Measured building survey.
To RICS Measured Surveys accuracy bands (RICS, 2014). Plans, sections, elevations, BIM.
RICS measured building surveys across London and the UK, measured and reported to the accuracy bands of RICS Measured surveys of land, buildings and utilities, 3rd edition (RICS, 2014). Laser-scanned floor plans, sections, elevations and point clouds, delivered as CAD and Revit/IFC with the RICS band stated on every drawing.
What is a measured building survey?
A measured building survey is a dimensionally accurate record of an existing building. We capture the geometry by terrestrial laser scanning, total station and handheld scanner, and process the data into 2D floor plans, sections and elevations — and, where required, a 3D point cloud, a Revit / IFC model and a federated BIM file.
The survey is the existing-building base that architects, structural engineers, M&E consultants and BIM coordinators work from for refurbishment, conversion, retrofit, listed-building consent, facade remediation, planning applications, facilities management and as-built verification. Every project is delivered under the RICS Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities professional statement, with documented control, independent dimensional verification and a full QA record issued alongside the drawings.
Anyone planning changes to an existing building benefits from one: homeowners extending or converting, architects and designers preparing a scheme, building contractors pricing works, structural and M&E engineers, property and estate managers, and parties buying, selling or leasing commercial space who need the exact area and layout. Accuracy is specified to the RICS band the drawings will be used at: the RICS band table (RICS, 2014) lists measured building survey against Band B (±4 mm in plan at 1σ) for high-accuracy engineering work through to Band E (±25 mm) for general refurbishment drawings, and the band is stated on every issue.
Angell Surveys is a RICS-regulated practice (Firm 681790) — verify our registration via the RICS public Find a Surveyor directory.
Accurate, RICS-standard survey documentation.
Our measured building survey service provides accurate 2D and 3D documentation of buildings, structures and heritage assets. Using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), we capture complete geometric data in a single site visit — delivering floor plans, sections, elevations and 3D models to RICS guidance and client specification.
Scan data is processed to produce clean, dimensionally accurate CAD drawings and BIM-ready point clouds. All survey work is conducted under a documented quality management framework with independent accuracy verification against established control.
We work across the full range of built environment projects — from pre-purchase condition surveys through to listed building documentation, construction verification and facilities management data capture.
What does a measured building survey include?
Complete building documentation from laser scan data to RICS-standard CAD and BIM deliverables.
Floor Plans, Sections & Elevations
2D CAD deliverables produced from scan data to RICS guidance. Includes room dimensions, structural elements, openings and fittings as specified, at scales from 1:50 to 1:200.
Laser Scan Point Cloud
Full-building TLS survey delivering a geo-referenced, millimetre-accurate point cloud. Suitable for BIM conversion, planning applications and structural assessment.
Roof & External Survey
External elevations, roof geometry and site boundaries captured by TLS and UAV photogrammetry. Combined with internal data for complete and consistent building geometry.
Heritage & Listed Building Survey
Specialist measured survey of historic and listed structures to Historic England guidance. High-density scan data captures complex geometry, decorative features and structural anomalies.
Construction Verification
Pre/post-construction as-built survey to verify work against design intent. Dimensional checking and deviation reporting against BIM or CAD drawings to agreed tolerances.
Facilities Management Data
Structured, attributed floor plans and room data books for FM systems. Area schedules, space categorisation and asset tagging delivered to client specification and format.
How is a measured building survey carried out?
RICS-compliant survey workflow from brief through to checked, issued drawings.
Survey Brief
Requirements defined against RICS guidance. Level of detail, drawing standards and coordinate system agreed. Site conditions, access arrangements and heritage sensitivities confirmed.
Laser Scan Capture
TLS survey conducted from systematically planned station positions. Target-based registration control established. Complete coverage verified before demobilisation.
Processing & CAD Production
Point cloud registered, cleaned and referenced. CAD drawings produced by experienced surveyors from scan data and checked against specification before issue.
Issue & Review
Drawings and data issued to agreed format and revision. Random measurement verification included as standard. Revisions accommodated within agreed scope.
What do you receive from a measured building survey?
