Ask three providers for a WiFi site survey quote and you may get three very different answers. The reason is rarely greed. The quotes often describe different work: one is a desktop model, one is a walk of the building with a test access point, and one is a post-install check.
This guide explains the three survey types, the factors that move the cost, and how to compare quotes fairly. It gives no price list, because we have no verified pricing to publish and building size and construction change the answer too much for a single number to help.
What decides the cost of a WiFi site survey?
The cost of a WiFi site survey is decided mostly by survey type, area, building construction and deliverables. Each one changes how much time the surveyor needs, and time is what you pay for.
- Survey type: predictive, on-site or validation.
- Size of the area and the number of floors or buildings.
- Building construction: drywall, concrete, glass, metal and fire-rated walls affect both the model and the work needed to check it.
- Ceiling type and height, and where access points can be mounted.
- Users, devices and applications: voice, video, scanners and high-density spaces need more design work.
- New build or existing network: existing networks add measurement and troubleshooting.
- Number of sites and travel.
- Access limits: after-hours work in sites that cannot be disturbed, or restricted areas.
- Deliverables: heatmaps, project file, bill of materials and the level of reporting.
- Re-survey: whether a second pass after changes is in the scope.
How do predictive, on-site and validation surveys differ?
A predictive survey models a network from a floor plan, an on-site survey measures the real building with a temporary access point, and a validation survey measures a network that is already installed. They answer different questions, so they are priced on different work.
Ekahau documents the predictive workflow as importing a floor plan, in formats such as CAD, PDF, PNG or JPG, detecting walls, choosing access point models and placing access points to meet coverage targets. It also states that even a carefully designed network needs validation after deployment.
| Survey | What it is | Best when | Cost depends on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Predictive | A software model built from floor plans and wall data. No access points need to be installed. | Planning a new network or a redesign | Quality of plans, number of floors, design detail, wall verification |
| On-site (AP on a stick) | A temporary access point on a pole is moved through the building and signal is measured at set points. | You need real measurements before you buy, or plans are unreliable | Area, floors, time on site, access hours, travel |
| Validation | Measurements of an installed network, compared with the design. | After installation, or when users report problems | Area, floors, measurement detail, number of issues to investigate |
Why do building construction and floor count change the price?
Construction and floor count change the price because they change how many areas need modeling and how many assumptions need checking. Walls absorb and reflect signal differently, and every floor adds its own plan, its own walls and its own coverage questions.
Ekahau states that its design software accounts for walls, distances and coverage requirements when it places access points. A model is only as good as the wall data behind it. If the floor plan is old, incomplete or missing, someone has to walk the building, verify the construction and correct the model. That is added work, and it is the reason a predictive survey for a clean modern plan can differ from one for an older building.
How are WiFi site survey quotes structured?
Quotes usually take one of a few shapes: a fixed fee for a defined scope, a day rate with an estimated number of days, or a price per area or floor. What matters is what each includes.
| Structure | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee | One price for a written scope | Changes to scope after sign-off |
| Day rate | A daily charge times the days used | An estimate that grows; ask for a cap or review point |
| Per floor or per area | A unit price times the number of floors or the area | How areas are measured and what counts as a floor |
| Add-ons | Travel, after-hours, re-survey, extra reporting | Items listed outside the headline price |
What should a WiFi survey report contain?
A WiFi survey report should contain heatmaps, the recommended access point positions and settings, a bill of materials and the underlying project file. If a quote does not say what you receive, the price cannot be compared.
Ekahau lists the views it generates, including primary and secondary signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, channel interference, capacity, and data rate and throughput. Ask which views your report will include and whether you get the project file, so another engineer can open and reuse it.
- Heatmaps for signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio and channel interference.
- Recommended access point locations, mounting heights and antenna orientation.
- A bill of materials for access points, brackets and cabling.
- The Ekahau project file with the survey data and access point placement.
- An executive summary with prioritized recommendations.
How do you get comparable WiFi survey quotes?
Send every provider the same written brief and ask each one the same questions. Compare scope first and price second.
- Provide floor plans, floor count, building age and use, and the devices and applications the network must support.
- State the survey type you want, or ask each provider to recommend one and explain why.
- Ask what is included: travel, after-hours work, number of visits, re-survey and report format.
- Ask who prepares and checks the floor plan, and how wall materials are verified.
- Ask for the list of deliverables, including the project file.
- Ask how a change in scope is handled and who approves it.
- Ask what the provider does when measurements disagree with the model.
How does Deploris scope a WiFi site survey?
Deploris quotes WiFi surveys against a written scope. The scope names the survey type, the areas and floors, the access hours, the deliverables and what happens if the building differs from its plans.
We work with Ekahau tools, and each engagement has one engagement manager, agreed access, and a report that includes heatmaps, the project file and a bill of materials. We do not publish a price list, because a number without a scope would mislead. If you are not sure which survey you need, start with the predictive vs on-site comparison and the wireless complaints solution page linked below.
Key takeaways
- Predictive, on-site and validation surveys do different work, so quotes for them are not like for like.
- Area, floors, building construction, access hours and deliverables are the main cost drivers.
- Old or missing floor plans add work, because someone must verify the building.
- Compare quotes on a written scope and a list of deliverables, not on a headline price.