Nucrete

Virtual Site Survey

Not sure a garage will fit, what it takes to clear an old one, or what the base needs? Send us photos or a quick video and we'll survey your site remotely, then tell you straight whether we can do the job and what it'll cost.

Nucrete virtual site survey: a customer on a video call with a Nucrete surveyor from their sofa, reviewing a double garage with its measurements marked up

A virtual site survey is how we check your site properly without a van turning up on the drive. One of our team looks at your address using satellite and street-level imagery, studies the access points and the space itself, and works from a few photos or a short video you send us (a WhatsApp walk-round is ideal). From that we can assess whatever you're unsure about, which nine times out of ten is access, and give you a straight, accurate answer before anyone commits to anything.

What we check for

A virtual survey answers the three questions that decide whether a project runs smoothly:

  • Can we install a building here? Mainly whether the panels can be carried from the delivery vehicle to the spot, and whether the building fits the space and its boundaries. Access is usually the deciding factor.
  • Can we remove your old garage? And how big a job it is. Photos often show whether an old roof is likely to be asbestos, or whether a garage is double-skinned and so has more to take away. Both change the price.
  • What does the groundwork need? Whether your existing base is sound, needs skimming or replacing, or whether we're laying a new base from scratch.

How it works

There's nothing to arrange and no appointment to wait in for. Send us four or five ordinary phone photos, or hop on a quick video call and walk us round. Our team reviews what you've sent, asks anything that needs asking, and comes back, usually within one working day, able to tell you clearly whether we can do the job and exactly what it will cost. It's completely free, with no obligation whether you go ahead or not.

The photos that help us most are simple ones:

  • The spot where the building will stand, from a couple of angles
  • The existing base or ground surface, close up
  • The access route in from the road: gates, passageways, corners and any steps
  • Anything that might get in the way, such as walls, fences, trees or overhead wires along the route

Why it's worth doing

The point of a virtual survey is to take the guesswork out for both of us. You get a price built on your actual site rather than a hopeful estimate, and anything tricky, whether that's tight access, a failed base or an old asbestos roof, is spotted and priced up front instead of turning into a problem on installation day. There's no risk and no commitment. It simply lets us be crystal clear about whether we can do the job, and what it'll cost, before you decide anything.

If the survey shows the base needs work, our concrete base laying service covers it, and an old building is handled by old garage removal. Wondering about permission? Most sites don't need it, but see do I need planning permission for a concrete garage?

Virtual survey questions, answered

Is the virtual site survey free?

Yes, completely free and no-obligation, whether or not you go on to order. It's simply how we make sure a quote is right first time.

What do I need to send?

A few phone photos of the spot, the ground and the access route, or a short video call where you walk us round; a WhatsApp video is perfect. Rough measurements help but aren't essential, and we'll tell you if anything needs measuring properly.

What can you tell from photos alone?

Plenty. Whether a building will fit and can be got in, whether an old garage (and any asbestos in it) can be removed and how big that job is, and what your base needs. It's enough to price the work accurately and tell you straight whether we can do it.

What if my site is unusual or tight?

Then the virtual survey is even more worth doing. If photos and a video call can't settle something, we'll say so honestly and arrange whatever further checks the site needs rather than guess.

Is it only for new garages?

No. We use the same approach to assess old garages for removal, including checking photos of suspect asbestos roofs, and to appraise or quote concrete base and groundwork.

Written and reviewed by the Nucrete team. We survey sites remotely every working day, and the smooth installations are almost always the well-surveyed ones. Send your photos or call us free on 0800 849 9036.