A set of 2D CAD drawings (floor plans, sections and elevations) issued as AutoCAD DWG with PDF sheets, a layer schedule and an accuracy statement against control. Where the brief needs it, the same registered point cloud is supplied as E57 or LAS and modelled into a Revit or IFC building model at an agreed Level of Development.
DWG floor plans
One drawing per storey showing wall lines and thicknesses, structural columns, door and window openings with cill and head heights, stairs, fixed fittings, room names and floor levels. Drawn at 1:50 or 1:100 on the RICS layering convention so an architect can overlay a proposal on day one.
DWG sections and elevations
Cross and long sections through the building showing floor-to-floor and floor-to-ceiling heights, roof profile and any changes of level; external elevations showing fenestration, parapets, string courses and material boundaries at the same scale as the plans.
PDF sheets and layer schedule
Every DWG is issued with a titled, scaled PDF for review and planning submission, plus a layer schedule listing what each CAD layer contains and a control schedule listing the survey stations the drawings were built from.
Point cloud, Revit and IFC (optional)
The registered laser-scan point cloud in E57, LAS or RCP; a native Revit model at LOD 200 to 400 built from that cloud; and an IFC 2x3 or IFC4 export for open BIM coordination. Each model is checked back against the point cloud and delivered with a deviation report.
What accuracy band does a measured building survey need?
The band follows the deliverable, not the building. General refurbishment and planning drawings are normally specified at Band E (±25 mm in plan at 1σ), heritage and listed-building recording at Band C (±5 mm), and engineering or setting-out work at Band B (±4 mm), under Measured surveys of land, buildings and utilities, 3rd edition (RICS, 2014). We agree the band at briefing, state it on every drawing issued and report the check-point residuals achieved against it.
| RICS band | Plan, hard detail (1σ) | Height, hard detail (1σ) | Example use in the RICS table | What the band supports on a building |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | ±2 mm | ±2 mm | Monitoring, precise setting-out, fabrication | Structural movement monitoring and fabrication fit-out; high-density terrestrial laser scanning throughout, no handheld capture |
| B | ±4 mm | ±4 mm | High-accuracy engineering, measured building survey, setting out | Engineering plans and sections, plant and lift installations, Revit models at the upper Levels of Development |
| C | ±5 mm | ±5 mm | Engineering setting-out, heritage | Listed and heritage building recording, facade elevations carrying ornamental detail, 1:50 plans |
| D | ±10 mm | ±10 mm | Engineering and topographic survey, determined boundaries | Building and site drawings co-ordinated on one control framework with a topographic survey, 1:100 plans and sections |
| E | ±25 mm | ±10 mm | Topographic survey, measured building survey, utility verification | General refurbishment, conversion and planning drawings at 1:100 or 1:200, lease and area plans, BIM models at the lower Levels of Development |
The full band table, Band A to Band J, is reproduced in our guide to RICS measured survey specifications. Specifying a band above what the drawings will be used at adds site time without changing the design; specifying one below it produces drawings that cannot be relied on for setting out.
Can I order 2D measured surveys only?
Yes. 2D measured surveys are the drawn deliverables on their own: dimensioned floor plans, sections and elevations issued as AutoCAD DWG with scaled PDF sheets, a layer schedule and an accuracy statement, with no 3D model. This is the usual specification for planning applications, listed-building consent, lease and area plans and conventional refurbishment design.
The registered point cloud behind the drawings is retained either way, so a Revit survey model or an IFC export can be added later from the same data without a return visit. Where a 3D record of the building is wanted alongside the drawings, the same scan data also produces a 3D laser scan survey deliverable.
What does laser scanning of buildings involve?
Laser scanning of buildings is the capture of a building’s geometry as a dense 3D point cloud, using a terrestrial laser scanner moved between overlapping positions inside and outside the structure. Each position is tied to the same survey control, the scans are registered together, and the registered cloud becomes the single measured record from which floor plans, sections, elevations and any later 3D model are drawn.
Scan positions are planned so that every wall, opening and ceiling void is seen from at least two stations, which is what keeps registration residuals inside the agreed RICS band (RICS Measured surveys of land, buildings and utilities, 3rd edition, RICS, 2014). Occupied buildings, cluttered plant rooms and ornate heritage detail are captured with a handheld scanner alongside the tripod work, and external elevations and roofs are added by UAV photogrammetry where access or height makes ground-based capture incomplete.
