Home / For Installers / Remote Survey
FOR INSTALLERS · REMOTE SURVEY
Remote Heat Pump Survey for Installers
Collect the design information once, check it properly, then move the project into design.
- Last updated: September 2026
- Heat Loss Hub · For Installers
A heat-pump design is only as good as the survey information behind it.
Heat Loss Hub provides a structured remote-survey workflow for installers who want to collect the measurements, photos, videos and technical information needed for design without sending the designer to the property. The workflow can cover:
- Property measurements
- Building-fabric information
- Radiators and other emitters
- Existing pipework
- Cylinder and hot-water information
- Outdoor-unit location
- Electrical information
- Photos
- Video walkthroughs
- Plans and EPC documents
- Completeness checks
- Missing-information follow-up
The objective is simple: collect the information once, make sure it is complete, then move the project into design.
KEY TAKEAWAY
The goal is not to remove the survey. It is to remove unnecessary travel and incomplete handovers.
GET IN TOUCH
Send us a project to see the completeness workflow in action, or get in touch to discuss setting it up for your business.
What Does a Remote Heat-Pump Survey Actually Mean?
Remote surveying does not mean trying to design a system from a postcode and a few photographs.
It means the designer does not necessarily need to attend the property because the required information can be collected in a structured way by someone else — the installer, a surveyor, the homeowner, or a combination of all three.
The important part is not who presses the button or takes the photograph. The important part is that the information required for design is collected, identified, checked, completed and traceable before the design starts.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Remote surveying moves the information, not the engineering judgement. Where something cannot be established reliably from the information supplied, it should be queried or physically verified rather than guessed.
Who Can Complete the Survey?
Different installers will want to use remote surveying in different ways.
Installer-Led Survey
Your installer or surveyor attends the property and works through the structured survey. They collect the required measurements, technical details, photographs, videos and documents. The designer then works remotely from the information supplied.
This can be useful where you want your own team to retain control of the customer-facing survey while outsourcing some or all of the design.
Customer Self-Survey
The homeowner can complete suitable parts of the survey themselves. They can be guided through room measurements, radiator dimensions, photographs, videos, cylinder-space measurements, basic property information and document uploads.
This can reduce the amount of simple information an installer needs to collect personally.
Hybrid Survey
The homeowner completes the straightforward sections and the installer verifies the technical items. For many retrofit projects, this can provide a useful balance between convenience, survey cost and technical confidence.
Plans-Led Survey
New builds and major renovations may already have architectural drawings, construction details, window schedules, floor plans and specifications. These can form the starting point for the design, with targeted additional information collected where required.
The Remote-Survey Workflow
A remote survey should be a process, not a collection of emails and photographs. A typical workflow can look like this:
Create project → Send survey link → Collect property information → Upload measurements, photos, videos and documents → Check survey completeness → Flag missing or unclear information → Complete outstanding items → Mark project ready for design
The designer should not have to start calculating and then discover halfway through that a critical dimension or photograph is missing.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Design should not start until the critical survey information is complete.
The Completeness Gate
One of the most important parts of the process is deciding whether the project is actually ready for design. Each survey section can be checked independently. For example:
| Survey Area | Status |
|---|---|
| Property details | Complete |
| Building fabric | Complete |
| Radiators | Complete |
| Pipework | Missing information |
| Cylinder | Complete |
| Outdoor unit | Missing information |
| Electrical | Complete |
Project status: Not ready for design
That tells everyone exactly where the problem is. The survey does not need to look complete. It needs to be complete where it matters.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Missing information should create a task, not an invisible assumption. Once the critical items are resolved, the project can move to: Ready for design.
What Information Can the Remote Survey Collect?
The exact survey depends on the project, but it may include the following areas.
Property
- Address
- Property type
- Existing home / new build / renovation
- Number of floors
- Occupancy
- Plans
- EPC
- Existing heating system
Building Fabric
- Room dimensions
- Ceiling heights
- External walls
- Wall construction
- Floors
- Roofs and lofts
- Insulation
- Windows
- External doors
Emitters
- Radiator dimensions
- Radiator type
- Towel rails
- Underfloor heating
- Fan-assisted emitters
- Other heat emitters
Pipework
- Visible pipe sizes
- Microbore
- Primary pipework
- Distribution pipework
- Known routes
- Plant-room connections
Hot Water
- Existing cylinder
- Existing combi system
- Available cylinder location
- Baths
- Showers
- Household occupancy
- Unusual hot-water demand
Outdoor Unit
- Proposed position
- Property wall
- Windows and doors
- Boundaries
- Ground or mounting position
- Access
- Pipe route
- Defrost-water route
Electrical
- Consumer unit
- Electricity meter
- Incoming supply information
- Potential cable route
- Plant location
Supporting Evidence
- Photographs
- Video walkthroughs
- Floor plans
- EPC
- Architectural drawings
- Existing technical documents
Explore: What Information Does a Heat Pump Designer Need From an Installer?
