Built Environment Services
Offering a range of reliable and efficient property services, our experts can guide you through the planning, design, construction, management and maintenance of your residential, agricultural, and commercial property.
Symonds & Sampson provides a comprehensive range of professional built environment services tailored to residential, commercial, and rural property owners, tenants, and buyers. Our expert team ensures that you have a thorough understanding of a property's condition, risks, and suitability before making any transaction, working closely with property, legal, and planning specialists where necessary to deliver a complete property service.
We specialise in building structures, offering guidance for extensions, renovations, conversions, and developments. Our services include dilapidation advice, party wall negotiations and insurance reinstatement assessments.
Our in-house experts offer a range of architectural, design, project management, and professional services in the residential, rural, and commercial property sectors throughout Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Wiltshire, and Hampshire.
Working in close harmony with our agents, and planning and valuation experts, we can offer a complete property service to clients. Using their expertise, they will ensure that your project is properly planned and carried out to a professional standard and within the parameters of any new or imminent legislation. Details of the services they offer can be found below.
Recent projects undertaken include:
- Planning and design of new residential and commercial property
- Planning and design of new developments
- Planning and design of new agricultural buildings and facilities
- Property extensions and refurbishment
- Build management
- Change of use
- Work to listed or heritage buildings
- Planning and design of property extensions
- Applications for Building Regulations
- Architectural design
- End of lease dilapidations
- Party Wall disputes
Our in-house surveyors offer a range of design services in the residential, rural, and commercial property sectors. From a project inception through to dealing with the building regulations and acting as Principal Designer under the building regulations, we often work as part of an inter-professional team, regularly collaborating with our planning consultants, estate managers, and commercial surveyors, as well as third-party specialist consultants, to provide a holistic design approach, whether for small-scale domestic extensions or new-build and conversion projects.
Learn more about our Architectural Design Services
Learn more about our Architectural Design Services
Spanning the region, our team offers honest, professional advice with a strong track record of success. Given the wide area we cover, we can be nimble in identifying opportunities for development and have built strong relationships within local authorities, landowners, and other development professionals. Whether you are a homeowner, developer, or looking for ways to maximise the potential of your property, our supportive experts have the in-depth understanding of the planning process to help you succeed.
Learn more about our Planning & Development Services
Learn more about our Planning & Development Services
We provide Principal Designer services to ensure clients comply with the requirements of CDM[PD1] 2015 Regulations of health and safety during the pre-construction phase of a project. Our early involvement streamlines the specification process and enhances safety through proactive risk management and effective stakeholder communications.
Learn more about our Principal Designer Services
Learn more about our Principal Designer Services
Whether you are building a new development, renovating an existing property, or undertaking any other property-related project, our surveyors provide accurate and comprehensive early-stage cost appraisals that meet our clients' needs. We aim to ensure clients understand the financial implications clearly to enable informed decision-making.
Learn more about our Cost Budgeting & Analysis Services
Learn more about our Cost Budgeting & Analysis Services
Our experienced Building Surveyors provide development monitoring services to protect clients' interests during construction projects. We conduct due diligence, risk assessments, regular site inspections, and progress reporting. Our experts evaluate construction quality, statutory compliance, and cost management, offering tailored advice for each project. By assisting in all aspects of development, we help mitigate risks and ensure successful outcomes for lenders, investors, and stakeholders while maintaining high-quality standards.
Learn more about our Development Fund Monitoring Services
Learn more about our Development Fund Monitoring Services
The sympathetic approach required for works on a Listed Building or heritage asset is often overlooked. Heritage property requires a soft and understanding approach, with reasoned justification and assessment of the property, its history and its setting. Sensitive to the fact that inevitable change to our historic environment needs careful management and conservation, our Building Surveyors can work closely with clients to ensure that alterations to historic properties, be it refurbishment, extension or repair work, are carried out sympathetically.
Learn more about our Listed Building & Heritage Property Services
Learn more about our Listed Building & Heritage Property Services
Our Building Surveyors can provide Insurance Reinstatement Cost Assessment (RCA) services to clients to ensure adequate property insurance cover is in place. By carrying out accurate assessments, thorough inspections, and detailed rebuilding cost calculations, they can deliver comprehensive reports in accordance with RICS guidelines. Regular RCAs help clients avoid underinsurance while accounting for changes in regulations and property improvements.
