Measured building surveys in Durham & the North East
An accurate measured survey of your existing property: the record every planning, building regulation and structural drawing is built on. We survey homes across the North East from our Durham office, and nationwide.
Who this is for
Good drawings start with good measurements. Your planning drawings, building control drawings and structural design are all developed from the survey, so it needs to be accurate and complete. That is why we prefer to carry it out ourselves rather than work from incomplete measurements. A measured survey is the first stage of almost every project we take on, whether you are extending, converting a loft or garage, removing walls or remodelling a bungalow.
- Each room: lengths, widths and ceiling heights, plus the position and size of doors, windows and openings
- Staircases, levels and any changes in floor height
- External elevations, materials and key features
- Services and anything else that affects the design
- Every room and elevation photographed as a visual reference
- An accurate record of your property, captured with laser measures and a methodical process
- Scaled existing plans and elevations, drawn up at the next stage
- A chat on site to discuss your project in more detail
- A dependable starting point for design, with fewer surprises later
From booking to drawings, step by step
Fee confirmed, visit arranged
The survey fee is confirmed in writing as part of your quote and paid when you book, which secures your appointment. We then arrange a convenient time to visit.
The visit
We need access to the property. You are welcome to be there to talk through your ideas, but it is not essential. We measure every room, record levels and openings, measure the elevations and photograph the affected areas.
Existing drawings and consultation
We turn the measurements into scaled existing plans and elevations, then talk through your ideas in person or by video call to agree a clear brief.
Proposed design
Survey, existing drawings and proposed design typically take 1–3 weeks in total, depending on revisions and how quickly the design is agreed.
How our fees work
Every stage is a fixed fee, agreed in writing before it starts, and you only pay for the stages you use. The figure depends on the type of project, the size and type of your property and where it is: site visits outside our local postcode areas (NE, DH, DL, TS and SR) carry a travel charge, projects inside the M25 are priced higher, and listed buildings and conservation areas involve extra work. Council and building control fees are separate and paid directly to them.
- Site visit and measured survey
- Existing and proposed drawings
- Planning application, submitted as your agent, where required
- Building regulations drawings and specification
- Structural design and calculations
- Optional extras such as 3D visuals, party wall notices and site support
The instant quote tool prices every stage separately for your property in about two minutes, with no obligation. If you already have planning drawings, upload them and we send a fixed written proposal.
What the council, building control and your engineer need
Every drawing we produce later depends on the survey. The council needs scaled existing plans and elevations to compare against the proposal, building control needs accurate dimensions to check the construction, and our engineers need spans, levels and openings to size beams and foundations. Get it right and every drawing that follows is right; get it wrong and the errors carry through the whole project.
Where suitable existing drawings or measured floor plans already exist, for example previous planning drawings, we can sometimes work from those instead and skip the visit. If you already have planning drawings, upload them through the instant quote tool and we send a fixed written proposal for the building control drawings and structural design.
Where the survey ends up
The existing plans, roof plan and elevations from our measured survey are the first sheets in every pack on our example project page, followed by the proposed planning drawings, building regulations drawings and structural drawings that grow from them. See the example project packs.
Measured surveys, answered
Do I always need a survey?
Where reliable drawings already exist, for example previous planning drawings or estate agent floor plans, we may be able to use those. If not, a measured survey is the safest starting point. We confirm what your project needs before any work begins.
How much does a measured survey cost?
The survey is a fixed fee based on the number of bedrooms, whatever the type of property, with a travel charge outside the NE, DH, DL, TS and SR postcode areas. It is confirmed in writing as part of your quote, and the instant quote tool shows it for your postcode straight away.
Do I need to be there?
We simply need access to the property. You are welcome to be there to talk through your ideas, and it is often a good moment to discuss what you hope to achieve, but it is not essential.
What do you measure?
Each room's lengths, widths and ceiling heights; the position and size of doors, windows and openings; staircases, levels and changes in floor height; the external elevations and materials; and the services. We photograph every room and elevation as a reference.
Do you survey outside the North East?
Yes. We work with homeowners across the UK. Outside our local postcode areas the site visit carries a travel charge, which the instant quote includes automatically.
What happens after the survey?
We draw your property to scale as it stands today, then talk through your ideas in person or by video call to agree a clear brief. Survey, existing drawings and proposed design typically take 1–3 weeks in total.
Is the survey fee an extra on top of the drawings?
The survey is the first stage of your quote, priced separately so you can see it clearly, and it is paid when you book to secure your appointment. Every later stage is fixed in writing and paid only as you proceed.
Read more before you start
Ready to get started?
Tell us about your project and we'll talk you through the right stages, the likely route and what to expect.