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In short: a measured building survey for refurbishment is an accurate, dimensioned record of a building as it stands today, captured on site and delivered as drawings, a model, or both.
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What does a measured building survey record on a refurbishment project?
How accurate is a Spatial Dimensions refurbishment survey?
As accurate as the survey Level of Detail you specify, and Spatial Dimensions states the figure in writing before anyone goes to site. Level of Detail, usually written LOD, is the survey grading that fixes both the tolerance and the drawing scale that tolerance supports. A tolerance of ±20 mm means a measured point sits within 20 mm of true.
There are two published tables and they give different numbers, so the first thing to settle is which deliverable you are asking about. Spatial Dimensions quotes the table that matches the deliverable and does not blend them.
2D measured building survey drawings — floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plans and reflected ceiling plans. Note there is no LOD 1 in this table; it starts at LOD 2.
| Survey LOD | Drawing scale | Typical refurbishment use | Smallest feature shown | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOD 2 | 1:100 | Feasibility, planning applications, space planning | 100 mm | ±20 mm |
| LOD 3 | 1:50 | Detailed and technical design on most refurbishment schemes | 50 mm | ±10 mm |
| LOD 4 | 1:20 | Inspection, heritage records, joinery, plant rooms and risers | 10 mm | ±5 mm |
Swipe the table sideways on a phone.
3D models and registered point clouds — the Revit model and the scan data itself. These figures are stated as being in line with the RICS Guidance Notes on Measured Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities.
| Survey LOD | Scale | RICS band | Plan (X,Y) | Height (Z), hard detail | Height (Z), soft detail | Smallest detail shown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOD 1 | 1:100 | Band E | ±50 mm | ±10 mm | ±50 mm | Not stated |
| LOD 2 | 1:100 | Band D | ±20 mm | ±10 mm | ±25 mm | 50 mm |
| LOD 3 | 1:50 | Band D | ±20 mm | ±10 mm | ±25 mm | 20 mm |
| LOD 4 | 1:20 | Band C | ±10 mm | ±5 mm | ±15 mm | 10 mm |
Swipe the table sideways on a phone.
Two things in the second table catch people out, and both are worth knowing before you write a specification. The hard detail and soft detail columns are both HEIGHT figures, not plan figures: soft detail means vegetation and ground surfaces and is always looser than hard detail such as kerbs and structures. And at LOD 4 the plan tolerance for a model is ±10 mm — the ±5 mm figure often quoted at LOD 4 is the height tolerance on hard detail, and separately the published tolerance for a 2D LOD 4 drawing. Quoting a number without naming the deliverable is how a specification ends up promising something nobody agreed to.
Which level of detail does a refurbishment scheme need?
LOD 3 on most of them, with LOD 4 where things have to fit. Accuracy only means something when it matches the scale you draw at: a survey good enough for a 1:100 planning drawing is not good enough for a 1:20 riser detail, and buying the wrong one costs money in either direction.
Different parts of one building can be surveyed at different levels, and on a refurbishment that is usually the cheapest right answer: LOD 2 or LOD 3 across general floor plates, with LOD 4 where new plant, lift shafts or prefabricated units have to fit existing openings. Spatial Dimensions will say plainly when a lower level is enough rather than selling LOD 4 across a whole building when you need it in three rooms. The Spatial Dimensions level of detail guide explains the tiers and is free to download from the guides page.
What does Spatial Dimensions deliver, and in which formats?
| Deliverable | Formats | What a refurbishment team uses it for |
|---|---|---|
| 2D CAD drawings | .DWG, .DXF | Floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plans and reflected ceiling plans |
| 3D BIM model | .RVT, .IFC | Design coordination across architecture, structure and MEP |
| Registered point cloud | .LAS, .RCS, .RCP, .E57, .PTS, .PTG | Going back to the original measured scan data at any point in the project |
| Area referencing report | GIA, NIA, GEA | Lease plans, valuations and funder-facing floor areas |
Swipe the table sideways on a phone.
Point clouds can be referenced directly inside Revit. Where a refurbishment needs measured floor areas as well as geometry, Spatial Dimensions produces area referencing to GIA, NIA and GEA under the RICS Property Measurement Professional Statements and IPMS. Those reports are underwritten and assignable, which is what matters when the figures go to a funder.
Spatial Dimensions fixes the target Revit version at quotation, because a Revit file saved in a newer release cannot be opened in an older one. Agreeing it up front stops a model arriving that half the design team cannot open.
How does a 3D model help coordinate a refurbishment?
