Contour Surveys – The Essential First Step in Your Project

It depends. Our Detail & Level Survey meets all surveying regulations, but some councils and private certifiers require a survey report with precisely defined boundaries. If that’s the case, you may need a Detail & Identification Survey instead.

To ensure you meet the right requirements, we recommend checking with your council, private certifier, or speaking with our team for expert advice.

Detail & Level Surveys, also known as Contour or Topographical Surveys, note all the horizontal and vertical details of a property, and indicate all of the important physical features within a lot.

The survey will include important features adjacent to the lot, such as adjoining neighbouring windows as they face the subject property.

These physical features include both natural landscape features and existing man-made structures. For example, measured natural features could include vegetation and lakes . Man-made features are things like buildings, roads and fences.

Other measurements in a Contour Survey include the orientation of the lot in relation to the cardinal directions, or the elevation of the land in relation to sea level.
At C&A Surveyors, we measure and detail all features in 2D or 3D models. Conducting a Contour Survey like this is essential for a development application to be lodged with Council. However, these measurements also benefit you as the landowner, as they provide useful information that can dictate design and construction decisions.

There are three instances in which you would need to conduct Contour Surveys:

1. you want to construct a new structure or extend an existing structure on your property;
2. you need to pinpoint and record the physical features of your property for future reference; or
3. you need to showcase all the features of your property for land valuation purposes.

When it comes to new developments on your land, architects and designers start off with a Contour Survey to begin the design process. Some 

All engineers, architects, and designers use Contour Surveys to draw up plans and documents.
The physical features of the landscape hugely influence important design decisions like:

• how much space a new structure can take up;
• the place where the proposed structure will have the greatest structural integrity;
• the orientation of the new structure (which will determine wind protection, light exposure, etc.); and
• what features you will need to plan around (e.g. a protected tree).

Design and construction that is not tailored to the unique physical features of a lot can result in costly mistakes. For this reason, any design, building, land development or subdivisions must be preceded by a Contour Survey.

Local Council Compliance

Before any new development can occur on a lot of land, you need to lodge a Development Application (DA) with the local council.

The council must review the application and ensure that all developments are compliant with local planning instruments such as the Development Control Plan (DCP) and the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) as well as state planning and zoning laws.

A Contour Survey is an essential component of a DA. No council will consider a lodgement without one due to the importance of the information for successful design and construction.

Once you have submitted a DA, your local council will review your application, along with your survey and construction plans. Then, they will issue one of three verdicts:
1. approved;
2. approved subject to conditions; or
3. refused.

No construction can take place without the local council approving your lodged DA.

C&A Surveyors will help you understand exactly what is included in a Contour Survey depending on your requirements.

Once the survey is completed, we provide you with a drawing file (DWG) for you to submit to your architect or designer to begin the design process.

Don’t feel daunted by the paperwork. We can talk you through the whole process and help you evaluate all your options to make this process as simple and stress-free as possible! Fully insured and registered contour surveying services.

So, if you are interested in inviting the very best surveyors to join you on your journey, contact us now for more information and a free quote.

A Contour Survey can also be called a:

• Detail survey
• Detail and level survey
• Topographical survey
• Site survey
• Feature survey