Pqs Survey Ltd

What Pqs Survey Ltd does

PQS Survey Ltd is a UK-based, privately-held survey and safety equipment company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Operating from seven trade depots across the UK, the company sells, hires, services, and calibrates construction surveying instruments, machine control systems, and safety equipment — including laser levels, theodolites, robotic total stations, GPS/GNSS rovers, cable and gas detection equipment, confined-space gear, drainage CCTV, and davit systems. It holds the status of Topcon's largest authorised distributor and service partner in the UK, alongside a complementary distribution and service relationship with Leica Geosystems and several other manufacturers.

The business operates across five revenue streams: equipment hire (short- and long-term, supported by in-house logistics offering same-day/next-day nationwide delivery), equipment sales (online, phone, and at depot trade counters), service and calibration by manufacturer-trained technicians, machine control installation and retrofit on excavators and heavy plant, and EUSR-accredited CAT & Genny training delivered at three depot locations. Pricing is not publicly listed; standard delivery is charged at £9.95 ex VAT for orders below £100 ex VAT, with preferred 30-day BACS terms and CPA plant hire conditions governing enterprise accounts.

The company targets the UK construction vertical as its primary segment, serving contractors, civil engineering firms, and infrastructure developers. Notable disclosed customers include Moorhead Excavations, GPHL, Shanco, and Afton Projects, alongside an education-sector engagement with Coventry University. A sister company, PQS Tech Solutions, extends the group into digital construction and surveying consultancy. The Managing Director is Carl Pick, who has led the business since founding, and the company holds ISO 9001 certification. No external funding rounds or parent ownership have been disclosed.

Name

Pqs Survey Ltd

Legal name

PQS Survey Limited

Website

https://pqssurvey.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

PQS Survey Ltd is the UK's largest independently-owned survey and safety equipment distributor, selling, hiring, servicing, and calibrating construction surveying, machine control, and safety instruments across seven UK depots for construction contractors and civil engineering firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Survey Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (81121), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination) (IMAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Survey equipment supply
• Construction safety equipment
• Machine control systems
• Robotic total stations
• Equipment hire services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Equipment Hire: Short-term and long-term hire of survey and safety equipment including laser levels, grade lasers, pipe lasers, theodolites, total stations, robotic total stations, GPS network rovers, cable detection equipment, gas detection, confined space equipment, CCTV systems, and davit systems. Hire includes delivery through in-house logistics team offering same day/next day delivery nationwide.
2. Equipment Sales: Sale of new survey and safety equipment including accessories. Products sold include Topcon, Leica, and other branded equipment. Sales are conducted online, over the phone, and at 7 depot trade counters across the UK.
3. Service and Calibration: Comprehensive servicing and calibration facilities with fully trained technicians qualified by manufacturers. Technicians operate within strict guidelines and parameters. Access to all major brands with rapid response times to reduce customer downtime.
4. Training Services: EUSR CAT & Genny training courses offered at 3 depot locations (Boldon, Hull & Leeds). Covers health and safety, equipment operation, service detection capabilities, and scanning techniques.
5. Machine Control Installation and Support: Specialist services including installation of machine control equipment on customer construction machinery, retrofitting of existing machines with machine control technology, and ongoing technical support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PQS Survey Ltd is the UK's largest independently-owned survey and safety equipment supplier to the construction industry. The company distributes, hires, services, and installs precision survey instruments (laser levels, GPS rovers, robotic total stations, total stations) and safety equipment (cable detection, gas detection, confined space, CCTV drainage, davit systems), alongside Topcon and Leica machine control technology for excavators and heavy construction machinery, from seven UK depots with same-day/next-day delivery.