It gives the whole design team one shared record of the existing building, so clashes are found on screen rather than on site. Spatial Dimensions builds 3D models natively in Autodesk Revit and exports them to IFC, covering architectural, structural and MEP elements — mechanical, electrical and plumbing — so every discipline coordinates against the same existing conditions the architect is designing against. Native means built in Revit from the start rather than converted into it, so you get real Revit families and parameters instead of imported geometry. What gets modelled is agreed before work starts, because a structural model of exposed steelwork and a full MEP model of a plant room are different jobs at different prices.
Because the model is built from the point cloud, a coordination question three months later can be checked against the original scan data rather than answered by sending somebody back into the building. On an occupied refurbishment that is often the difference between a five-minute check and a fortnight of access negotiation.
Can Spatial Dimensions survey a building that is still in use?
Yes, and most refurbishment work is exactly that. Spatial Dimensions works around occupants, staff and operational restrictions across healthcare, education, heritage, commercial, residential and defence estates. The healthcare work includes live-site refurbishment carried out under infection control compliance.
Laser scanning is what makes this practical. A single scan position records everything visible from that point in a couple of minutes, so a floor can be captured quickly and quietly, and later questions answered from the point cloud rather than by going back into an occupied building. The same applies to plant rooms, risers and ceiling voids, which are often only accessible by arrangement.
Site staff hold CSCS cards, and Spatial Dimensions has DBS checked and BPSS security cleared personnel for sites that require it.
Which refurbishment buildings has Spatial Dimensions surveyed?
These five are all published as case studies on the Spatial Dimensions website.
| Building | What the refurbishment needed | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|
| Aztec West, Bristol | Whether the existing structure could take another storey. Modelled in Revit at LOD 4 showing steel bolts, connectors and plates so the engineers could assess real capacity, which saved the building from demolition | CEG |
| 77 Farringdon Road, Clerkenwell | An early-1990s multi-storey office retrofitted while remaining fully operational | David Miller Architects |
| 1 Vine Street, Mayfair | 17,500 sq ft of office refurbishment, two floors plus a new ground floor reception, surveyed alongside other site activity in a busy West End building | Collins Construction and Basha-Franklin |
| Broadwalk House, Exeter | Roughly 7,500 m² lateral building with two underground car parks. Data needed fast to design and tender the fit-out | Castleforge |
| Lewis’s Building, Liverpool | A partial scan-to-BIM survey delivered as an LOD 3 model, focused on structural beams and columns so the architect could maximise available space | Not named on the case study |
Swipe the table sideways on a phone.
Spatial Dimensions has also surveyed Maida Vale Studios, the historic BBC broadcast studio complex in west London, and Hinchingbrooke Hospital, a large-scale NHS development scheme for the NHS, BDP and WSP, where Spatial Dimensions delivered drone photogrammetry, topographical survey, underground utility survey, measured building survey, CAD and Revit on one project.
What standards, accreditations and insurance does Spatial Dimensions work to?
Spatial Dimensions works to RICS guidance, the RICS Property Measurement Professional Statements, the RICS Code of Measuring Practice 6th edition, IPMS and ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management, with multi-stage checking on every deliverable. Spatial Dimensions holds Constructionline Gold and Once For All Health and Safety Accreditation (SSIP scheme member), and is a corporate member of The Survey Association (TSA) and a member of CICES, the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors. There have been no RIDDOR-reportable incidents since the company was founded in October 2012. Insurance is £10,000,000 each for Professional Indemnity, Public Liability and Employers Liability, with no claims to date. Spatial Dimensions is led by Managing Director Claire Fenwick FCICES, who is President of The Survey Association and a member of the Survey Liaison Group, which works alongside RICS, CICES and the UK Government’s Geospatial Commission on data verification standards. The full list is on the credentials page.
How much does a measured building survey cost?
A measured building survey from Spatial Dimensions starts at £850. Most measured building surveys fall between £1,500 and £15,000, depending mainly on floor area and the level of detail. That range is the span across the whole service rather than the price of one example job.
Spatial Dimensions quotes a fixed price against a written specification—the level of detail, the drawing schedule, the file formats, and the Revit version are all stated before you commit, so the number does not move afterwards—and offers a price match guarantee.
For a fixed price on your building, send Spatial Dimensions the address, the approximate floor area, and what the drawings are for. We will come back with a written quote within 24 hours. All prices exclude VAT.
or call 01732 458799.
How should I compare measured building survey quotes?