Conditional Survey Questions
A good remote survey should not ask every customer the same hundred questions. The information requested should change depending on the answers already given. For example:
If There Is an Existing Cylinder
The survey might request make and model, storage capacity, cylinder label, coil information where available, cupboard dimensions, full cupboard photograph, pipework photographs and immersion information.
If the Property Currently Has a Combi Boiler
There may be no cylinder to survey. Instead, the survey should ask where could a cylinder be installed, what space is available, how many occupants there are, how many baths and showers, and whether there are any high-flow outlets.
If Underfloor Heating Is Present
The survey may request manifold location, manifold photograph, number of zones, floor covering, pipe centres where known and existing controls.
KEY TAKEAWAY
The person completing the survey should only be asked questions that are relevant to the property. This makes the process easier for the person completing it and improves the quality of the information returned.
Property Measurements
Heat-loss design needs reliable room geometry. Depending on the project, this can include room length, room width, ceiling height, open-plan areas, extensions, changes in floor level, sloping ceilings and unusual room shapes.
Measurements can be collected manually or digitally. The important thing is that the dimensions used for design are identifiable and make sense when checked against the rest of the property information.
LiDAR and Smartphone Measurement
Where suitable devices are available, LiDAR and smartphone scanning can make property measurement quicker. They can help with room dimensions, floor-plan capture, property layout and recording complex spaces.
But the remote-survey workflow should not depend entirely on one particular phone or scanning technology. Manual measurements should still be possible. And important dimensions should still be checked where something appears inconsistent.
KEY TAKEAWAY
LiDAR can speed up measurement, but the process should not depend on owning a particular phone.
Building Fabric and Insulation
Heat-loss calculations depend heavily on understanding the property construction. The survey may collect information about solid or cavity walls, insulated cavity walls, timber frame, extensions, floor construction, loft insulation, flat roofs, pitched roofs, double or triple glazing and external doors.
Sometimes the construction is obvious. Sometimes it is not. Where something cannot be confirmed, that uncertainty should be visible to the designer.
KEY TAKEAWAY
If the construction cannot be confirmed, it should be recorded as uncertain rather than quietly assumed. The designer can then decide whether further information is required, a reasonable assumption can be documented, or physical verification is needed.
Radiator and Emitter Survey
The survey should record enough information for each emitter to be identified and assessed. For radiators, this may include room, height, length, panel type, number of convector fins, towel rails, obstructions and available wall space.
For underfloor heating: manifold location, number of zones, floor construction, floor finish and known pipe spacing where available.
Photographs can be particularly useful when radiator types are uncertain.
Existing Pipework Survey
Existing pipework can have a major effect on whether a heat-pump design is practical. The survey can collect visible pipe diameters, microbore sections, primary flow and return, distribution routes, cylinder connections, plant-room connections, known concealed sections and available upgrade routes.
Not every pipe can always be seen. That should be reflected in the information supplied.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Remote survey should distinguish between what is visible, what is known and what is assumed.
Video can also be useful for showing the likely route between outdoor unit, existing boiler position, cylinder cupboard, plant area and heating distribution.
Cylinder and Hot-Water Survey
Domestic hot-water design requires more than a photograph of the existing cylinder. The survey may need number of occupants, baths, showers, large baths, high-flow outlets, existing cylinder capacity, existing cylinder make/model, cylinder cupboard dimensions, proposed cylinder location and available access.
Where a combi boiler is being replaced, the new cylinder location can be just as important as the hot-water demand.
Outdoor-Unit Location Survey
The proposed heat-pump location needs enough information for the designer and installer to understand the site. Useful information can include a wide photograph of proposed location, wall construction, ground condition, available clearances, nearby windows, nearby doors, property boundaries, obstructions, access for installation, route back to the plant area, defrost-water route and base or mounting position.
The location should be shown in context rather than as a single close-up photograph.
Electrical-Route Survey
The remote survey can collect electrical information such as consumer-unit location, consumer-unit photographs, meter location, incoming supply information, proposed cable route, outdoor-unit position and plant position.
This helps the wider project team understand the likely installation route.
Remote information collection does not remove the need for appropriate electrical assessment or verification where required.
