# Topographical Survey Specification Template (Blank)

> RICS Measured Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities 3rd edition (2014, reissued 2023), Section 3. Fill in the placeholders with your project-specific requirements.

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## 1. PROJECT DETAILS

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Project name | [NAME] |
| Site address | [ADDRESS] |
| Postcode | [POSTCODE] |
| OS grid reference | [Easting, Northing to 6 fig] |
| Total site area | [HECTARES] |
| Client name | [NAME] |
| Client contact | [EMAIL] / [PHONE] |
| Local Planning Authority | [LPA NAME] |
| Reason for survey | [Planning / Design / Construction / Legal / Insurance] |
| Required survey completion date | [DATE] |

## 2. ACCURACY REQUIREMENTS

Per RICS Measured Surveys 3rd edition Section 3 (Topographic surveys) and Section 2 (Survey accuracy band table):

| Element | Required band | Typical accuracy |
|---------|---------------|-----------------|
| Spot heights | [B] | [±50mm] |
| Contours | [B] | [±50mm] |
| Linear features (kerbs, walls) | [B] | [±50mm] |
| Building outlines | [B] | [±50mm] |

## 3. SCOPE OF FEATURES TO CAPTURE

- [ ] Spot heights on a _____ m grid (5m / 10m / 20m)
- [ ] Contours at _____ m interval (0.25m / 0.5m / 1.0m)
- [ ] Building outlines + ridge / eaves heights
- [ ] Roads, kerbs, footways, paved areas
- [ ] Boundary features: walls, fences, hedges, ditches
- [ ] Trees: individual canopies (>3m spread) and woodland outlines
- [ ] Water features: streams, ponds, ditches
- [ ] Manholes, gullies, inspection chambers
- [ ] Utility covers, lamp posts, signage
- [ ] Service runs (above ground only)
- [ ] Spot levels at all corners and changes of slope
- [ ] Other: [SPECIFY]

## 4. SURVEY METHODOLOGY

**Primary method:** [GNSS RTK / Total station / Drone photogrammetry / Drone LiDAR / Mobile mapping / Mixed]

**Control:**
- Local control network with [N] control stations
- Tied to OS National Grid via GNSS RTK with SmartNet / OS Net correction
- Accuracy: sub-2cm horizontal, sub-3cm vertical
- Coordinate system: OSGB36 / OS National Grid
- Datum: Ordnance Datum Newlyn (ODN)

**Coverage:**
- Total site area: [HECTARES]
- Estimated number of setups: [N]
- Estimated duration on site: [N] days

## 5. DELIVERABLES

### 5.1 2D Plan

| Item | Format | Scale |
|------|--------|-------|
| Topographical plan | DWG + PDF | 1:[SCALE] |
| Long-sections (if required) | DWG + PDF | 1:[SCALE] H / 1:[SCALE] V |
| Cross-sections (if required) | DWG + PDF | 1:[SCALE] |

### 5.2 Digital Terrain Model (DTM)

| Item | Format | Notes |
|------|--------|-------|
| DTM point cloud | LandXML / ASCII | TIN model |
| Contour lines | DWG (layered at 0.25m, 0.5m, 1.0m) | Auto-extracted from DTM |
| Cross-section profiles | DWG | At specified chainage intervals |
| Volume calculations | CSV / Excel | Cut / fill / net volumes if required |

### 5.3 GIS / BIM integration (optional)

- GeoPackage (.gpkg) for GIS integration
- IFC for BIM coordination (if linked to buildings)
- COBie data drop (for ISO 19650 BIM handover)

## 6. QUALITY ASSURANCE

- Independent check shot at 5 random points per hectare
- Traverse closure: target < 1:10,000
- RMSE check on GNSS baseline: target < 20mm horizontal
- Sign-off by MRICS / FRICS surveyor before delivery

## 7. DELIVERY

- **Format:** DWG (AutoCAD 2018+) + PDF + LandXML
- **Method:** Secure file transfer (no email)
- **Turnaround:** [N] working days from site access
- **Revisions:** [N] round of minor revisions included

## 8. FEE

| Item | Fee (excl. VAT) |
|------|----------------:|
| Base fee (per hectare) | [GBP] |
| Feature density multiplier | [GBP] |
| Vegetation / access multiplier | [GBP] |
| DTM / volume calcs | [GBP] |
| Revisions beyond included | [GBP] |
| **Total estimated fee** | **[GBP]** |

Payment terms: 50% on instruction, 50% on delivery.

## 9. INSURANCE AND ACCREDITATIONS

- Professional Indemnity: [GBP X,000,000]
- Public Liability: [GBP X,000,000]
- Firm regulated by: RICS
- Surveyor credentials: MRICS / FRICS membership number
- CAA Permission for Commercial Operation (PfCO) / A2 Certificate of Competence (if using drones)

## 10. SURVEYOR CERTIFICATION

I, [NAME], MRICS / FRICS, of [FIRM NAME], confirm this specification is consistent with RICS Measured Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities 3rd edition Section 3.

Signed: ____________________
Date: ____________________
RICS Membership Number: [NUMBER]

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## REFERENCES

- RICS Measured Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities 3rd edition (2014, reissued 2023) — https://www.rics.org/profession-standards/rics-standards-and-guidance/sector-standards/land-standards/measured-surveys-of-land-buildings-and-utilities
- PAS 128: Specification for underground utility detection, verification and location — https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/standards/pas-128-2014
- OSGM15 / OSTN15 transformation grids — https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/documents/guide-coordinate-systems.pdf
- ICAO Annex 4 (aeronautical charts) and CAA CAP 722 (drone operations) — https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Aircraft/Unmanned-aircraft/Regulations