Explore Surveying

Surveyors design, build, value and manage everything around us.

Change the world. From skyscrapers to sports stadiums, forests to festival sites, shopping centres to the homes we live in, surveyors are involved every step of the way.

A state-of-the-art career: use technology every day

Surveying may be an established profession, but constant innovation means new technology is changing the face of the industry. From drones to lasers, 3D printers to virtual reality – surveying is at the forefront of technology.

Mobile mapping: using specialist drones, ground penetrating radar and laser scanners, surveyors can map anything, anywhere in the world.
Artificial intelligence: smart computers that learn through experience like machines that help surveyors design, or driverless cars that can gather data from dangerous places.
3D modelling: surveyors use augmented reality and other technology to make interactive 3D models of buildings – like Minecraft, but with the instructions to build a skyscraper.
Virtual reality: presenting an alternative reality to people – taking a property tour, or inspecting a construction site, from your home.
The internet of things: connecting objects so they can transfer information without human interaction, such as wind turbines telling each other way the wind direction.
Smart cities: using data and technology to monitor and manage what’s happening in a city to improve quality of life.

Where will the world of surveying take you-RICS — Where will the world of surveying take you?

Pathways for you

Making the all-important decisions of what goes where and why, surveyors are involved in planning the construction of everything from skyscrapers to shopping centres and festivals to football stadiums.

The infrastructure behind the foundations of modern life relies on surveyors too: they map the roads, bridges, buildings and railways that we need to keep us connected.

Build your career – roles in construction and infrastructure

Are you analytical, organised and enjoy talking to people? As a chartered surveyor, you can build a career as a:

building surveyor – build, supervise or restore structures, from city office blocks and skyscrapers to home extensions

project management surveyor – manage and organise a range of teams to get the best value and quality from projects, within the set timescale

building control surveyor – design and manage the use of buildings to make sure they comply with law and regulations

quantity surveyor – assess and evaluate the financial impact of construction projects to ensure the best value for money

infrastructure surveyor – ensure the effective running and connecting of cities, including rail, road, broadband and electricity

Case study: fit for the Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium will be an impressive multi-functional stadium. In this project, a surveyor has taken on the role of Head of Building Control – overseeing safety issues and the build. The redesign is increasing capacity from 36,200 to 61,000 fans, and features a retractable pitch, so the stadium can host American football games and concerts – and helping to regenerate the local area.
Surveyors in the land sector map, develop and manage the land on which we work and play. If you want to measure the shape of land and gather data for use in a whole range of different industries, from film to architecture, archaeology and flood defences, then land surveying could be for you.

A surveyor specialising in land works indoors and outdoors, in diverse locations across the globe.

Land your perfect career – roles in land

Do you have a passion for the environment, technology and exploring?

As a chartered surveyor, you could land a career as a:

geomatics surveyor – map, analyse and interpret data about the land, sea and buildings

environmental surveyor – manage the development and use of land to assess the impact on the environment

minerals and waste management surveyor – extract, use and manage resources and dispose of related waste

rural surveyor – value, advise and manage the use of land and buildings in the countryside to ensure the best use of them

planning and development surveyor – advise on the communities, towns and cities of the future, providing expert information about investment opportunities

Case study: a very cool job

Being a surveyor doesn’t mean day after day at a desk. As a geomatics surveyor, you could find yourself in extreme conditions in the Antarctic, tackling plummeting temperatures while using the latest technology. In order to build research stations on the ice, surveyors use 3D laser scanning technology to map and build 3D models for development. Surveying on ice is unlike anything else – five research stations in the Antarctic have been abandoned due to cracks in the ice.
Property Surveyors work in commercial property (offices or buildings a business uses), residential property (places where people live) and personal property (objects people or businesses own). Surveyors are involved throughout these fields, from purchase to development, valuation, sale and management making their work hugely diverse.

Sold on a career – roles in property

Are you good with numbers and people? Do you want to spend time in and out of the office? As a chartered surveyor, plot your career in property as a:

residential property surveyor – survey, sell, let and manage all types of residential property

valuation surveyor – analyse and measure the value of buildings or businesses: eg. how much is Apple really worth?

management consultancy surveyor – maximise growth and improve business performance by managing operations, strategies and structures

facilities management surveyor – support a business strategy and add value to its property by creating vibrant and productive workplaces

commercial property surveyor – buy, sell and manage premises and their leasing

arts and antiques surveyor – advise on the value of personal property and manage their purchase and sale

Case study: specialise in shopping

Working in retail means reacting to trends and bringing brands to life by creating the right environment for shoppers. Fashion label Kit & Ace needed the perfect spot for their business. A specialist retail property surveyor acquired a sought-after location for their first European store in Shoreditch, London. Following this success, they opened their first West End store in the retail heaven of Covent Garden.