Photos Need Context and Detail
Good survey photographs usually do one of two jobs.
Context Photograph
Shows where the item is, what surrounds it, and how it relates to the property.
Detail Photograph
Shows label, pipe size, connection, dimension and equipment detail.
Both can be important. For example, a close-up of a cylinder label may identify the model but tell the designer nothing about the available cupboard space. A wide photograph of the cupboard may show the space but make the label impossible to read.
KEY TAKEAWAY
A close-up without context can be as unhelpful as a wide shot without detail.
Video Walkthroughs
Video can be extremely useful where a series of static photographs would struggle to show how different areas connect together. Useful survey videos might include outdoor-unit location to plant room, proposed primary pipe route, cylinder cupboard, existing boiler area, loft, plant room, consumer unit to outdoor route and difficult access areas.
A short spoken commentary can add useful context. For example:
“This is the proposed heat-pump position. The pipework would come through this wall, run along the garage and enter the cylinder cupboard on the other side.”
Video is often the quickest way to explain a route that would take ten photographs to document badly.
What Can the Homeowner Collect?
Homeowners can often collect a large proportion of the basic survey information when given clear instructions. Suitable information may include room dimensions, ceiling heights, radiator dimensions, photographs, videos, cylinder-cupboard dimensions, proposed outdoor-unit location, existing documents, EPC information, number of occupants and bath and shower information.
This can reduce time spent by installers collecting straightforward information.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Customers can collect a large amount of useful information when the process tells them exactly what to do. But there is an important distinction between information collection and technical judgement.
What Should the Installer Verify?
Some information is more technical or more important to the final design. Depending on the project, the installer may need to verify construction type, existing pipe sizes, electrical suitability, outdoor-unit constraints, plant details, hidden services, site access and anything affecting safety or compliance.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Remote survey should move simple information collection away from the installer without moving technical judgement away from the installer. The exact split between customer and installer survey work can be agreed around the way your business operates.
Plans, EPCs and Existing Documents
Existing information should be used where it helps. Useful documents may include EPC, architectural plans, extension drawings, window schedules, new-build specifications, previous heating calculations, manufacturer information and existing survey documents.
These can reduce duplicated work. But existing documents should not automatically be treated as correct if the current property appears to differ from them. Where something matters to the design, it should still be verified appropriately.
Survey Quality Checks
A survey is not automatically complete because every field contains an answer. The information also needs to make sense. Quality checks may identify missing dimensions, impossible room measurements, blurry photographs, unidentified radiators, missing pipe size, no photograph of the consumer unit, missing outdoor-unit clearance, conflicting answers, incomplete cylinder information, and plans that do not match the property.
KEY TAKEAWAY
A survey is not complete just because every box contains something. Where information is unclear, it should be queried before the project moves forward.
Missing-Information Workflow
Missing information should have a clear process. For example:
Missing item identified → Query raised → Customer or installer notified → Information supplied → Information checked → Survey status updated
This is much better than starting design and then stopping repeatedly while the designer waits for answers. It also gives the installer visibility of exactly what is holding the project up.
Survey Revisions and Audit Trail
Survey information can change. A customer might correct a room dimension, upload a better photograph, change the outdoor-unit position, provide a cylinder label, or confirm previously unknown construction.
The project should make it clear what changed, who supplied it, when it changed and which information is current.
KEY TAKEAWAY
If survey information changes, the design team should be able to see what changed and which version is current. This becomes increasingly important where several people are involved in the project.
When Is a Survey Ready for Design?
The project should only move into design when the critical inputs are available. A readiness check may include:
- Property dimensions complete
- Fabric information sufficient
- Emitters recorded
- Pipework information supplied
- Cylinder information complete
- Outdoor-unit location understood
- Electrical information supplied
- Required photos received
- Required videos received
- Critical queries resolved
Once those conditions are met: Project status: Ready for design
The designer should receive a complete project, not a collection of unanswered questions.
What Happens After the Survey?
Once the survey has passed the completeness check, it can move into the design process. Depending on the agreed scope, this may include:
Survey complete → Room-by-room heat loss → Emitter sizing → Heat-pump selection → Pipework design → Hydraulic design → Cylinder selection → Design pack
Heat Loss Hub can complete one stage, several stages or the wider design package depending on how much support you need.
Reduce Unnecessary Survey Revisits
A structured survey process can help reduce common causes of repeat visits. For example missing radiator dimensions, no cylinder-space measurement, forgotten consumer-unit photograph, unclear outdoor-unit position, missing pipe size, no plant-room photographs, or incomplete access information.
