Yasar, the landlord of a busy high-street retail unit with upper flats in Upper Tooting, came to us via his architect contact, Ninad. They needed:
- Measured survey of the shop and upper floors (including loft)
- Existing floor plans, elevations and sections in CAD
- A fee structure that separated the ground floor from upper floors, as they were being considered slightly differently from a project point of view
The key complication was clear from the start:
The ground-floor shop was on a long lease and “very busy” – there was no realistic option to vacate it, even briefly.
We had to design a survey strategy that respected the tenant’s trading hours and still delivered accurate plans and sections that the design team could trust.
Refining the brief and fee structure
The initial enquiry from Ninad asked for:
- All floor plans
- Elevations
- One or two sections
- External elements such as the rear yard
We first clarified some basics:
- Confirmed the correct property on Upper Tooting Road using a marked-up image
- Asked whether a basement was included
- Checked whether upper floors and loft were in scope, or just the shop
Ninad then confirmed:
- They did need the upper floors and loft
- It would be helpful to have the ground floor priced separately so the team could decide how and when to phase the work
From there we provided:
- A split quote:
- Option 1 – ground floor only vs upper floors + loft
- Option 2 – combined full-property survey with a discount on repeated elevation/section work across the building
When Yasar picked things up directly, we were transparent that our survey prices had recently increased, but we honoured a rate close to the earlier figures as a goodwill gesture. We also explained that our senior surveyor would lead the job, using internal 3D scanning to keep time on site down – important for a live retail environment.
Scheduling around a live retail tenant
Once Yasar confirmed he wanted to proceed with the full property survey, we moved into scheduling:
- Proposed survey dates, then reshuffled as his and the tenant’s availability changed
- Explained that, ideally, the shop would be empty for an hour to maximise accuracy and efficiency
Ultimately, we had to work with reality:
“The shop is let on a long lease to a very busy business and cannot under any circumstances be vacant. However you will have ample space to take any measurements.”
We agreed a midday slot when footfall tends to dip slightly and issued:
- An invoice for the initial payment to secure the survey
- A clear arrival window: 11:30 am–12:00 pm
- The surveyor’s name and mobile number (Ali) so Yasar and staff knew exactly who to expect
There was a short pause while the deposit came through – including a couple of polite chasers and a “project on hold” note – but once Yasar paid the agreed upfront amount, we issued a payment receipt and locked in the date.
How we carried out the survey on a busy shop
On the day, our surveyor arrived within the agreed window and checked in with staff before starting any work.
To keep disruption minimal while still capturing reliable geometry, we:
- Used a laser disto for rapid internal measurements along the perimeter and through key bays
- Worked in short bursts between customers, prioritising:
- Overall shop footprint
- Wall thicknesses and structural lines
- Window and door positions to the street and rear
- Used a compact 3D scanner for quick sweeps of the more complex areas (e.g. stair cores and transitions between shop and upper floors), which allowed us to minimise time with a tape/disto in circulation routes
- Moved upstairs to capture:
- First-floor and loft floor plates
- Stairs, core and any structural features that would affect proposed layouts
- Recorded front and rear elevations from the street and rear yard, tying level data back to the internal survey
Because the shop remained trading, we were deliberate about not blocking counters or doorways, and we coordinated each small “measurement window” with staff so they always felt in control.
From survey data to clean CAD drawings
Back at the office, our CAD team turned the raw measurements and point-cloud data into a clean, buildable existing set:
- Floor plans for:
- Ground floor
- First floor
- Loft
- Front and rear elevations, showing the relationship of shopfront and upper residential levels
- Two sections cutting through key parts of the building, helping the design team understand floor-to-floor, floor-to-ceiling and roof geometry
We kept to our standard approach:
- Drafted everything in layered DWG using our UK residential/commercial template
- Coordinated levels and dimensions across plans, elevations and sections
- Ran an internal QA pass (including spot-checking key dimensions against the original on-site logs)
Once we were satisfied, we packaged a draft drawings set (PDF + zipped PDFs) and sent it to Yasar for review, alongside the final invoice for the outstanding balance.
Payment, handover and final CAD issue
Two weeks later, after Yasar’s client team finished their internal checks, we received:
“Payment has been made in full. Please could you send the file in CAD format ASAP.”
We responded by:
- Confirming receipt of the final payment and attaching the payment receipt
- Issuing the full final package:
- DWG files for all plans, elevations and sections
- PDF plots for quick viewing and sharing
- Site photos we’d captured during the visit
We also kept the door open for follow-up:
- Reassured Yasar we could tweak minor details if their planning or design team needed anything adjusted
- Noted that we’re happy to support further projects for his portfolio or for Ninad’s other sites in the area
Outcome
For this Upper Tooting Road project, we delivered:
- A full measured survey of a mixed-use property without interrupting a fully trading high-street shop
- Accurate, lightweight CAD drawings that the architect could design over immediately
- A flexible fee and scheduling approach that recognised:
- Tenant realities
- The client’s need to phase the ground floor vs upper floors
- Price sensitivity while still covering a senior-led survey and QA
For the client team, the value was simple:
They received reliable existing information, in DWG, on a tight programme and in a challenging live environment, without needing to close the shop – exactly the kind of scenario where a focused, experienced measured-survey partner makes the difference.
Project Details
| Service Type | Measured survey & existing drawings (retail ground floor + upper floors & loft) |
| Time Taken | Around 2–3 weeks |
| Budget | £600–£700 |
| Location | Upper Tooting Road, South London |
