B Blog · notes from the field
Blog
Practical notes on plans, maps, measuring and site capture: what works, what doesn't, and the numbers.
How to put a floor plan on a satellite map, to scale11 October 2026 · Line a floor plan or site plan up with aerial imagery so you can measure from it: which points to use, how many, and how to check the result.Measure a house with an iPhone LiDAR scanner11 October 2026 · An iPhone Pro or iPad Pro can measure a whole house room by room in minutes. How to scan well, what goes wrong, and how to check the result with a tape.Find your property boundary online, free (SA, VIC, QLD and TAS)11 October 2026 · State governments publish land parcel boundaries for free. Where to find them, how accurate they are, and when you still need a surveyor.Why satellite images don't line up (and what to trust instead)11 October 2026 · Switch between Google, Esri and Mapbox imagery and your house jumps by metres. Why that happens, and how to line a plan up properly.Wall thickness in Australian houses: double brick, cavity, veneer and stud11 October 2026 · Typical wall thicknesses for drawing an accurate floor plan of an Australian house, and how to tell which construction you have.Drawing a site plan for a council or development application11 October 2026 · What a council usually wants to see on a site plan and floor plan for a shed, deck, pergola or extension, and how to produce a scaled plan yourself.Overlay renovation plans on your floor plan and compare layouts11 October 2026 · Put an architect’s sketch or builder’s plan over your existing floor plan, see exactly what changes, and try different layouts side by side before you commit.