Product overview

Pqs Survey Ltd operates as a diversified construction technology equipment company offering both product sales and equipment hire across survey, safety, and machine control categories. Its product portfolio is anchored by two major brand partnerships: Topcon (MC-Max, X-53X, PS-200, GT-1500/GT-700 robotic total stations and machine control systems) and Leica Geosystems (TS20, iCON iCR80, iCON site software, MCP80/MDS machine control hardware). Supporting these are survey instruments including laser levels (rotating and grade), pipe lasers, laser receivers, theodolites/total stations, robotic total stations, GPS network rovers, and accessories; safety products covering cable detection, gas detection, confined space/working at height equipment, drainage CCTV, davit systems, and environmental monitoring; plus services encompassing equipment hire, manufacturer-trained servicing and calibration, machine control installation and support (including retrofit), and EUSR-accredited CAT & Genny training. The company distributes nationally from seven depots and operates a sister consultancy, PQS Tech Solutions, for digital construction and BIM services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Topcon MC-Max Excavator Machine Control System A configurable 2D/3D indicate control excavator system powered by the MC-X Platform, supporting both guidance and automatic modes for construction contractors. Features a TS-14 3-axis IMU sensor developed for high-vibration construction environments.
• Topcon X-53X Excavator System A 3D indicate control excavator system featuring integrated multi-constellation GR-i3 GNSS receivers for precise boom, stick, and bucket positioning, with fully upgradeable components from 2D to 3D configuration.
• Topcon PS-200 Robotic Total Station A professional-grade robotic total station designed for machine control use cases, featuring LongLink communication, 1,000m non-prism EDM range, IP65 rating, and PowerTrac tracking technology.
• Topcon GT-1500 / GT-700 Robotic Total Station A flagship robotic total station series for demanding survey and construction tasks, offering faster layouts, consistent repeatable accuracy, and support for Topcon Field, Digital Layout, and Pocket3D software.
• Leica TS20 Robotic Total Station A next-generation AI-driven robotic total station for everyday surveying work, enhanced with target recognition technology and whisper-quiet motors.
• Leica iCON iCR80 Robotic Total Station A construction total station maximising layout efficiency with ATRplus automated-aiming and lock technology for robust target tracking in congested sites, supporting one-person operation and layout from 2D CAD to object-based BIM models.
• Leica iCON Site Heavy Construction Software An intelligent software core for site solutions covering stakeout, cut/fill, volume calculations, roading, and machine guidance applications, with cloud connectivity via Leica ConX and support for entry-level through advanced workflows.
• Leica MCP80 3D Machine Control Panel and MDS Docking Stations An all-in-one 3D machine control hardware panel with IP66/IP67 rating, interchangeable across all heavy construction machines, paired with Leica MDS docking stations for cable-free operation and machine-specific calibration storage.
• Laser Levels and Grade Lasers Precision rotating and grade laser instruments for construction alignment, gradient, and slope tasks in earthworks, road construction, and site preparation.
• Pipe Lasers Specialized lasers for pipeline installation alignment and gradient control in drainage and utility construction.
• Theodolite and Total Stations Precision optical instruments for measuring angles in surveying and construction layout applications.
• GPS Network Rover Systems GNSS-based positioning systems for survey stakeout, data capture, and site control across large construction and surveying projects.
• Cable Location and Detection Equipment Equipment for detecting and locating underground utilities and buried cables to prevent struck incidents during excavation.
• Gas Detection Equipment Safety monitoring instruments for detecting hazardous gases in confined spaces and construction environments.
• Confined Spaces and Working at Height Equipment Safety equipment for entry into confined spaces and work at elevation, including detection, retrieval, and fall protection systems.
• Drainage and CCTV Inspection Systems CCTV inspection equipment and drainage survey tools for assessing underground pipe conditions and infrastructure integrity.
• Davit Systems Mounted davit systems for safe personnel and equipment handling and rescue operations in industrial and construction settings.
• Noise, Dust and Vibration Monitoring Equipment Environmental monitoring instruments for measuring and recording noise levels, airborne dust, and vibration on construction and infrastructure sites.
• Equipment Hire Short- and long-term hire of survey and safety equipment across a national depot network, with seven trade counters and online ordering support and same-day/next-day delivery through an in-house logistics team.
• Service and Calibration Comprehensive servicing and calibration of survey and safety equipment by manufacturer-trained technicians, with rapid response times to reduce customer downtime, covering all major brands.
• Machine Control Installation and Support Supply, installation, and support of machine control systems for excavators, dozers, and other heavy construction equipment, including retrofitting machine control technology onto existing customer machinery.
• CAT and Genny Training EUSR-accredited CAT and Genny training courses covering underground cable detection, delivered at three depot locations (Boldon, Hull, Leeds) with health and safety, equipment operation, service detection capabilities, and scanning techniques.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3D machine control systems show 30% productivity increase over non-equipped excavators
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TopconcoreTechnology or IntegrationPQS Survey is Topcon's largest authorised distributor and service partner in the UK. The partnership includes distribution of Topcon machine control systems (MC-MAX, X-53X, PS-200), robotic total stations (GT-1500, GT-700), and related equipment. PQS provides installation, service, and calibration for Topcon products.
• Leica GeosystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationChannel partner offering Leica machine control solutions including MC1 software platform, MCP80 control panel, MDS docking stations, iCON site software, and iCON iCR80 robotic total stations. PQS provides distribution, installation, and support for Leica products.
• PQS Tech SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company providing digital construction and surveying consultancy services. PQS Tech Solutions leverages cutting-edge technology and data-driven insights to streamline project workflows and enhance efficiency for construction industry clients.
• DragerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReseller of Drager safety equipment including gas detection systems.
• Abtech SafetyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner for safety equipment including davit systems.
• MSAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner for safety equipment.
• Radio DetectionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner for cable detection and location equipment.
• GlobestockminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner for lifting and safety equipment.
• Spectra PrecisionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner for laser and optical equipment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SCCS Survey Equipment: UK supplier of survey and safety equipment offering hire, sales, and calibration of laser levels, total stations, GPS, cable detection and gas detection gear to construction and utility customers. Closely comparable product/customer mix to PQS's hire/sales business.
• KOREC Group: UK and Ireland distributor of Trimble positioning and machine control solutions, offering survey equipment sales, hire, training, and software services. Direct competitor in the same manufacturer-channel-plus-services model that PQS operates for Topcon and Leica.
• Sitech UK (a Caterpillar company): UK Trimble dealer providing machine control systems, survey equipment, and software for the construction industry. Comparable customer base and machine-control installation service offering.
• Lavis Group: One of the UK's largest independent survey equipment distributors, offering hire, sales, service, and training of survey and safety equipment to the construction sector. Directly comparable to PQS in product range, customer segment, and UK distribution-led model.
• Survey & General Instrument Co: UK-based distributor and hirer of survey instruments (Topcon, Leica, Trimble, Geomax) with service and calibration capabilities. Comparable business model of multi-brand survey instrument supply, hire, and aftermarket service.