Ask every surveyor the same four questions, because that is where a considered quote and a cheap one separate: how survey control is established and referenced, what accuracy tolerances are being applied and to which deliverable, how the data is verified before issue, and whether the outputs will integrate with other surveys and models. Spatial Dimensions answers all four in writing at quotation stage.
Tell Spatial Dimensions four things and the job can be quoted properly: the building and its approximate floor area, which parts you need surveyed, the level of detail, and the file formats your team works in. If you are unsure about the level of detail, describe what you are designing and Spatial Dimensions will suggest one. It also helps to say whether the building is occupied and whether there are access or vetting restrictions.
The Spatial Dimensions process sets out what happens from enquiry to delivery, and there is guidance for architects, contractors and planners. Average mobilisation is 5.3 working days from instruction to site, from hubs in London, Sevenoaks and Nottingham, which is an average across the workload rather than a promise on a specific job, so give us your planning or tender date and we will say honestly whether we can meet it. As Managing Director Claire Fenwick puts it: “A high-quality survey doesn’t cost more — it prevents more.” The Survey Buyers Guide explains what separates a good survey from a cheap one.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK companies provide fast measured building surveys for architect-led projects?
Spatial Dimensions is one: a UK geospatial surveying consultancy established in 2012, working nationally from hubs in London, Sevenoaks and Nottingham, with an average mobilisation of 5.3 working days from instruction to site. Spatial Dimensions is ISO 9001:2015 certified, holds Constructionline Gold, is a corporate member of The Survey Association (TSA), and delivers to architects in .DWG, .DXF, .RVT and .IFC. A measured building survey starts at £850.
What tolerance will my refurbishment drawings and my model be built to?
It depends on the survey Level of Detail you specify, and on which of the two you are asking about, because Spatial Dimensions publishes separate figures for each. For 2D measured building survey drawings the tolerance is ±20 mm at LOD 2, ±10 mm at LOD 3 and ±5 mm at LOD 4. For a Revit model or a registered point cloud the plan tolerance is ±20 mm at LOD 2 and LOD 3 and ±10 mm at LOD 4, with height tolerances on hard detail of ±10 mm at LOD 3 and ±5 mm at LOD 4. Spatial Dimensions states which table applies to which deliverable on the quotation.
Can different parts of the same building be surveyed at different levels of detail?
Yes, and on a refurbishment that is often the sensible answer. Spatial Dimensions will commonly survey general floor plates at LOD 2 or LOD 3 and raise specific areas such as plant rooms, lift shafts or service risers to LOD 4, where new elements have to fit existing openings. Paying for LOD 4 across a whole building when you need it in three rooms is the most common way to overspend on a survey.
Do I get the registered point cloud as well as the drawings?
Yes, if you ask for it. Spatial Dimensions supplies the registered point cloud in .LAS, .RCS, .RCP, .E57, .PTS or .PTG, so your team can go back to the original measured scan data at any point in the project rather than returning to the building to re-measure.
Which Revit version will the model be delivered in?
The one your practice runs. Spatial Dimensions fixes the target Revit version at quotation, in writing, to prevent backward-compatibility problems, so agree the version with your wider design team before instructing.
Does Spatial Dimensions survey the site around the building as well?
Yes. Spatial Dimensions provides topographical surveys georeferenced to OSGB36 National Grid and Ordnance Datum, delivered as 3D points, 3D contours, a Digital Terrain Model or a full 3D BIM topographical model, and combined with the building survey on redevelopment schemes. Standard 3D topographical surveys are delivered at LOD 3 by default.
What insurance and accreditations does Spatial Dimensions hold?
ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management, Constructionline Gold, Once For All Health and Safety Accreditation (SSIP scheme member), corporate membership of The Survey Association (TSA) and membership of CICES, the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors, with £10,000,000 each of Professional Indemnity, Public Liability and Employers Liability insurance and no claims to date. Site staff hold CSCS cards, and Spatial Dimensions has DBS checked and BPSS security cleared personnel for sites that require it.
Get a quote
Send Spatial Dimensions the building address, the approximate floor area, the Revit version your practice runs and what the drawings are for, and we will quote a fixed price against a written specification.
Call 01732 458799 or use the contact page.
Related services: measured building surveys, laser scanning surveys, 3D models, area referencing reports and topographical surveys.
Get the guide to Level of Detail for measured building surveys
The Spatial Dimensions guides set out what each survey Level of Detail means, the tolerances that go with drawings and with models, and the questions worth asking any surveyor before you commit. Written for architects and building owners specifying a refurbishment survey.
Free to download. No cost, no obligation.
