We rely on buildings. For most of us, they are where we work, rest and play. Given we spend so much time inside them, we really do need to know they're safe. History and daytime television are full of buildings that haven't come up to scratch with often inconvenient, sometimes fatal, results. A measured building survey gives you an accurate record of a building. It can be used for fire risk assessment, licensing and lease applications, refurbishment, extension or as built plans, or any number of the other tasks that require close examination of your building.

A measured building survey can incorporate all sorts of different details dependent on the needs of the client. Modern laser scanning technology can produce 3D models of any building or structure, replicating in three dimensions all of its intricacies. Laser surveys can be used for floor plans or for a full 3D elevation.

Two-dimensional elevations can also form a part of a measured building survey. 2D images depict the exterior of the building and all its features in outline. Some elevations might only show the major features, but can give brick-by-brick detail for those projects which require a greater level of detail, such as historic records. As well as laser scanning, digital photography and reflectorless technology can be used to produce elevations.

Floor plans are the type of "blueprints" with which many people are familiar from countless films, comic strips and the like. They show both the net and gross internal area of a building. They usually show major structural features (e.g. doors, windows, columns), but can also show more minor details (e.g. power outlets, vents, radiators) where necessary. These types of floor plans are useful when one is considering expansion or adaptation of a structure or space. As with elevations, reflectorless and laser technology are used to take measurements.

Sections can show a cross section of particular elements of a building (e.g. a balcony, a landing) or the entire structure. They can be produced in order to show a cross section of any part of the building and can show either visible detail, or additional aligned detail up to a certain distance away (e.g. the side of an arch and all structural detail that lies directly behind it). Elevations and floor plans are usually combined to produce sections, but they can be produced independently for a measured building survey if required. Sections allow surveyors and others to directly asses the alignment of structural features and make any alternations that may be necessary.

Traditional - albeit high quality - photographs can also form part of a measured building survey. Detailed colour photographs highlight key parts of the structure. They afford greater understanding in the interpretation of detail, particularly where those looking at them may not be able to make a site visit (e.g. councils assessing an application for planning permission, investors looking to expand their property portfolio, specialists in property law). Where once a series of flat photographs may have been used, nowadays a 360° panorama can be generated from a sequence of digital photographs, allowing users to zoom, rotate and explore the space in almost the same detail they would be able to were they actually there.

There are a number of different elements that a measured building survey can incorporate depending on the client's needs. It can be a 3D model, a set of floor plans, a section or internal photographs. The product is an accurate and detailed record of all important details of the concrete cocoons in which we while away our days.