James, an architect contact who was referred to us by Ells, got in touch about two projects:
- A semi-detached house on The Crescent (this case study)
- A second property in Worcester Park
For The Crescent, James needed a full measured survey and existing drawing set for a loft conversion and minor ground-floor alterations. The brief was:
- Floor plans with roof (3 plans)
- Front and rear elevations plus a key section
- Enough external context to support planning design
- A strong level of accuracy using 3D scanning
Because James was already a warm referral and we’d offered a 30% discount on one of his projects, he asked us to apply the discount to The Crescent.
We responded with:
- A clear scope and breakdown for survey + drawings, without locking ourselves into public-facing fixed pricing
- Confirmation that our senior surveyor would attend, including internal 3D scanning (and drone where appropriate)
- Proposed dates (Wednesday/Thursday) and a typical 7–8 working day turnaround from survey to draft pack, noting we were on a tight schedule
How we carried out the survey
Getting diaries aligned was the first challenge:
- The client at The Crescent could only do certain days, and had a school run at 3pm, which limited on-site time.
- We already had a large commercial survey booked on the day they first preferred, so we had to decline that slot rather than overpromise.
- We then offered next week, with availability across Tuesday and Thursday.
After a few messages back and forth, we agreed:
- Survey day: Tuesday
- Arrival window: Around 2:30 pm, with the client aware we’d need about 1–1¼ hours to complete everything.
On the day, our senior surveyor:
- Used a Disto laser and internal 3D scanning to pick up:
- All room sizes and key structural spans
- Stair positions and loft access for future conversion work
- External walls and projections relevant to the loft and ground-floor changes
- Captured external elevations and context with photography
- Recorded enough data to support:
- Ground, first and roof plans
- Front and rear elevations
- One main section through the house
Because we were also in discussions about the second site in Worcester Park, we planned routes and timing carefully so that travel and survey time remained efficient.
Turning the survey into drawings
Back in the office, our CAD team:
- Built the Crescent model at 1:1 metric scale in CAD, overlaying the 3D scan, site notes and photographs.
- Set up:
- Floor plans with roof (3 plans total) suitable for planning and internal design work
- Front and rear elevations with accurate openings and massing
- One main section showing floor-to-floor relationships and roof build-up relevant to the proposed loft conversion
The project was then moved into our internal quality assurance phase, where we:
- Checked that plan geometry and elevations lined up (windows, bays, roof lines).
- Verified key dimensions against both laser measurements and scan-based checks.
- Ensured the drawing set was ready for a planning or design team to pick up without redrawing.
Given a very full diary, we had already set expectations for a 7–8 working day turnaround from survey to draft issue.
Once the set passed QA, we:
- Exported a draft drawings pack for James and Ells to review.
- Finalised the invoice and payment details, confirming that once the balance was paid, we would:
- Release the final PDF and DWG pack
- Provide access to the 3D scan link
- Include photographs and any videos captured on site
Managing changes and expectations
There were a few moving parts to manage smoothly on this project:
1. Tight scheduling and realistic arrival windows
Because the Crescent clients could only do a narrow window before school pick-up, we:
- Were upfront about needing 1–1¼ hours on site.
- Explained that if we arrived at 2:30 pm, we might reasonably need the client to stay available closer to 4 pm.
- Asked James to confirm that the client was comfortable with this, instead of assuming everything would be fine.
This helped avoid last-minute friction on site.
2. Discount and scope clarity
As part of our wider relationship with James’s practice, we:
- Offered a 30% discount on one of the two surveyed properties and applied it to The Crescent as requested.
- Confirmed the purpose of the survey (loft conversion + ground-floor tweaks) so we could tailor the level of detail correctly.
The discount was handled in the quote and invoice stage, but does not need to be public-facing or fixed for future projects.
3. Communication across multiple projects
At the same time, we were also:
- Quoting and scheduling Elmstead Gardens
- Progressing another project (Leaf Close), which experienced a delay because a CAD team member became seriously unwell
In our final email for The Crescent, we:
- Clearly marked that this project was complete and provided:
- The final drawings pack
- The 3D scan link
- All related photos/videos
- Added a transparent note about the delay on Leaf Close, explaining the situation and providing a new target date, rather than going quiet.
Final outcome
By the end of the Crescent project, James and Ells had:
- A fully checked measured survey of a semi-detached house in East Molesey
- A complete existing drawings package including:
- Floor plans with roof
- Front and rear elevations
- A key section
- Internal 3D scan data and a link they could revisit any time for additional checks
- Photographs and videos to support design discussions and planning statements
For us, this project underlined a few key practices we’ll continue to use in similar case studies and jobs:
- No public fixed pricing – only general budget ranges, as actual fees shift with scope, travel and technology used.
- No full names or complete postal addresses – we describe the area and role (e.g. “architect client”) to protect our clients’ privacy.
- Clear communication around busy periods, survey windows and delays, so architects and homeowners always know where things stand and can plan their own work with confidence.
Project Details
| Service Type | Measured Survey, Existing Drawings (Plans with Roof, Elevations & One Section), 3D Scan |
| Time Taken | Around 2 weeks |
| Budget | £490–£600 |
| Location | The Crescent |
