How Timelines in Building Are Impacted by Land Survey Drafting Services

Time is money in the world of construction. Any holdup, no matter how small or significant, can translate to additional costs, extended timelines, and dissatisfied clients. Naturally, there are many things that can affect a building schedule including weather and labor availability; supply chain availability is merely a few which are beyond our control. But one extremely important yet comparatively ignored facet is land survey drafting services. They can literally make or break how well and fast a construction project goes from the drawing board to the finished product.

In this blog, we’ll explore what land survey drafting services are, how they integrate with construction processes, and most importantly, how they can significantly impact construction timelines.

What Is Land Survey Drafting Services?

Before diving into the impact of land survey drafting services, let’s first understand what it entails. These services entail the creation of precise, elaborate maps and diagrams of field surveys. Trained surveyors use the application of advanced equipment such as GPS, total stations, drones, and laser scanners to collect spatial information.

The information is then translated into CAD drawings, topographical maps, boundary plans, and construction layouts. These plans are vital documents utilized by architects, engineers, and contractors during informed decision-making in a project.

Land survey drafting services can comprise:

• Topographical surveys

• Boundary surveys

• As-built surveys

• Site layout plans

• Utility mapping

• Elevation mapping

  
  

All of them are different in application and utilized for various phases of the construction process.

The Role of Land Survey Drafting in Construction

Construction is a risk-prone activity where accuracy and planning become necessities. This is the way land survey drafting service is helpful in various phases of the construction process:

1. Pre-Construction Planning

Any construction project’s success depends on accurate information. Site data is reliable and helps stakeholders determine if land is appropriate, design infrastructure, and calculate costs. Sketch surveys provide elevation, gradient, existing structures, underground features, and potential land restrictions information.

Engineers and architects will work based on assumptions rather than facts without proper drafts. This will lead to future design revisions and project delays.

2. Design and Engineering

Engineers and architects use land survey drafting services to prepare designs that are suitable for real site conditions. Drafts ensure correct building location, optimized drainage, and roads that have natural grades.

By implementing reliable survey information in the design phase, the construction team can avoid design vs. actual condition conflicts. Rework is minimized and approvals are accelerated.

3. Construction Layout and Execution

During the construction phase, building drawings guide where roadways, walls, foundations, and utilities are. The contractors use them to locate benchmarks, align the objects, and take measurements.

Misaligning even a few centimeters creates structural issues or zoning ordinance violations. Land survey drafting services ensure "what's on paper" is "what's on the ground."

How Land Survey Drafting Services Affect Schedules

Let us proceed to the substance of the issue; how do land survey drafting services influence construction schedules?

1. Faster Permitting and Approvals

It is the norm that most governing bodies require comprehensive site plans and survey plans prior to issuing permits. Offering correct and professionally drawn documents allow for prompt approval. Conversely, poor or erroneous surveys result in rejections, delays, and even penalties.

2. Early Issue Identification

Survey proposals tend to bring to the surface issues such as property intrusions, flood areas, or inferior soils. Identifying them beforehand enables project teams to make proper modifications beforehand without having to put construction on hold halfway.

Picture the scenario of the discovery of an underground service line once excavation has commenced. That's not a delay, a delay, certainly; but a logistics and law nightmare, too. Land survey drafting services enable such surprises to be revealed before there are expensive delays.

3. Coordination Between Teams

Construction involves a variety of teams involving electricians, plumbers, civil engineers, architects, and so on. One true source of information, an accurate and consistent set of survey drafts, helps to reduce multiple sources of information and rounds of approval.

Dependent land survey drafting services play a vital role in avoiding miscommunication, which can lead to redundant effort or incompatible design, both of which can increase project timelines significantly.

4. Lower Rework

Rework is project killer. Not only does it take time, but it consumes resources as well, and it creates scheduling conflicts. Most rework in building construction results from errors in layout, grading, or structural misalignments, errors that can be avoided using proper drafting.

By eliminating guesswork, land survey drafting services eliminate unnecessary corrections and ensure all facets of the build are done the first time.

5. Smooth Handover

Survey drafts aren't just for construction purposes, They're essential for final inspections, certifications, and handovers. A proper as-built survey verifies the project complies with code in terms of regulatory demands and client requirements.

With all documents in proper order and up to date, project closure is faster and more efficient, enabling a timely launch or occupation.

How Drafting Can Save the Day

Consider the case of a building project for a commercial complex in the center of a developing urban city. The project needed to be completed within 14 months. The team assigned to gathering topographic data, once preliminary topography data was gathered, found that the ground contained concealed water streams and minute elevation variations unobservable to the human eye.

With preliminary detection and end survey drafts, the engineering department was able to redesign the foundation and drainage system before any work was done. This avoided a 3 – 4 months delay which would have been estimated if there had been delayed identification of the issue. The project ended on time, which saved both time and money.

The Tech Advantage in Modern Survey Drafting

Land survey drafting services nowadays are far more efficient through technology. Drone technology, 3D laser scanning, and artificial intelligence-driven drafting software have altered the processes of how quickly and accurately the surveys are done and drafted.

Drafts are shareable in an instant, real-time editable, and BIM-compatible. Technology compels the process to incorporate speed, accuracy, and flexibility into the building plan.

Final Thoughts

Construction timelines are controlled by a thousand variables, but few exert as much underlying power as land survey drafting services. They give the foundation, literally and metaphorically, on which everything else rests. From simplifying permitting delays to destroying wasteful rework, land survey drafting services are essential to staying on time and on budget.

So, whether you’re planning a residential complex, a retail outlet, or an industrial facility, don’t overlook the importance of professional land survey drafting services. The time invested in accurate surveying and drafting is time saved on the construction site. Have a project in mind?  Contact us today and let’s build a better world together!