Pre-Construction Surveys

A Pre-Construction Survey (PCS) consists of a review of a property adjacent to a site where construction activities are about to begin. The goal of the survey is to visually identify all existing signs of exterior and roof damage and any signs of structural settlement, before construction begins. (PCS) can protect the property owner and the contractor/developer.

For a property owner, the PCS documents the existing conditions so that any damage or structural settlement caused by the construction is appropriately identified as caused by the construction activities and, therefore, the responsibility of the contractor/developer to rectify.

From the contractor/developer perspective, the PCS is primarily a loss control and claims defence mechanism. If a property owner alleges that damage was sustained due to construction activities the pre-construction survey is used to document what visible damage pre-existed the construction activity. This allows for fair and prompt settlement of third party property damage claims.

Scope of Surveys


Prior to the survey, a review of drawings for the proposed adjacent building would be undertaken. This assists in understanding the implication of the proposed work and specific areas at the subject property that should be more closely reviewed.

For each crack or anomaly noted, the survey will provide a photograph, the general location of the anomaly, specific location of the anomaly and the anomaly type. If the anomaly is a crack, the size of crack, type of crack and direction of crack will be noted.

Crack monitoring gauges can be installed over cracks located adjacent to the proposed new construction. The purpose of the gauges is to monitor changes over the course of the construction and post-construction.

The purpose of the follow-up survey(s) is to document any changes to the previously identified anomalies and identify any new cracks or anomalies in the building structure. As with the initial survey, the follow-up surveys shall identify the type of anomaly, location and photograph the anomaly. If deemed necessary, new cracks shall have a crack gauge installed.