Learn more about our Insurance Reinstatement Services
Learn more about our Insurance Reinstatement Services
The Party Wall, etc. Act 1996 regulates the relationship between neighbours when building work involves neighbouring structures. Our building surveyors can provide invaluable guidance in negotiating the complexities of the Act. Timely serving of notices and documentation will ensure legal compliance, avoid disputes, delays, and unnecessary costs, and ensure that all parties benefit from the rights offered by the Act.
Learn more about our Party Wall Services
Learn more about our Party Wall Services
Our experienced Chartered Surveyors offer comprehensive advice and solutions for Landlords and Tenants in relation to their commercial property leases. Their professional, impartial, and cost-effective advice ensures fair settlements that protect a client’s interests while negotiating interim periods, lease breaks, and the end of lease terms.
Learn more about our Dilapidations & End of Lease Services
Learn more about our Dilapidations & End of Lease Services
A number of our experienced surveyors are qualified to act in disputes in where property is involved, including acting as independent experts.
Learn more about Expert Witness
Learn more about Expert Witness
Meet the Built Environment Team
Andrew Keen
Head of Commercial Building Surveying
Sturminster Newton
AssocRICS ACABE MPTS
Department: Sturminster Newton Professional
Speciality: Building Surveying, Design, Commercial Property Management, MANCO, Commercial Lettings, Lease Renewals, Commercial Development, Block Management, Expert Witness
01202 639403
07463 887081
akeen@symondsandsampson.co.uk
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James Shapland
Partner
Sturminster Newton
MRICS C.Build E MCABE
Department: Sturminster Newton Professional
Speciality: Building Surveying, Design
07549 296723
jshapland@symondsandsampson.co.uk
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Isobella Rumsby
Assistant Building Surveyor
Sturminster Newton
Department: Sturminster Newton Professional
Speciality: Building Surveying
01258 444584
irumsby@symondsandsampson.co.uk
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How else can we help you?
As a multi-disciplinary firm, our agents can also provide a wide range of professional services across Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire & Cornwall.
Rural Services Commercial Services Residential Services
‘Built Environment Services’ refers to the physical built environment and the professional services needed to create, manage, or repurpose built assets. This includes areas such as planning and design, building surveying, and management in use.
We will first discuss your requirements and the details of your enquiry. This may involve a site visit or meeting to understand the position on the ground and how it relates to your enquiry. We will then prepare a comprehensive Fee Proposal and Letter of Engagement setting out the work you have asked us to undertake, the cost, the project stages if applicable, and when we can begin.
The cost will depend on the project, as fees can vary significantly depending on the type of work required. We will set out our fees in a formal Fee Proposal, typically based on a fixed fee, an hourly rate for time spent, or a combination of both. The Fee Proposal will also explain when our fees are payable and whether your project is likely to require input from specialist third-party consultants.
The Built Environment Services team operates across our entire region, including Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, and beyond. We have extensive experience working throughout this area, frequently alongside your usual professional contact from one of our regional offices.
Depending on the nature and complexity of the project, specialist third-party input may often be required. We have a wide network of specialist consultants whom we can engage on your behalf, including drainage consultants, ecologists, structural engineers, cost consultants, and geospatial engineers. We are also happy to work alongside any specialist consultants you have already appointed.
Our focus is on providing a friendly, comprehensive, value-added service, drawing on our broad knowledge base and undertaking to maintain and enhance our professional competence on an ongoing basis. Most of our professional staff hold accreditation from Chartered organisations such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE), and other professional bodies, including The Pyramus and Thisbe Society. Where formal accreditation has not yet been achieved, staff are working towards it.
The built environment is shaped by a wide range of standards, regulations, protocols, and guidance, all intended to support safe, balanced, and sustainable development during planning, construction, occupation, and, ultimately, the end of a building’s useful life. Because these requirements are regularly updated, keeping pace with them can be challenging. Our role is to simplify that process for clients and help add value from the outset. We do this through a thorough understanding of our own role, your project, and the legislative framework surrounding it. Some clients appoint us to manage every aspect of a project, while others require support with specific elements only. In every case, we will be honest about what your project needs and are always happy to consider a bespoke service where appropriate.
We will only ask you for information and documents that are relevant to the work we are carrying out. Any information you provide will be returned to you or securely destroyed when it is no longer required. However, it is important that we receive all relevant information so that we can fulfil our role accurately and efficiently.