SURVEYOR’S REPONSIBILITIES:
We all aim to provide a value product to our clients for the fairest cost available.
Land Surveyors are advised by their insurance companies to ensure that all setout instructions carry the following disclaimer:
INTERPRETATION OF ARCHITECTURAL PLANS FALLS
OUTSIDE A SURVEYOR’S AREA OF EXPERTISE.
IT IS ASSUMED THAT OFFSETS OR OTHER SETOUT
DIMENSIONS THAT ARE CONSIDERED CRITICAL TO
THE INTENDED LOCATION OF THIS STRUCTURE HAVE
BEEN PROVIDED AND AS SUCH ARE SHOWN ON
THIS PLAN. IT IS THE INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY TO
CHECK THOSE DIMENSIONS SHOWN ON THIS PLAN.
It is clear from the above that Land Surveyors take responsibility for setting out a structure in accordance with the measurements shown on the surveyor’s setout plan.
Responsibility for the dimensions that the surveyor adopts belong to the instructor\building designer.
HOW DO WE BEST SERVE THE CLIENT?
Be efficient.
Most architectural plans are drawn by CAD. Most such plans show varying degrees of setout dimensions.
The key to efficient setout surveys is WHAT dimensions are shown! As it is just as easy to ‘pull’ one dimension as another using CAD, the aim of this circular is to advise what dimensions should be ‘pulled’.
WHAT DOES THE SURVEYOR SETOUT?
The surveyor usually:
sets out one or a combination of rectangles
sets out the outside corner of the slab or brickwork
applies minimum offsets to boundaries or other structures.
applies other design criteria as specified (such as an angle of deflection in a wall or setout parallel to other structures).
WHAT DO SURVEYORS STRUGGLE WITH?
1. Surveyors spend their lives dealing with figures that CLOSE. In 90% of plans they find that the dimensions up one side of the house do not agree with those down the other. In survey terms the house does not CLOSE! They do not know what dimensions are critical to the setout and what can be left as approximate.
2. Surveyors struggle with setout offsets that are too few or simply do not stop the building ‘sliding’ around.
3. Deflection angles must be specified on the drawing.
WHAT WOULD SURVEYORS LIKE?
As it is just as easy to ‘pull’ one dimension as another, surveyors would like 5 minutes spent on supplying useful information.
One well known firm provides a separate ‘Setout’ sheet with all house designs. This can save a number of hours preparation for the surveyor and save the client money.
Further, we would like setout dimensions ‘pulled’ from a number of ‘outside of brick’ corners of the building to property boundaries, then a dimension from this point to the property corner. In addition, we would like all critical dimensions highlighted and overall dimensions from corner of building to corner of building supplied.
We have a preference for this information to be supplied on a separate sheet to avoid confusion with unnecessary setout information.
HOW DOES THE DESIGNER BENEFIT?
Firstly, your professionalism is appreciated by all surveyors you deal with. Secondly, you are not plagued with phone calls from surveyors seeking clarification of setout data. Thirdly, there are no misunderstandings or mistakes which could cost all money.
Lastly and most important, there is a cost saving for the client as the ‘office time’ for the surveyor is much reduced.
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