Before booking, confirm who will undertake the visit and what the appointment includes. Ask whether it is separate from an initial consultation or quotation visit.
Agree what the survey is for
A measured survey should be specified around the information the design needs. RICS’s published survey standard covers project information, accuracy, measured buildings, topography, underground utilities and deliverables as distinct matters. It is therefore important to define the survey rather than assume that one visit covers every kind of investigation. [1]
Before the visit, ask which parts of the building and site will be recorded and what information will be produced. For a roof alteration, discuss the required roof-space information; for external work, discuss the relevant site and level information. The survey scope should reflect the information needed for your project.
Agree the coverage of rooms, roof spaces, elevations, boundaries and levels, and identify any additional survey work that needs a separate commission.
Prepare access without arranging unagreed opening-up
Identify locked, occupied or inaccessible areas and explain any known hazards. Agree who will provide access, whether the owner or another authorised person needs to attend and what happens when an area cannot be inspected.
Do not assume the booking includes lifting floorboards, exposing foundations, opening drains or accessing a neighbour’s property. Ask whether any investigation beyond recording accessible features is required, who will arrange it and what permission is needed.
Agree preparation and access instructions, how inaccessible areas will be recorded and whether photographs or intrusive investigations are included. Ask how a further visit will be arranged if information is missing.
Distinguish measurements from condition assessments
Historic England’s guidance for historic-building retrofit separates measured information from condition and structural investigations. It describes dimensions and features as survey information, recommends a condition assessment for defects, and identifies a possible need for a structural survey where structural problems are suspected. Agree any condition assessment or structural investigation separately from the measured survey. [2]
Raise concerns about movement, damp or earlier alterations separately. Ask what further assessment is needed rather than treating a set of measured drawings as confirmation that concealed construction is satisfactory.
Check what happens after the visit
Ask for the agreed output, its intended use and any limitations to be identified. RICS treats deliverables and accuracy as part of the survey specification, not matters to leave until the drawings arrive. [1]
Identify the drawings or other records supplied, file formats and expected issue date. Agree how survey queries will be resolved and whether further visits or revisions need an additional fee.
Keep any confirmed limitations with the survey information when it is passed to an engineer, specialist or builder. Highlight assumptions that still need checking before detailed design or construction decisions are made.