It can also reduce follow-up phone calls, email chains, repeated customer contact, designer delays, re-keying information and different survey standards between staff.
KEY TAKEAWAY
The cheapest survey revisit is the one you never need to make.
Consistent Surveys Across Different Staff
Survey quality should not depend entirely on the experience or memory of the person attending the property. A structured workflow can give every surveyor the same questions, the same required measurements, the same photo prompts, the same mandatory information and the same handover format.
This can be particularly useful for growing installer businesses, multiple surveyors, new staff, subcontract surveyors and regional teams.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Survey quality should not depend on which member of staff attended the property.
Remote Surveying for Outsourced Design
Remote surveying works particularly well where design is being outsourced. Your business can continue to own the customer relationship, complete or manage the survey, and control the installation.
Heat Loss Hub can then receive the structured project information and carry out the agreed design work. The aim is to avoid re-keying information, repeating measurements, sending different document versions and chasing survey details after design has started.
KEY TAKEAWAY
The survey becomes the handover between the property and the design team.
White-Label Remote Survey Workflow
Remote surveying can also sit behind an installer-branded customer journey. Depending on the agreed setup, your business sends the survey, your customer remains your customer, survey information is collected in a structured format, Heat Loss Hub works behind the scenes, and design support follows the agreed workflow.
This can make outsourced design feel like part of your own internal process rather than a separate external service.
When Is a Physical Visit Still Needed?
Remote surveying is useful, but it should not become an excuse to guess. A physical visit or additional technical verification may still be needed where there is uncertain construction, inaccessible pipework, unusual plant, electrical uncertainty, complex site constraints, difficult access, conflicting survey information, or a critical detail that cannot be confirmed remotely.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Remote does not mean guesswork. If a critical detail cannot be verified, it should be flagged before the design is finalised. The correct approach depends on the project. The aim is to remove unnecessary visits, not necessary ones.
REMOTE SURVEY GUIDES
All 14 Remote Survey Guides
Getting Started
Who Surveys
What to Survey
Getting It Right
Frequently Asked Questions
Much of the design information can be collected remotely using measurements, photographs, videos, plans and structured questions. Whether a physical installer visit is still needed depends on the property, project and information that can be reliably verified.
The homeowner can often complete suitable sections such as measurements, photographs, radiator dimensions, videos, cylinder-space measurements and property information. Technical items may still require installer verification.
Possibly. Remote surveying is intended to reduce unnecessary visits and allow design information to be collected efficiently. It does not automatically remove the need for site verification where it is required.
Typical information includes property dimensions, building construction, emitters, pipework, hot-water requirements, outdoor-unit location, electrical information, photos, plans and supporting documents. The exact requirements depend on the project and the design scope.
Typical photographs may include each radiator, cylinder and cupboard, existing boiler/plant, pipework, consumer unit, meter, outdoor-unit position, pipe routes and loft or roof areas where relevant. Both context and detail photographs can be useful.
Yes. Video can be particularly useful for showing pipe routes, outdoor-unit routes, plant-room layout, cylinder cupboard, property layout and difficult access.
Yes, where available. LiDAR and smartphone scanning can help collect dimensions and floor-plan information. Manual measurement should still be available where LiDAR is not suitable or not available.
For suitable projects, particularly new builds and major renovations, good plans and construction specifications can provide a large part of the design information. Additional information may still be required.
Yes. An EPC can provide useful background property information. It should normally be treated as one source of information rather than automatically replacing the detailed information required for design.
The missing item should be flagged before the project moves into design. The customer or installer can then provide the required information and the survey can be checked again.
The survey can be reviewed for missing information, conflicting answers, unclear photographs, unusual dimensions, missing technical details and critical assumptions. The project should only be marked ready for design when the required information is sufficiently complete.
Yes. If your current survey already collects the required information, it can potentially form part of the workflow. The important question is whether it gives the designer everything needed in a clear and consistent format.
Yes. A structured survey is particularly useful where several people collect information because everyone follows the same requirements.
Yes. That is one of the main purposes of the workflow. The completed survey can become the handover into the design process.
A white-label survey and design workflow can be agreed where required.
Want to Collect the Survey Once and Move the Project Straight Into Design?
Use a structured remote-survey workflow to collect the measurements, photographs, videos and technical information the designer actually needs.
We check the information for completeness, flag anything missing and move the project into design when the critical inputs are ready.
EXPLORE THE REMOTE SURVEY WORKFLOW
Send us a project to see the completeness workflow in action, or get in touch to discuss setting it up for your business.