Land Surveys

What is a “Land Survey” and who needs one?

Land Surveys are invariably required prior to new developments. Clients include developers, architects, civil engineers, local authorities, service providers, religious bodies and the leisure industry.

The purpose of a Land Survey is to provide an accurate computer model of a site so that the client can plan, design and locate projects with precision and confidence.

A Land Survey can be an extremely detailed map of an area upon which every minute detail is depicted (which can be quite expensive) down to a skeletal map just showing a few key features, i.e. merely enough to enable a client to get started with an outline planning application (the cheapest option).

Information usually depicted on a Land Survey

Roads with channel lines
Paths with levels
Walls by width
Fences by type
Buildings by external footprint
Ground surface changes
Hedges by rootline & extent of canopy
Non-woodland trees >100mm trunk dia
(with trunk size and max spread)
Bushes & shrubs by group outline
Ditches by width & bed-level

Streams & rivers by width with flow arrows
Lakes by extent & water-level
Banks by top & bottom line & level
Overhead cables in plan only
Manholes with cover levels
Inspection chambers with cover levels
Street furniture in plan only
Spot levels at 15m intervals & changes of grade
Local grid
Levels to OS (Ordnance Survey) datum
Survey control stations