The average expenditure on site investigation in Scotland for the period studied was 0.47 percent of the total project cost. Site investigation reports showed great diversity in content, layout and presentation and inadequate recording of test results was common; compliance with BS recommendations was lacking. Detailed field work indicated that the majority of site investigation failings came from fundamental issues and that site investigation practice was seldom optimum. Major improvement in effectiveness is therefore possible through care and planning withoutnecessaryly increasing expenditure on site investigation. The need to include a preliminary phase (to extract information from available data) is emphasised. The report concludes that it is not the state of application of the art. The solution includes education and efficientplanning