Steel Site Survey & Laser Scanning

Measure first.
Fabricate with confidence.

As structural steel fabricators, we understand the importance of accuracy from the outset. We carry out detailed steel site surveys using 3D laser scanning to capture accurate measurements before fabrication begins, across Kent, London and the South East. This gives us a clear picture of your site from the start and helps ensure your steel is made to fit properly first time, reducing the risk of issues, delays, or extra work once it reaches site.

Using 3D laser scanning, we take precise measurements of your site, including existing structures, levels, and key dimensions. This creates an accurate digital model that we can work from throughout the design and structural steel fabrication process. The data can be provided in CAD and BIM formats, making it easy to share with your design team and keep everything aligned.

Once the site has been scanned, the information is used to produce accurate fabrication drawings. These drawings guide our steel factory and ensure every beam, plate, and component is made to match real site conditions. This approach helps everything fit together as it should on site, reducing adjustments and supporting a smoother, more efficient installation.

Dimensions and levels
Existing structures and conditions
Digital models in CAD and BIM formats
Drawings for manufacture

What a steel site survey
captures on site.

Steelwork needs to fit the building that is actually there, not just the dimensions on paper. A survey assesses the site conditions the steel has to work with, before it is detailed and fabricated.

A hand-drawn structural steel sketch with beam and connection dimensions marked for a loft conversion

Key dimensions

Measuring the key dimensions of the site, so the drawings are produced from what is really there rather than from assumptions.

Helps with drawings that match the site

A steel frame standing on an open construction site, with the shadow of the photographer on the earth in front

Levels

Establishing the levels the steelwork has to meet, on open sites and inside existing buildings alike.

Helps with setting out the steel

A steel beam held on adjustable props where an existing brick wall and chimney have been opened up in a house

Existing structures

Understanding the existing structure the new steel will sit in or against, so the steelwork is made to fit it.

Helps with fitting steel into existing buildings

Lengths of blue-primed steel beams laid on the ground in the front garden of a house, with workers at the front door

A separate installation survey

Access, lifting and installation are covered by a different survey, carried out by our steel installation manager when steel erection or installation is part of the job.

Helps with planning lifting and installation

More about steel
site surveys.

What a survey covers, when 3D laser scanning is used and how the information carries through to the steel.

A rear extension under way at a terraced house, with workers and new steelwork at the opened-up back wall

Two kinds of site survey

Site survey, measuring and 3D scanning: MAH Steel can arrange for our engineers to visit the site, carry out accurate measurements and 3D scanning where required, and produce detailed fabrication drawings to ensure the steelwork fits correctly and meets the structural engineer's and architect's specifications. Site survey, steel erection and installation: our steel installation manager visits the site to assess access, lifting requirements, equipment needed, installation methods, estimated project duration and the number of operatives required, so the installation can be planned efficiently and safely before work begins.

Where 3D laser scanning helps

MAH's surveying service includes laser-scanning technology where appropriate, particularly useful for alterations to existing buildings and loft conversion projects. The scan creates an accurate digital model that we can work from throughout the design and fabrication process.

Spotting problems early

An on-site survey helps us pinpoint obstacles we might face during fabrication and installation, such as existing structures and spatial limitations, so we can plan how to deal with them before the steel is made.

Loft conversions and existing buildings

Older properties rarely have square walls or consistent floor levels, so steel for loft conversions and refurbishments has to be tailored to what is already there. Accurate surveying before any steel is fabricated lets us understand the existing structure and how the new steel will interact with it. Read more in steel installation for older London properties.

A surveyor-draughtsman, or your drawings

A surveyor-draughtsman can visit site and measure up, or we can work from suitable drawings when a survey isn't needed. We then prepare general arrangement drawings and, where appropriate, 3D coordination, and the same surveyor-draughtsman usually carries the detail forward. See how we work.

CAD and BIM formats

The survey data can be provided in CAD and BIM formats, making it easy to share with your design team and keep everything aligned. Our CAD services and 3D steel modelling carry the information into the drawings and model.

Survey, drawings and fabrication together

MAH brings together surveying, drawings, fabrication and delivery services alongside its own workshop and transport fleet. That helps the team coordinate details, respond to changes and keep the practical needs of the construction programme in view.

From survey to site.
One connected service.

