Clarity & accuracy
The First Principle Building Services Validation Survey (Services Tracing Building Survey) is designed to give you a good understanding of utility services throughout the building. We will be able to trace, map all services types throughout the building, and update your existing CAD Plans.
Our onsite survey is designed to amend and verify your existing drawings to
“As Built” status drawings.
Our skilled and experienced building surveyor will conduct a full site survey and create well presented, accurate drawings.
What's included in our building surveying
- On-site service tracing
- As Built CAD drawings
- Covers multiple systems
- CAD-ready deliverables
- iPad-based site capture
- Custom drawing standards
- Experienced surveyors
- Improved asset documentation
A Building Services Validation Survey — also known as a Services Tracing Survey — is a detailed on-site process used to verify the layout and condition of building services such as water, heating, and fire detection systems. It ensures that what’s installed matches your existing documentation.
This type of survey is essential during refurbishments, before handovers, or when preparing accurate “As Built” plans. It helps prevent design errors, improves compliance, and provides a reliable basis for future planning or maintenance.
Our survey covers the full range of mechanical and building services within your premises. We visually inspect and trace:
- Water services and distribution pipework
- LTHW (low temperature hot water) heating systems
- Cooling and ventilation systems
- Steam systems
- Fire alarms and smoke detection
- Other mechanical or utility services, as required
Each system is clearly documented and reflected in updated CAD plans.
Once the on-site survey is complete, we deliver high-quality CAD drawings that reflect the verified layout of all traced services. All deliverables are provided in DWG or DXF format, suitable for ongoing project use or compliance records.
You can choose to have drawings aligned with your existing CAD standards — including blocks, layers, and line types — or use our in-house standards if preferred. Our goal is to make integration into your current design or asset management system as smooth as possible.
Systems covered
| Service Type | Included in Survey | As Built CAD Drawing |
|---|---|---|
| Water distribution | ✔ | ✔ |
| LTHW heating system | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cooling systems | ✔ | ✔ |
| Steam systems | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fire alarm/smoke detection | ✔ | ✔ |
| Other services (on request) | ✔ | ✔ |
Get your Building Survey in 3 simple steps
Step 1 - Request a quote
Tell us about your building, existing plans, and which services you need traced. We’ll provide a clear quote based on the size and scope of the project.
Step 2 - Survey & tracing
Our experienced building surveyor visits your site to trace service routes, verify existing drawings, and collect data using iPad-based digital tools.
Step 3 - Get your reports
We provide updated “As Built” drawings in DWG or DXF format, aligned to your standards or ours — ready to use for design, compliance, or maintenance.
Why choose us for your surveying?
We don’t just trace services — we deliver clarity, precision, and dependable documentation that adds real value to your project.
Specialist
We focus on building services validation — not just general surveying — ensuring accurate tracing and documentation of critical systems.
Accurate
We use on-site digital tools and surveyor expertise to deliver high-quality “As Built” drawings you can rely on.
Flexible
We work to your CAD standards — or provide our own clean, consistent layering and symbols where preferred.
Efficient
Our iPad-based capture process means quicker turnarounds, no paper errors, and easy file handover in DWG or DXF formats.
Established company
When to contact The First Principle
- You’re working with outdated building plans
- You need accurate ‘As Built’ documentation
- You’re planning a refurbishment or retrofit
- You’ve taken over a new building
- Your facility includes complex service routes
- You’re preparing for compliance or audits
- You need CAD updates to reflect site conditions
- You want to improve your building asset records
Request a quote today
Get in touch with The First Principle to schedule your Building Services Validation Survey.
We’ll trace your systems, verify your plans, and deliver reliable CAD drawings you can build on. Request your quote today.
Your questions answered
Common questions
What is a Building Services Validation Survey?
It’s an on-site survey that traces and verifies the location of mechanical and utility services within a building. We use this data to produce or update accurate “As Built” CAD drawings.
What types of systems do you trace?
We cover water services, LTHW heating, cooling systems, steam lines, fire alarms, smoke detection, and other utility services depending on the project.
Do you provide AutoCAD drawings?
Yes. All deliverables are supplied in DWG or DXF format, ready for integration into your existing CAD environment.
Can you work with our CAD standards?
Absolutely. We can apply your layers, blocks, and drawing conventions — or use our in-house standards if preferred.
Is the survey non-intrusive?
Yes. We perform visual tracing using iPad-based tools, avoiding unnecessary disruption to your site or systems.
When should I request a validation survey?
It’s ideal before refurbishment projects, handovers, regulatory audits, or whenever you need to verify that existing plans match what’s installed.
