Many cost overruns can be seen before the project starts: an access road too narrow for trucks, soft ground, a high water table, or a neighbour’s house that is already cracked. A tidy site survey turns those surprises into lines in the RAP and the schedule.
Survey checklist
| What to check | Question | Effect on cost or time |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Can material trucks and mixers get in? When may they unload? | Extra transport, manual handling |
| Ground | Soft, rocky or fill? Is a soil test needed? | Deeper foundations, ground improvement |
| Groundwater and flooding | How deep is the water table? Has it flooded? | Pumping (dewatering), higher fill |
| Boundaries | Do the pegs match the drawings and title? | Adjust the drawings before starting |
| Utilities | Is there site power and water? Drainage? | Generator, well, water tank |
| Neighbouring buildings | The state of neighbours’ walls and floors before work | Dated photos prevent damage claims |
| Working space | Where will the store, site office, rebar yard and materials go? | Renting extra land |
| Neighbourhood | Local permissions, working hours, noise rules | Effective working days |
| Local prices | Material prices and crew wages near the site | Base prices in the AHSP and RAP |
The survey report
- A one-page summary: findings, effects and proposed actions.
- Dated photos for every finding, including the starting state of neighbouring buildings.
- A site sketch: access, store, site office, power and water points.
- A list of extra costs that go into the RAP, and risks that go into the tender allowance.
- Questions for the client where anything differs from the drawings.
Common mistakes
- Tendering from the drawings without seeing the site.
- Not photographing neighbouring buildings before starting.
- Survey findings left out of the RAP, so they turn up as unexpected costs.
- Pegs and boundaries not checked, so the building has to move.
The full guide is in How to build a construction cost report that catches overruns early. It has a free template (Excel or Google Sheets) and a checker that reads your own workbook.
Ready to use the Komander agents on your projects?
When your workbook is complete, apply for a pilot: we help connect your project data to the Finance, Cost and Scheduler agents and review the first reports with you.
Send to melwani@komander.ai. Your workbook check result is included when there is one; the workbook itself is not sent.
Common questions
What is checked in a site survey?
Access, ground and water, boundaries, utilities, neighbouring buildings, working space, local rules and local prices.
When should the site survey happen?
Before pricing the tender, and again before mobilisation.
Why photograph neighbouring buildings?
Dated photos of their starting state protect the contractor from claims for damage that existed before the project.