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Interior design site survey checklist

Survey notes are useful only if another person can understand what was measured, where it was measured, and what remains unknown. This checklist provides a consistent structure for that record.

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Worked example & fields

Illustrative teaching extension of The Window Room. Pending review; not a client record, supplier quote, site survey, or construction-ready document.

Worked example preview · DOCX

Visit and room reference

Record date, surveyor, access limitations, instruments, and room identifier.

The Window Room; no site visit has occurred. This is a teaching example.

Room geometry

Record each wall run, overall checks, diagonals where practical, and measurement units. Mark missing measurements.

Nominal source: 5000 × 4000 mm; ceiling 2800 mm. Diagonals, wall irregularities, and actual dimensions remain unverified.

Openings

Locate each opening relative to an identified corner and record relevant sizes, heights, and swing or operation.

Window and entrance positions are retained in the sample. Exact opening sizes and offsets require survey.

Existing finishes and retained objects

Photograph condition and record dimensions of objects that must remain.

FIN-01 existing oak floor to retain. Condition has not been assessed.

Visible services and obstructions

Locate visible devices and access panels without claiming concealed routes or suitability.

Service positions not surveyed. Obtain specialist information before coordination.

Photograph register

Give each image a reference, room, direction, and note. Obtain permission before photographing occupied spaces.

No site photographs. Published room imagery is AI-generated concept illustration, not survey evidence.

Checks and discrepancies

Record differences between provided plans and observations without silently averaging conflicting measurements.

No measurement comparison completed. Do not use the sample drawing as site evidence.

Follow-up actions

Record missing information, its owner, and when it must be resolved.

Arrange a measured survey and confirm access limitations before using dimensions for project work.

How to use this template

Prepare the sheet before a visit and follow site access and safety arrangements. Record visible conditions without opening concealed assemblies or diagnosing services. Use suitable professionals for specialist surveys and any safety or compliance assessment. Label each source as measured, provided, observed, or unresolved; preserve access limitations with the record.

  1. Prepare a room reference and rough sketch before the visit.
  2. Record dimensions and photo references as you work, including inaccessible areas.
  3. Check completeness and list discrepancies before leaving; arrange any necessary specialist follow-up.

Write a note that survives the site visit

A useful record distinguishes a measured observation from a provided number, visual observation, or inaccessible condition. Keep the room reference, location, instrument reference point, unit, and source together. Do not overwrite conflicting readings until their cause is understood.

For a US project, choose a primary dimension convention and document how feet, inches, fractions, or decimal units are recorded. The example remains nominal metric data. A display conversion or a drawing that looks square does not increase survey confidence.

Illustrative teaching extension · No actual project decision or approval
Weak noteBetter record structureSample limitation
“Wall 5”Room, identified wall/run, start and end references, value, unit, source.5000 mm is a fixture value, not a field observation.
“Window as photo”Opening ID, measured offsets/sizes, operation, linked photograph reference.Opening dimensions and site photographs are not supplied.
“Services checked”Visible device positions and access limits; specialist information still required.No concealed-service or suitability assessment represented.

Review before use

  • Do not treat a photo as a scaled measurement.
  • Do not assume concealed services from visible fittings.
  • Do not omit access limitations from the resulting record.

Units, source information, and US use

The worked example keeps its original nominal metric dimensions. For a US project, choose and label a primary imperial or metric convention, distinguish item counts from areas, and document any display conversion and rounding. Never relabel metric values as imperial or treat conversion as site verification.

Make it your own

Separate blank and worked-example documents. Edit the blank copy in Word or a compatible document editor.

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About this resource

Authored by OpenLintel with AI assistance. Examples are illustrative and have not received independent professional review. Adapt the structure to your practice and verify project-specific information. No legal agreement, regulatory compliance, or construction readiness is represented.

Authorship, review boundaries, sources, and corrections

References

See the information connect

Follow the corresponding chapter of The Window Room: one illustrative brief, one selected direction, and coordinated sample references.

Explore the sample brief

Discuss your studio’s workflow

If survey notes lose context when transferred to room data or drawings, discuss that transfer problem in a pilot discovery conversation.

Request a pilot discovery conversation