Topographic Survey Checklist: What to Prepare Before the Surveyor Arrives
A well-prepared site allows a topographic survey to be completed faster, more safely and with fewer gaps in the final drawing. Whether you are planning a housing development, drainage scheme, access road, commercial building or agricultural project in Lincolnshire, a small amount of preparation can save time during design and reduce expensive questions later.
This practical checklist explains what your surveyor needs before arriving, what should be accessible on the day and what information should be agreed before data collection begins.
1. Explain what the survey will be used for
The intended use determines the detail, accuracy and survey limits. A planning application may need buildings, boundaries, trees and visible services. Detailed drainage design may also require channel levels, cover levels, pipe sizes and changes in surface. Earthworks calculations need reliable spot levels across the complete working area.
Send the surveyor the architectâs or engineerâs brief where available. If no formal brief exists, describe the project and the decisions the survey must support. The RICS consumer guidance on topographic surveys also recommends agreeing what needs to be recorded and the required level of detail before work starts.
2. Mark the correct survey boundary
Provide a plan showing the full survey extent. Include highway interfaces, neighbouring land needed for visibility splays, drainage outfalls, access routes and any off-site features that influence the design. A clear red-line boundary prevents the survey team from stopping just short of a critical area.
3. Confirm the coordinate and level datum
Decide whether the drawing must use a local site grid or British National Grid, and whether levels must relate to Ordnance Datum Newlyn or a local benchmark. This matters when several designers, surveyors or contractors will exchange data.
GNSS observations use a different reference framework from OSGB36 National Grid and mean-sea-level heights. Ordnance Survey explains that OSTN15 and OSGM15 provide the transformations used to connect these systems. Recording the agreed grid, datum and control points avoids coordinate shifts and level discrepancies later.
4. Arrange access and permissions
- Confirm the survey date with the landowner, tenant and site manager.
- Provide gate codes, keys and induction requirements.
- Arrange safe access to locked compounds, roofs or restricted areas.
- Tell neighbouring owners if observations are required from their land.
- Identify livestock, security systems or operational hazards.
If vegetation is dense, consider clearing narrow sight lines before the visit. Do not remove hedges, trees or habitat without the appropriate permission.
Send available utility records, planning drawings, previous surveys, title plans and design files. State their date and origin. Old drawings can help identify features, but they should not automatically be treated as verified current conditions.
6. Identify underground-service requirements
A normal topographic survey records visible service covers and surface evidence; it does not prove the position or depth of every buried service. If utility tracing or drainage connectivity is required, include it clearly in the scope and arrange access to chambers.
For excavation planning, the Health and Safety Executive describes three essential elements: planning the work, locating and identifying buried services, and safe excavation. See HSE guidance HSG47. Survey information supports this process but does not replace a safe system of work.
7. Make important features visible
Move parked vehicles where possible and uncover survey-critical features such as inspection chambers, kerb transitions or permanent control marks. Tell the surveyor about seasonal ditches, hidden headwalls and features obscured by crops or stored materials.
8. Agree the deliverables
- 2D CAD drawing in DWG or DXF format
- PDF plan for easy review
- 3D breaklines or digital terrain model
- Point file in CSV format
- Coordinate schedule and control report
- Photographs or specific cross-sections
Also agree the layer structure, units, drawing scale, contour interval and file-naming convention. A precise survey is most useful when the design team can immediately work with the delivered data.
Final pre-survey checklist
- Purpose and accuracy agreed
- Survey limits marked on a plan
- Grid and datum confirmed
- Access and inductions arranged
- Existing information supplied
- Utility-survey requirements defined
- Obstructions and hazards identified
- Output formats agreed
Site-Survey BC Ltd provides topographic and engineering survey support across Lincolnshire and neighbouring areas, with UK-wide availability for larger projects. To discuss the right scope for your site, contact Site Survey. You can also explore our free surveying and engineering tools.
