Area surveys can be undertaken to determine the area of a plot of land.

Calculation of areas and dimensions may be required for a variety of reasons:

• Agricultural purposes, to comply with government requirements, grant applications or to monitor crop yields.
• For commercial purposes it may be necessary to determine areas to value the land prior to sale or purchase.
• For development or construction purposes areas may be required as part of the design or tendering phases of a project. Facilities management may require areas in order to provide contract and tendering documents.
• On land where there are significant changes in the surface level, both plan and surface areas can be determined.