Site Survey

What is a site survey?

A site survey is a visit to the place where work will happen, made before you design or price the job. You look, measure, photograph and ask questions, and you write down everything that will affect the work.

The purpose is simple: replace assumptions with facts. If you design a system or price a job without seeing the site, you are guessing about access, conditions, loads and obstacles. A survey turns those guesses into numbers.

Surveys are used in many trades. In solar, a survey tells you how much roof you can use and what your system will produce. In MEP, it shows where ducts, pipes and cables can run. In maintenance, it records what equipment exists before you quote a contract.

A simple example to understand it

Meet Ritu, a survey engineer at a solar EPC in Bengaluru. She visits a school that wants rooftop solar. On site, she records:

• Roof: type and condition, usable area, tilt and orientation, and what stands on it.
• Shading: nearby trees, buildings and water tanks, and how shadows fall through the day.
• Electrical: the sanctioned load, the main panel, the meter and the distance to the connection point.
• Structure: whether the roof can carry the load of panels and mounting.
• Access: how materials will be lifted, and where the crew can work safely.
• Photos: every angle, with the location recorded.

Back at the office, the design and the quote use these facts. The school's electrician is not surprised on installation day, and Ritu's price is based on what she saw.

What to capture in a survey

1. Basics. Customer, address, contact person and date.
2. Measurements. Dimensions of the roof, room, shaft or area involved.
3. Conditions. Condition of surfaces, existing equipment and structures.
4. Obstacles. Anything that blocks the work, such as tanks, trees, pipes or tight corners.
5. Electrical and utility details. Load, panels, meters and connection points.
6. Access and safety. How to reach the area, and any risks.
7. Photos and notes. Evidence you can refer to later, with the location.
8. Customer needs. What the customer actually wants to achieve.

Types of site surveys

• Pre-sales survey. A quick visit to understand the job and give an accurate quote.
• Detailed technical survey. A thorough visit after the customer shows serious interest, used for design.
• Pre-installation check. A final visit before work, to confirm access, materials and conditions.
• Condition survey for maintenance. A visit to record what equipment exists and how it is performing, before offering an AMC.

Common mistakes with site surveys

1. Surveying without a checklist. You forget something, and have to return.
2. Too few photos. What you did not photograph, you cannot check later.
3. Not recording the location. Photos without a place and a time are hard to rely on.
4. Paper notes that never reach the office. The design team ends up guessing again.
5. Quoting before the survey. A price based on assumptions often needs to change.

How ZEP360 handles site surveys

ZEP360 has a mobile site survey form built for field teams. It covers roof, shading, load and structure, is filled in on site with geo-tagged photos, and can be OTP-verified and sent over WhatsApp. The quotation in ZEP Sales is built from the survey data, so the price matches what was seen, and the same data carries into the project in ZEP Projects, so nobody retypes it. See solar project management software.

Related terms

Scope of Work · Quotation · Bill of Quantities · Cost Estimate · EPC · Work Order

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a site survey?

A site survey is a visit to a location before design or pricing to measure it, photograph it and record the conditions that affect the work. It supplies the facts that a design and a quote depend on.

What does a solar site survey include?

It usually covers the roof type and condition, usable area, orientation and tilt, shading, electrical load and panel details, structure and access. Photos and measurements are taken so the system can be designed and priced accurately.

Who does a site survey?

A survey engineer, a technician or a sales engineer who understands the work. They need enough knowledge to spot problems, such as shading or weak structure, that the customer may not mention.

How long does a site survey take?

It depends on the site, from under an hour for a small home to a full day for a large industrial roof. A good checklist and a mobile form help you capture everything in one visit.

Why is a site survey important before quoting?

Because the site decides the design, the materials and the labour. A survey stops you from quoting for a job that turns out to be harder, larger or different. It protects both the customer and your margin.

Can a site survey be done remotely?

Sometimes, using satellite images and photos from the customer. This is useful for early estimates, but a physical survey is usually needed before final design and price, especially for structure and electrical details.