How Surveys Can Deliver Engineering Certainty For Housebuilders And Developers

These included grey belt reforms, the restoration of mandatory housing targets, and the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

While many have doubts that the government’s ambitious housebuilding plans will be realised, here at Survey Solutions we have definitely seen an increase in the number of housebuilders and developers sounding us out – especially as part of pre-acquisition procedures – indicating that the industry has heeded Labour’s call to arms.

Surveys play a critical role in determining the feasibility and viability of prospective developments, and their findings can help deliver financial benefits for those instructing them.

With more and more companies looking to take advantage of the nation’s housebuilding drive, here we take a closer look at some of the ways accurate and timely surveys can help housebuilders and developers streamline projects, save money, and unearth potential issues before they become a major – and often costly – problem.

Navigating the New Roads and Street Works Act

As a result of an update to the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA), firms now face fines for occupying highways for prolonged periods of time.

However if contractors and housebuilders undertake early underground surveys it enables them to plan access routes, potential lane closures and groundworks before committing to site.

Not only can effective utility surveys prevent potential strategic and administrative headaches, they can also help companies save money in the long run.

Drone surveys and early-stage feasibility

Elsewhere, our drone surveys are having an increasingly important role to play across the sector, especially in determining the early-stage feasibility of sites.

Providing rough levels across large areas, these specialist surveys provide vital data to housebuilders and developers while they are still in option-agreements with landowners, giving them a low-cost starting point to present initial plans to a local authority.

From there a more detailed topographic survey can be carried out once a site passes the pre-application phase, but by carrying out a drone survey in the first instance, developers can ensure they keep expenditure to a minimum before concrete plans are in place.

Surveys shaping development design and unlocking viability

Our surveys can also play a key role in development design, helping our clients shape more efficient infrastructure layouts and providing the engineering certainty for them to make informed decisions.

For instance we’re currently working with a national developer on a site of nearly 1,000 homes where our CCTV surveys are set to have a significant impact on the design of the development.

If the existing underground sewage network proves to be in usable condition, the client will be able to incorporate it into the development rather than replacing it, with potential cost savings running into the millions.

And in the Midlands, we were recently instructed to provide additional ditch levels and cross-sections to support a developer’s drainage scheme and prove to planners that the site was viable. In this particular example the data our surveys provided was invaluable, unlocking a site that would have otherwise lain dormant.

The importance of CCTV drainage surveys can’t be understated. By detailing the condition of each pipe and identifying any structural defects, root ingress, cracks, or blockages, we can help housebuilders and developers mitigate potential issues as early into a project as possible. CCTV drainage surveys are also a requirement before any drainage system can be adopted by a water authority.

Ensuring environmental guidance is met

There are even environmental planning restrictions our surveys can help developers adhere to, especially in relation to trees, with the size, location and species of tree on a site having the potential to directly affect foundation design.

We have seen instances where the presence of trees on a development limited the ability to build at the site altogether, highlighting the critical importance of accurate tree surveys at the assessment stage.

Linked to this, ecologists and flood risk consultants are all critical when looking at the bigger viability picture, as is the requirement to secure biodiversity net gain.

Indeed, it’s not just infrastructure, utilities and topography that are important when it comes to assessing the viability of a prospective housing development.

Need support with your housebuilding project?

At Survey Solutions, we provide a range of surveying and monitoring services for housebuilders all over the UK, with our fast, accurate and reliable surveys supporting residential development projects nationwide.

Whether undertaking a residential project or a larger development, we provide the information you need to proceed with confidence. To discuss your project or request a quotation, please complete the form below.