The scan data is the asset, not just the drawing. If you need the point cloud itself as a deliverable — registered E57 or LAS for your own modelling, clash detection or volumetric work — that is our point cloud survey service, produced from the same capture on the same control.
Measured building survey or BIM survey: which do you need?
A measured building survey produces 2D drawings of the existing building: plans, sections and elevations in DWG and PDF. A BIM survey, more precisely scan to BIM, produces a 3D Revit or IFC model built from the same laser-scan point cloud. Choose the drawings for planning, listed-building consent and conventional design; choose the model when the design team works in Revit or needs clash detection, federation or asset data.
| Measured building survey | BIM survey (scan to BIM) | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary output | 2D DWG floor plans, sections, elevations; PDF sheets | 3D Revit (.rvt) model; IFC export; optional Navisworks federation |
| Level of detail | Drawing scale 1:50 to 1:200 to RICS layering convention | LOD 200 to 400 agreed at the outset (ISO 19650 level of information need) |
| Source data | Terrestrial laser scan, total station, handheld scanner | The same registered point cloud, modelled element by element |
| Typical use | Planning applications, listed-building consent, refurbishment drawings, lease plans | Design coordination in Revit, MEP clash detection, refurbishment and retrofit modelling, asset information |
| Accuracy statement | Residuals against control, RICS band stated (RICS, 2014) | Point-cloud-to-model deviation report per element, on the same control |
| Can be combined | Yes. One site visit and one point cloud can produce both; the drawings and the model share the same coordinate framework, as on the Highbury Stadium Square facade survey. | |
Comparing a measured building survey with a topographic survey instead? The topographic page carries the side-by-side table: the topographic survey describes the land, the measured building survey describes the building, and most development projects with an existing structure need both.
What does the deliverables specification cover?
Every measured building survey ships with this baseline. Optional outputs are added where the project specification requires them.
| Deliverable | Format | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Floor plans | AutoCAD DWG, DXF, PDF | 1:50 / 1:100 / 1:200 to RICS layering convention |
| Sections | AutoCAD DWG, DXF, PDF | Cross and long, consistent scale with plans |
| Elevations | AutoCAD DWG, DXF, PDF | All faces, fenestration, articulation captured |
| Point cloud (optional) | E57, LAS, LAZ, RCP | Registered, classified, georeferenced |
| 3D BIM model (optional) | Revit 2022/2024 (.rvt), IFC 2x3/4 | LOD 200–400, federated coordinate system |
| Coordinate system | — | OSGB36/ODN or contractor-defined site grid |
| QA documentation | Control schedule, accuracy report, layer schedule | |
| Drawing accuracy | — | ±5 mm linear, RICS Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities statement |
Where does a measured building survey have limits?
A measured building survey records what could be accessed and seen on the survey date, to the band specified.
Access
Locked, occupied or hazardous spaces that cannot be entered are recorded as unsurveyed rather than assumed.
Concealed structure
Wall construction, voids and services behind finishes are not measured; where required they are the subject of an opening-up or structural investigation.
Accuracy band and method
The band achievable depends on the capture method (laser scan, total station, hand measurement) and is stated on every drawing; a lower band is not a lesser survey if it is what the use requires.
Survey date
Drawings represent the building as found on the survey date; subsequent alterations are outside the record.
Angell Surveys delivers this service across the UK from a London base, under RICS regulation, with the same documented control, check-point verification and QA on every project. Accuracy is specified and reported against the band table in RICS Measured Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities, 3rd edition (RICS, 2014), using independent check points rather than a marketing figure.
Measured building survey questions.
The questions clients ask us most often before instructing a measured building survey.
What is a measured building survey?
What is an RICS measured survey?
What deliverables will I receive?
Can I order 2D measured surveys only?
What does laser scanning of buildings involve?
What is the difference between a measured building survey and a topographic survey?
Do you survey listed and heritage buildings?
Will the survey be suitable for a planning application?
What CAD layering convention and file formats do you deliver in?
Are you RICS regulated?
Bring engineering precision to your next project.
Most scoping responses sent within one business day.
RICS-regulated work, led by Philip M. Angell MRICS.