Sicher 3D's setting out surveyors transfer your approved design onto site in Dubai — plot points, piles, grid lines, columns, footings and road alignments — using robotic total stations and RTK GNSS. Every critical point is checked before concrete is poured.
A setting out survey is the reverse of a topographic survey. Instead of measuring what is on the ground and drawing it, the surveyor takes coordinates from the approved drawings and marks them on the ground — so the building is built in the right place, at the right level.
A column 30 mm out of position can mean broken-out concrete, redesigned beams and lost weeks. Most of those errors start with a wrong coordinate on the drawing, a disturbed control point or a peg lost during excavation — all of which a proper setting-out process is designed to catch.
This page explains what we set out at each stage of construction, the method behind each point, how we check our own work, and what your site team receives.
Setting out runs through the whole build. These are the points our surveyors mark for contractors in Dubai — each one tied to the same control network.
A setting-out error is cheap on day one and very expensive after the pour. Every critical point we mark is measured a second time from independent control, and the difference is written into the check report. Your site engineer gets a coordinate schedule, a marked-up drawing and proof that the point in the ground is the point on the drawing.
Control stations and temporary benchmarks fixed and protected on site, tied to the project grid and DLTM.
Plot corners checked against the affection plan, then the building outline and excavation limits marked.
Pile centres with offset pegs, then pile caps, footings and raft edges once piling is complete.
Grid lines transferred to every slab, with column, core-wall and shear-wall positions marked floor by floor.
Blockwork lines, door and window openings, lift and stair cores, and finished-level marks.
Road centrelines, kerb lines, manholes, gullies and falls for car parks, access roads and infrastructure.
Anchor-bolt groups, base plates, sleeves and embedded items positioned before concrete is poured.
For a pile layout, the total station sits on known control outside the work area and marks each pile centre. Offset pegs keep the positions recoverable once the piling rig arrives. The critical points are then re-measured from a second control point, and the differences go into the check report.
Choose the arrangement that matches your project. Every option includes control, setting out or checking, and a written report.
For a defined set of points on one day.
Visits booked against your construction programme.
Verification of the contractor's own setting out.
Each construction stage needs different points — and a different check before the next trade moves in.
| Stage | What we set out | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Mobilisation | Control stations, temporary benchmarks, plot corners checked against the affection plan | Control network closure and benchmark levels |
| Piling | Pile centres with offset pegs; piling platform levels | Pile positions re-measured after installation |
| Foundations | Pile caps, footings, raft edges, grid lines and excavation levels | Formwork positions and levels before pour |
| Superstructure | Grid lines and columns transferred to each slab; core and shear walls | Column positions and slab levels per floor |
| Blockwork & fit-out | Wall lines, openings, finished-level marks | Room dimensions and opening positions |
| External works | Roads, kerbs, manholes, drainage falls, landscaping levels | Levels and falls before surfacing |
| Handover | Final control stations and benchmarks handed over to the client | Finished building recorded by an as-built survey |
Planning a phased programme?Send your drawings and construction programme — we will map the visits to your milestones.
WhatsApp your programme →Structural points need a total station. Roads and earthworks can be set out faster with RTK. We match the method to the tolerance in your specification. Figures below are published manufacturer specifications.
| Method | Published specification | Used for | Not used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robotic total stationHi-Target HTS-820 | Angle 2″ (1″ optional) · 2 mm + 2 ppm with prism · ≥180°/s turning · ≤2″ positioning | Columns, grid lines, anchor bolts, piles — anything structural | Needs line of sight; control must be protected on busy sites |
| Total stationHi-Target HTS-720 | Angle 1″/2″ · 2 mm + 2 ppm with prism · 3 mm + 2 ppm reflectorless | Building setting out and reflectorless checks of hard-to-reach points | Manual pointing; two-person operation for long runs |
| RTK GNSSHi-Target iRTK5 | 8 mm + 1 ppm horizontal · 15 mm + 1 ppm vertical (RMS) | Plot points, roads, earthworks and large open sites | Not used for structural points that need millimetre tolerance |
| Laser / AR RTKHi-Target V600L | Image stake-out 2 cm within 10 m · non-contact points up to 2 cm | Fast layout of non-critical points: landscaping, temporary works | Not for structural or tight-tolerance setting out |
ppm = parts per million of the measured distance. Figures as published on Hi-Target specification sheets; achieved accuracy also depends on control and site conditions.
We set out with the same Hi-Target instruments we distribute across the UAE — and sell the MiniPro airbag that protects a total station on a busy site. Each one is available to buy from Sicher 3D.
Wrong coordinates, a rotated CAD grid or a disturbed benchmark cause more rework than instrument error. We check all three before anything is marked. The Dubai grid is published as EPSG:3997 (WGS 84 / Dubai Local TM).
Design drawings are often drawn in local CAD coordinates. Before marking anything we check the drawing grid against the plot coordinates on the DLTM grid (EPSG:3997) and flag any shift or rotation to the design team.
Dubai Municipality geodesy ↗Setting-out tolerances come from your project specification. We choose the method to suit them and record the measured deviation of every checked point, so the site supervisor can sign off with evidence.
Recorded in every check reportWe check existing plot pegs against your affection plan before setting out the building. Placing or reinstating official cadastral boundary pegs is a regulated service handled by authorised surveyors.
DLD accredited survey companies ↗We receive the for-construction drawings and verify grids and coordinates against the plot.
Control stations and benchmarks are set, protected and tied to the project grid.
Points are marked with pegs, nails or paint, with offset pegs where excavation follows.
Critical points are re-measured from separate control and the deviations recorded.
Coordinate schedule, marked-up drawing and check report go to your site engineer.
Every visit ends with records your site engineer, consultant and future surveyors can rely on.
Control, building layout and floor-by-floor setting out
Pile centres, offset pegs and post-piling position checks
Anchor bolts, base plates and embedment positions
Independent check surveys of contractor setting out
Phased setting-out programmes across villa and building plots
Roads, kerbs, drainage and utility alignments
Share your for-construction drawings, affection plan and programme. A surveyor will check the coordinates, plan the visits and send a clear, fixed quote.
Send your drawings and construction programme. We'll check the coordinates, plan the visits and reply with a clear, fixed quote within 24 hours.
Prefer to talk? Call +971 50 108 0764 or WhatsApp us.