The survey information carries straight into drawings, fabrication and delivery, each with its own service page.

A cranked steel frame being fabricated on trestles inside the MAH Steel workshop

Structural steel fabricationBeams, frames and connections prepared to approved drawings.

A 3D structural steel model laid over a general arrangement drawing sheet

3D steel modellingTekla 3D models and fabrication drawings that coordinate the steelwork before manufacture.

A 3D model of a steel frame with platforms and ladders

Steel CAD servicesSteel CAD drawings for builders and contractors, coordinated before fabrication so clashes are avoided on site.

A steel beam with stiffeners and a shelving plate being fabricated in the workshop

Steel connection designConnection design and manufacture at our Gravesend factory: cranked beams, splices, haunches, fin plates and end plates.

A MAH Steel crane lorry with its boom raised and stabiliser legs down beside a road, with long steel beams on the flatbed

HIAB crane deliveryOur own HIAB-equipped lorries deliver and position steel, even on tight or restricted access sites.

Explore all MAH services

From survey to steel ready to fit.

Survey is one stage of MAH's process, used where the project needs it. Clear communication and practical planning matter as much as the measurements themselves, and the stages depend on the individual job and the services agreed with MAH.

Understand the job

We start with your requirements, programme and access considerations.

Survey the site

A surveyor-draughtsman visits site and measures up, using 3D laser scanning where it suits the project.

Drawings and approval

We prepare general arrangement drawings, and you and your engineer approve them before fabrication starts.

Fabricate to match

Fabrication drawings guide our steel factory so every beam, plate and component is made to match real site conditions.

Site surveys on real MAH projects.

Published MAH projects whose own case studies describe a site survey before the drawings and the steel, with the actual locations and links to the work.

Ashford, Kent TN25

Structural steel frame in Ashford, Kent

Site survey, Tekla detailing, workshop fabrication, delivery and steel erection for a new frame coordinated with the existing site geometry.

View project

Meopham, Kent

Structural steelwork for loft conversion in Meopham, Kent

When the existing chimney was kept, MAH's drawing office surveyed the site, confirmed the actual dimensions and updated the fabrication…

View project

London

Toilet block conversion into a restaurant in London

A thorough site survey of an old underground toilet block, including the existing balustrade around the stairwell, came before the…

View project

See all MAH Steel projects

Steel site survey questions and answers.

This section provides guidance on our steel site survey services, outlining how we assess existing conditions, measure site requirements, and gather essential information for accurate design and fabrication. It covers common questions around survey procedures, site access, data collection, and how surveys support precise planning for steel structures and installations.

What is included in a steel site survey?

There are two kinds of survey. A measuring survey, with 3D scanning where required, captures accurate dimensions so the fabrication drawings fit the building and meet the structural engineer's and architect's specifications. A separate installation survey, carried out by our steel installation manager, assesses access, lifting requirements, equipment, installation methods, estimated duration and the number of operatives needed when steel erection or installation is part of the job.

Why is a site survey important before steel fabrication and installation?

A site survey helps ensure that all structural steel is designed and fabricated to fit correctly on site. It reduces the risk of installation issues and allows for more accurate planning of fabrication and, with the installation survey, of delivery, lifting and installation.

Do you carry out steel site surveys for residential and commercial projects?

Yes, we carry out steel site surveys for both residential and commercial projects across Kent, London and the South East. Whether it's a loft conversion, extension, or larger structural steel framework, our surveys help ensure a smooth and efficient installation process from start to finish.

What if I am unsure about site measurements?

We recommend our site survey service. Using advanced laser scanning technology, we map your site with a high level of accuracy, which is particularly useful for loft conversions and projects within existing buildings.

Can survey information be used for 3D modelling and drawings?

Yes. The survey creates an accurate digital model that we can work from throughout the design and fabrication process, and the data can be provided in CAD and BIM formats. Once the site has been scanned, the information is used to produce accurate fabrication drawings.

See all our FAQs

Have drawings or a site to survey?

From residential steel beams to large commercial packages, our team can provide fast, reliable pricing and advice. Send us the details of your drawings or site and we'll review what is needed before fabrication.

Get a quote Or call 01322 276948

Steel site surveys and 3D laser scanning in Kent, London and the South East.

Measure first.
Fabricate with confidence.