Road & sub-base level surveys
Sub-base and binder checked against the road design before the next layer goes on.
Site progress surveys
Construction progress surveys by drone
The whole site, every month, from the air. A scaled aerial map, photos from the same viewpoints each visit and a clear comparison with last time, for valuations, board reports and the record.
In short: a progress survey is a regular drone flight over your site that captures a scaled orthophoto tied to ground control and a set of aerial photos from fixed viewpoints. Each visit is compared with the last, so anyone can see what has been built, where, and how much, without going to site.
- Frequency
- Monthly or to your programme
- On site
- Usually under an hour
- Results
- Within 2 working days
- From
- £295 per visit
What each visit gives you
- A scaled orthophoto of the whole site, tied to ground control so it lines up with your layout drawing every month.
- Aerial photos from fixed viewpoints, the same positions and angles each visit, so the before-and-after is genuinely like for like.
- A side-by-side comparison with the previous visit.
- A short marked-up summary: plots by build stage, roads and sewers in, areas surfaced, if you want it.
- A permanent dated record of the site, kept for at least six years.
Why a measured record beats a phone photo
Every site has photos. Few have photos anyone can find six months later, taken from somewhere that shows the whole picture, with a date that can be relied on. When a valuation is questioned, a delay is claimed, or someone asks when a drain run went in, a dated, scaled aerial map of the entire site answers it in seconds.
Because the orthophoto is tied to ground control, it's a measured plan, not a picture. Lengths of road and kerb, areas of surfacing and the position of anything visible can be taken off it and checked against the layout.
Add measurements on the same flight
The same visit can include stockpile volumes or earthworks quantities, so the progress report and the material figures come from one flight on one date.
Who books progress surveys
- Housebuilders and developers reporting to boards, funders and sales teams.
- Main contractors producing monthly client reports.
- Groundworks contractors backing up interim applications.
- Project managers and monitoring surveyors who can't be on site weekly.
How a progress programme works
First visit
We set permanent ground control, fly the site, and save the photo viewpoints for every later visit.
Agreed dates
Visits booked to your reporting cycle, such as the last week of each month before valuations.
Fly and compare
Each visit is flown the same way and compared with the last.
Report
Orthophoto, photos and summary within two working days, ready to drop into your report.
Practical points
Flights follow the Civil Aviation Authority's rules, so we keep clear of people on site and the public, agree the timing with the site manager and work around cranes. Heavy rain, strong wind and low cloud stop flying; if a visit is lost to weather, we fly the next suitable day and say so on the report. Sites close to airports may need permission, which we arrange before the first visit.
Other survey services
See the progress survey cost guide for prices.
Tarmac depth surveys
Before-and-after scans that map the thickness actually laid, across the whole road.
Plot & oversite surveys
Slab flatness, brickwork to drawing and drain collar positions, checked plot by plot.
As-built surveys
Finished roads, kerbs, drainage covers and plots recorded, with as-built drawings in DWG and PDF.
Floor flatness surveys
Slabs and screeds scanned edge to edge and checked against SR1-SR3 or your flatness class.
3D measured building surveys
Millimetre-accurate floor plans and elevations for kitchens, extensions and architects.
Topographical surveys
Levels, contours, boundaries, buildings and trees for planning and design, with the full 3D scan.
Dimensure Design Audit
Groundworks and civils drawings reviewed before you dig, on any project: problems found on paper.
Garden surveys
Levels, walls, steps, trees and drains surveyed for garden designers, landscapers and homeowners.
Drone surveys
Aerial mapping tied to RTK GNSS control: scaled orthophotos, levels and contours for whole sites.
Stockpile volume surveys
Every heap of stone, topsoil and spoil measured by drone, in cubic metres and tonnes.
Earthworks volume surveys
Cut and fill against design or a previous survey, topsoil strip depths and muck-shift checks.
GNSS setting out
Site control on Ordnance Survey grid, and pegs for earthworks, drainage, roads and plots.
As-laid service surveys
Drainage, chambers and ducts recorded in the open trench, with levels and photos, before backfill.
Pre-start condition surveys
Roads, kerbs, walls and neighbouring buildings recorded by scan, drone and photo before work starts.
Drone roof surveys
Close-up roof inspections without scaffold, with measured roof areas and pitches if needed.
Reporting from your survey data
Already have a scan or your engineer's levels? We process your data and report against design, no visit needed.
Progress surveys near you
Questions we get asked
What is a drone progress survey?
A regular flight over a construction site, usually monthly, that captures a scaled aerial map of the whole site and a set of aerial photos taken from the same positions every time. Put side by side, they show exactly what has changed since the last visit: roads laid, plots out of the ground, drainage in, compounds moved.
Who uses construction progress surveys?
Housebuilders and main contractors reporting to directors, funders and clients; groundworks contractors backing up interim valuations; monitoring surveyors and project managers who can't be on site every week; and land and sales teams who want up-to-date aerial views of a development.
How is it different from just taking photos with a drone?
The orthophoto is a measured, scaled map tied to ground control, not a picture. You can measure lengths and areas from it, overlay the site layout, and compare it accurately with last month's. The oblique photos are taken from the same saved viewpoints each visit, so the comparison is like for like.
Can you count plots and measure progress from it?
Yes. We can mark up the orthophoto with the build stage of each plot, the lengths of road, kerb and footpath completed, and areas surfaced, so the progress report reads like a valuation summary rather than a photo album. Volumes of earthworks and stockpiles can be added on the same visit.
Is it safe and legal to fly over a live site?
Yes, when it's planned properly. We follow the Civil Aviation Authority's Open category rules, sign in and agree the flight with the site manager, keep the drone within sight, and plan the route to stay clear of people working, cranes and the public. Most flights take well under an hour.
How quickly do we get the results?
Usually within two working days of the flight, as a link to the orthophoto and photos and a short PDF summary you can drop straight into a monthly report.
Book a scan or ask a question
Send the drawing, the location and when you need it. We reply the same working day with a fixed price.