, time, and understanding of the job.

And this is where specialize in measuring houses and land. We don’t do design and we don’t handle planning. I could learn and invest time in those things, but then I wouldn’t be doing what I’m supposed to do - measuring.

Likewise, if an architect is running around measuring and drafting, they’re spending less time designing so they need a surveyor to do the work.

Especially on larger projects, it’s not about whether one person can do everything, it's about who can actually do it accurately and efficiently so the process will be the same.

The only difference is who does what part in the process.

And that’s where we come in: we have the tools, the experience, and the team built specifically to measure houses with precision and once this survey is done the Architect can do their job.

Despite the fact that we are all capable of doing more I do believe it's best if we do what we are good at as if we make an average job at what is not our expertise it is not serving us or the client. This actually does disservice and causes frustration and delays and even money lost in most of the cases.

So, our free price quotes come with no obligations. If you find that someone else can do a better job, that’s completely fine with us just let me know, and I’ll remove the quote from our system and focus on another project where we can genuinely help.

We help save time and avoid mistakes in the initial drawings, ensuring that the final design is accurate from the very beginning. This stage forms the foundation of the entire design and construction process.

If someone prefers to do the surveys themselves, we’re happy to offer some guidance and support, and in some cases, help convert the survey measurements into actual CAD drawings or 3D model whether they were done using a laser scanner or by hand.

However, beyond that, there’s not much more we can assist with if someone chooses to handle the work themselves.

Our plans are fit for design and building regulations down to construction, but you may find that you only need approximate plans for planning and there you don't need this accuracy; it's only illustrative. Plans submitted for planning permission do need to be accurate, but not to the same technical precision as construction drawings.

This will clarify the planning and built process Measured Building Surveyors are where you start and we are involved from week 1 to week 3 in any project. It's best if the rest is handled by professionals such as an architect, planning consultant, structural engineer, party wall surveyor, and builder. However, in many cases, the architect acts as the project manager, coordinating everything and serving as your primary point of contact.

Read more in a blog post "What is measured Building Survey"

I hope that makes sense now, and if you have any other questions feel free to reach out.

Peter Bauman