Garden SurveyorAbout Garden Surveyor
Maintained by Thomas, former housebuilder site managerLast reviewed
Garden Surveyor is run by Thomas, a former site manager for national housebuilders, based in Sussex.
For years I ran new-build housing sites: setting out, levels, drainage, sub-bases, external works, and signing off homes before handover. I hold an NVQ Level 6 Diploma in Construction Site Management.
I built Garden Surveyor because most online calculators give you a number and nothing else. On site, the number is only useful if the build-up, the falls and the drainage behind it are right. So every calculator here works to UK build-up depths and allowances, shows its working in a worked example, and flags the planning and building regulations points to check before you start.
How the calculators are checked
- Each worked example is generated by the calculator itself, and automated tests check the figures don’t drift.
- Guidance on planning and building regulations links to the official source. Rules vary by council and change over time, so always check locally.
- Found a mistake? Tell me and I’ll fix it: Gardensurveyor@gmail.com
What Garden Surveyor isn’t
It’s a guide and estimating tool, not a site survey, structural design or planning advice. For anything structural, near a boundary, or affecting drainage from a house, get a professional on site.
You can also use the contact form, or go straight to the calculators and guides.