What is surveying?

Surveying is a term given to the act of accurately measuring the dimensions and positions of physical elements in the real world, and the angles between them. There are many types of surveyor, but in real terms a typical surveyor measures land and buildings and their exact sizes and boundaries.

The most common contact the general public has with a surveyor is when they purchase a new house, or need planning permission for building works.

What does a building surveyor do?

A building surveyor is a recognized profession in the UK, and is concerned with the surveying of buildings. A building surveyor will be employed to accurately gauge the size of buildings and rooms, to ensure that they are in keeping with health and safety laws, property legislation laws and building regulations.

A building surveyor can be important when gaining planning permission for new constructions, assessing the value of buildings, and to advise on a number of maintenance and design considerations of larger buildings.

What does a land surveyor do?

A land surveyor's job is to accurately measure areas of land. Commonly, they can be employed when land changes hands, to get an accurate measurement of the amount of land for sale and whether there are any planning or land regulation considerations.

Land surveyors can be brought in to verify the scope and boundaries of neighbours' land, particularly when there is a dispute. Physical features that appear on older maps and deeds can, over time, become eroded or change and this can lead to deeds become inaccurate.

A land surveyor's skills at accurately measuring how things have changed physically are indispensable in these cases.

What equipment does a surveyor use?

Even up until the 1990s, a surveyor would be found using a tape measure, a measure, and a theodolite, which measures angles. More modern equipment is known as a "total station", which is a theodolite which includes an electronic distance measuring tool.

Does a surveyor use GPS?

Top of the line surveying equipment uses GPS to measure larger distances, which can even send data back to the surveyor's office by email. However, GPS is still only accurate to around 20-40mm, and cannot work well in densely populated areas such as forests and some construction sites. Therefore, total stations are still widely used.

Is there a professional body of surveyors?

Chartered surveyors in the UK all belong to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

How much will a valuation cost?

Of course the price will vary on a number of factors, but a simple valuation on a home tends to cost around £100-£250. A home-owners survey, which will include more information of interest when there is a potential home purchase, will cost between £250-£1000.

A full structural survey, which goes into great detail about the structure of the building and how it may need to be maintained can cost up to £1500. Prices vary heavily depending on where you are in the country, and the size of the property.