Commercial Measured Building Survey – City of London

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Commercial Measured Building Survey – City of London

City of London, Central London
May 2025

Commercial Measured Building Survey – City of London
City of London, Central London

Results at a Glance

Survey completed for a 5-storey commercial building with coordinated access.

Basic, survey-based floor plans produced for ground to fourth floors.

Front elevation captured alongside key façade details.

Privacy constraints managed by surveying an equivalent floor layout.

The Challenge

The client needed a measured survey and basic floor plans for a 1980s, five-storey commercial building at 16 Clare Street (EC3N), plus a measured front elevation. The scope required capturing the internal core and the perimeter of each floor plate, including window positions, while avoiding internal partition pick-ups as these were due to be removed.

Access was straightforward for most areas, but the survey team encountered a privacy constraint during the visit: the second floor was occupied by staff, limiting access to toilet areas. The client also needed clear coordination for arrival time and a named on-site contact to meet the surveyor and provide access

Our Solution

PlanCraftDaily confirmed the scope and arranged a scheduled site visit with an agreed arrival window and an on-site representative to meet the surveyor. The surveyor captured the required elements across the specified floors, focusing on the internal core, overall floor plate geometry, and window positions, aligned with the brief to exclude internal partitions.

Where access to the second-floor toilet areas was restricted, the surveyor mitigated risk by surveying the third floor in full and using it as a reference, noting that the layout was believed to be consistent between the two floors. This approach preserved privacy on the occupied level while maintaining continuity in the drawing set.

Following the survey, PlanCraftDaily prepared the existing (as-built) drawing outputs as basic, measured floor plans and the requested front elevation, ready for onward use by the client team.

What We Delivered

Measured building survey for ground, first, second, third and fourth floors

Basic, survey-based existing floor plans (5 plans)

Measured existing front elevation drawing (front elevation only)

Captured internal core and floor plate perimeter geometry (including window positions)

Site photographs from the visit

Survey notes covering the second-floor privacy/access constraint

DWG and PDF drawing set for client use

Outputs Delivered

DWG

PDF

The Process

Agreeing Scope, Fee and Friday Access

Confirmed the client’s requirements for a five-storey commercial measured survey, including basic floor plans and a front elevation. Clarified what to capture (core, perimeter, window positions) and what to exclude (internal partitions), aligning the survey outputs with the intended strip-out and reconfiguration plans.

On-Site Survey

Arranged the site visit with an agreed arrival window and shared surveyor contact details. Confirmed an on-site representative would meet the surveyor to provide access and support the visit, ensuring the team could progress efficiently through floors and capture the required building information.

Cross-Checking Before Leaving

Completed the measured survey across the specified floors and the front elevation. Managed an occupied second floor with privacy limitations by prioritising accessible areas and surveying a comparable floor in full to support the drawing set, while keeping a clear record of the access constraint.

Turning Survey into Plans and Elevations

Converted survey information into existing drawings, producing basic floor plans for each surveyed level and the requested front elevation. Ensured the drawing content matched the agreed scope, focusing on core and perimeter geometry and window positions, and avoiding internal partition detail where instructed.

Draft Review and Final Handover

Reviewed the drawing set for consistency across floors and documented the second-floor limitation within the project notes. Issued the final deliverables in the agreed formats alongside site photographs, providing the client team with a clear, usable record of the building’s existing layout and façade.

Project Metrics

5-storey commercial building (1980s)

Building type

5 levels (Ground to Fourth)

Floors surveyed

Front elevation only

Elevation scope

Second-floor toilet areas restricted due to occupancy/privacy

Site constraint

Results & Impact

The client received a measured drawing pack covering ground to fourth floor plans and a front elevation for the commercial building in the City of London. The survey was completed successfully despite partial access restrictions on an occupied floor, with the drawing set supported by surveyed reference from a comparable level and clear notes on the constraint.