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Interior Design vocabulary · Clients & Projects

Site survey

Meaning in interior design, with examples

/ˈsaɪt ˌsɜːveɪ/nounCore term

In interior design, site survey means: A visit to a property to measure it accurately and record existing conditions such as walls, windows, ceiling heights, sockets, pipes and damage.

In Turkish: rölöve, yerinde keşif, saha ölçümü

How it is used

Carried out at the start of a project, before any drawings. Also called a measured survey; the phrasal verb measure up is common in British speech: We'll come and measure up on Tuesday. Photos and notes from the survey are kept with the project files.

Example sentences

  1. The site survey showed that the ceiling is 12 cm lower than on the old plans.

  2. We charge a fixed fee for the site survey, which is deducted if you go ahead with the design.

Common collocations

  • carry out a site survey
  • measured survey
  • site survey report
  • measure up
  • design briefA document or set of notes that records what the client wants from a project: how the space will be used, the style, the budget, the timeline and any must-haves.
  • floor planA scaled drawing of a room or building seen from directly above, showing walls, doors, windows and often furniture, as if the building were cut horizontally.
  • load-bearing wallA wall that supports the weight of the floors or roof above it, so it cannot be removed without adding another structural support such as a beam.
  • concept designThe early design stage in which the designer presents the overall idea for a space, including the layout, mood, colours and key materials, before technical details are developed.

More terms: Clients & Projects

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