What is a Topographic Survey?
What is a Topographic Survey?
A topographic survey, or topo survey, is a type of survey that maps site boundaries, features, and levels of a given area. Topographic surveys are an important start for the design process and should always be completed prior any detailed design work, this can range from new build/ self-build homes to commercial units.
What is surveyed/ included in a topographical survey?
Depending on the requirements of a specific project, the survey will include most detail on site although this will vary if the site is heavily overgrown or hazardous. Typical areas and detail shown on a survey include the following:
Site boundary’s
General spot heights
Buildings & structures
Features adjacent to the site such as ridge/ eave heights
Trees, bushes & areas of vegetation
Ground heights, contours & surfaces tied to OS
What are topographic surveys used for?
Architects, civil & structural engineers, planners and designers use topographic surveys to as a basis for their design and project management parts of the project, topographic surveys can also be used as a Land Registry Plan or legal document/ drawing to show boundaries of a property or area.
How long does a topographic survey take?
The duration of a topo survey can have a number of factors such as site size, amount of ground detail present or the amount of vegetation covering the site. We can produce quotes for any size site and offer competitive prices across the country. Once a survey has taken place, it is likely to take a few days for our surveyors to process the data and complete the drawings. W e usually present our surveys in AutoCAD 3D OR 2D formats with accompanying PDF documents. The level of detail shown is of a set standard which we follow as a business, this includes
What equipment is used to carry out a Topographic Survey?
To carry out a topographic survey of a site, a wide range of highly accurate equipment is used. Robotic total stations and GNSS equipment is used to survey the area, producing a detailed plan of an area of land.
At Project North Geomatics, we use Trimble Robotic Total Stations, and Trimble GPS receivers to carry out all of our surveys. Using these instruments allows our team to capture measurements including ground levels and details of heights on adjacent buildings which is particularly useful for the design stages to produce a build that doesn’t shadow other buildings around it. Our surveyors also use drone technology for to gather information for hard to reach or dangerous areas such as roof space or hazardous sites.
How much does a topographic survey cost?
The size of the site is the main factor when providing quotations for topographic surveys, get in touch with an area of interest to get a free quotation.