Regional players

• Speedy Hire: UK-listed national equipment hire specialist offering tools, survey and safety equipment via a national depot network. Comparable in distribution density and hire-led revenue model but broader across non-survey categories and much larger scale.
• Ashtead Group (Sunbelt Rentals): FTSE 100 UK equipment hire group operating Sunbelt Rentals in the US and UK, including survey and safety equipment lines. Comparable UK depot footprint and hire motion, though much broader portfolio and significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Leica Geosystems (Hexagon): Global manufacturer of total stations, GNSS, machine control and scanning hardware, owned by Hexagon. PQS is a UK channel partner distributing Leica TS20, iCR80, MCP80 and iCON software. Overlapping product portfolio but with vastly larger scale and direct enterprise sales reach.
• Topcon Positioning Systems: Global manufacturer of survey instruments, GNSS receivers, and machine control systems; PQS is Topcon's largest UK authorised distributor and service partner. Comparable product portfolio but at OEM rather than distributor scale.
• Hilti (Great Britain): Global construction tools and equipment supplier (including laser measurement and safety solutions) with direct sales model and strong UK presence. Comparable customer base of professional contractors but a broader industrial-tooling portfolio rather than a survey specialist.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PqsSurvey
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• TikToktiktok.com/@pqssurvey

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pqs Survey Ltd