What software do AV integrators use for site surveys?
Last updated:
Most AV integrators now record site surveys in a dedicated site survey app on a phone or tablet, supported by a laser distance measure and the client's floor plans. The app replaces the older method of a paper form, a camera roll of unlabelled photos and a report typed up afterwards.
The tools fall into four groups:
| Tool | What it does on a survey | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Site survey app | Files photos, measurements and form answers against each room on the floor plan, offline, and produces the report | Needs the rooms set up before the visit |
| Paper form and phone camera | Records notes and photos | Photos are not tied to rooms; the report is retyped later |
| Generic form or checklist app | Collects answers to set questions | No floor plan, so findings are not tied to a location |
| Laser measure and drawings (PDF or CAD) | Confirms dimensions against the architect's plans | Captures size only, not ceiling, power or data conditions |
What matters to a buyer is not the brand of app but what it produces. A survey recorded properly gives you photographs of every room and ceiling void, a marked-up floor plan, and a list of what other trades need to provide, all traceable to the room they came from. If a bidder cannot show you that record, the quote is resting on memory.
Strive AV records every AV site survey in the SiteSurvey app. Each project is split into its rooms on the floor plan, the engineer completes a survey form for each room type, and the captured record becomes the written report. The same record is then used by the designer during consultation and design and by the installers at commissioning, where serial numbers and test results are logged against the same rooms.
Ask any integrator two questions: what do you survey with, and can I see a sample report? The answers tell you quickly whether the survey is a real step or a formality.
Quick reference: dedicated site survey app (rooms on a floor plan, offline capture, automatic report) + laser measure + client floor plans; Strive AV uses the SiteSurvey app.
Related solution: AV consultation and design.
Related questions
Need help with this on a real project?
Strive AV designs, supplies, installs and supports commercial AV across the UK and internationally.
Talk to us
