Published: 20 Feb 2025
Membership of The Survey Association has grown year on year, and we now have over 215 member companies. This includes a growing number of educational establishments that are joining us as academic members. This is particularly pleasing given our focus on addressing the skills gap and encouraging young people to consider a career in land surveying.
From free of charge events in prestigious settings, to learning opportunities and discounts, the benefits of membership of TSA are wide ranging and we have detailed some of them here. The application process to become a member is rigorous and thorough. This is intentional, as it is crucial to us all to maintain the high standards of skills and proficiency required of our members, giving confidence to clients.
From start to finish, applying to become a member of TSA takes from four to five months, although it has been completed on occasion much more quickly than that. We do have a rule that the application process has to be completed within 12 months of the start date.
Different categories of membership of TSA
All potential members will be eligible for only one category of the following:
Full member
To be eligible for full membership, a company must derive the majority of its turnover from surveying in the UK. It also needs to have been trading for over three years.
Associate member
This is the category for companies that have been trading for under three years but fulfil all the other requirements needed for a Full member. Once an Associate member company has been trading for three years, they can apply for Full membership.
Affiliate member
This is the category for large multi-disciplinary consultancies that have survey departments.
Academic member
Educational institutions that offer a surveying qualification can apply for this category of membership. Academic membership is free.
Supplier member
Supplier membership is available for organisations that provide services to surveyors, such as IT equipment or insurance.
Starting your application to TSA
The process of application to TSA is completely digital to make it as straightforward and efficient as possible. There is no doubt that it is a rigorous process, and not all applications are successful. This is important to maintain the high standards that clients should expect from TSA members. However, we pride ourselves on the transparency of the process so we always provide open and honest feedback.
As well as providing a number of specific work samples in the form of DWG files, we will need to see evidence of correct survey methodology being followed too, with details of health and safety policies and RAMS. We will also need to follow up references. Once all this is in order, every applicant will have an assessment call. This is an important step as it is a mutual opportunity for the applicant and TSA to find out a lot more about each other. The call is then written up into report form which is sent to the Membership and Internal Affairs (MIA) Committee and then onto Council for final sign-off of the application.
To find out more about the application process, visit https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/membership/
