What should you expect from your surveyor?
A simple question with quite a complicated answer!
All RICS Surveyors should provide a professional service. RICS Surveyors are regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and have to abide by the RICS rules which cover nearly all aspects of their activities including professional competence, honesty, and transparency, including conflicts of interest. They are prohibited from offering advice which they are not qualified to give; for example only RICS Registered Valuers (a surveyor that has completed the relevant RICS module) may provide valuations.
Consequently the scope of what to expect from your surveyor is determined by what sort of service he or she is being asked to provide: it can be safely presumed that if a surveyor is offering a service, they are qualified to deliver it in a professional manner. But this is also why not all surveyors provide all survey types, and notably many will not provide valuations.
So what should you expect?
There are some standard survey types, such as the RICS Level 1 Condition Report, the RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report, and the RICS Level 3 Building Survey, that have a set scope, and it is important that you check if these are suitable for your needs - see our article "Which home survey do I need" for a brief overview of the key features of each.
The report you receive should meet the requirements of these 'standard' reports, but if you have any specific questions you need answered in relation to the property, or the scope of the survey, you should discuss these with your prospective surveyor before giving them an instruction to carry out the survey. All should be happy to talk you through your survey pre-instruction.
You should be aware that there are limitations as to what the surveyor may include in his report:
- things which fall outside the set scope of the survey requested
- valuation - only included in some surveys as standard
- areas of the property where access is restricted, e.g. roof space, under flooring, built-in or full cupboards & etc. These limitations are not normally known about until the surveyor is on site.
- areas where the surveyor does not has specific expertise or necessary qualifications, e.g. electrics, heating systems, double glazing
You should check with the surveyor what will be included, and what may be excluded, or what may require a specialist examination.
Most surveyors will try and accommodate any special concerns you might have about the property, but "add-ons" will often sometimes incur an additional cost which you should agree before giving the instruction.
Timing and access to property
Your surveyor will normally arrange to visit the property as soon as practicable - this may be within a few days, but can be as much as a couple of weeks, depending upon their own workload and access to the property. For a survey to take place, they must have access to the property which does leave them a little at the mercy of the current home owner.
Most sellers use an estate agent, so usually the surveyor will be able to collect keys from them, but sometimes the home owner will insist on being present or have the agent present, particularly if the house is alarmed or there are pets in the home, which can lead to delays.
This is why it is particularly important that if there are deadlines involved, you should always ensure that your chosen surveyor is aware of these, and confirm them in writing!
Payment and report
Different surveyors will have different policies relating to when you should pay - all will require payment before the report is released to you, and some will request payment with the booking, before undertaking the survey. It is a standard practice in the industry that survey reports are not released to you until paid for.
Depending upon the nature of the survey, it may take a few days after the survey for the report to be ready, particularly for Building Surveys which tend to be more comprehensive. Most surveyors will be able to provide an indication of the lead time from survey to report, and it's worth checking that before giving them the instruction, particularly if there are any deadlines relating to the property purchase.
Verbal reports
You may wish to have a verbal report from your surveyor or a follow up discussion of any issues they identified. Most surveyors will not do this before the written report is delivered (or at least until paid for). This is partly because they may want some time to consider things before committing themselves (and a valuation neccessarily requires comparitive desk research), but also because it leaves them open to 'non-payment' problems where the client makes a decision based on the verbal feedback, and no longer sees the value of the written report. Sorry, but it happens.
Likewise, you might wish to accompany the surveyor during the survey. Most surveyors will not allow this, partly because it can greatly increase the time taken for the survey, but also for the reasons above, so don't be surprised or offended if your surveyor declines your request to attend or for verbal feedback, it is a standard practice for the industry.
Get Instant Survey Estimates
How Our Site Works
How it Works
Our RICS Surveyors cover the whole of the UK. All of the surveyors or firms listed on our site are RICS Registered and Regulated - either AssocRICS, MRICS, FRICS, or RICS Regulated Firms, so you can be sure that your survey will be carried out to the highest professional standards.
Getting an estimate for a standard home survey is as simple as 1, 2, 3...
1. Enter your property details
2. Enter your contact details, and
3. Press Search - what could be simpler?
You will receive estimates for your survey from up to five RICS Surveyors operating in your postcode. These estimates and the surveyor details will be displayed on screen, and also emailed to you for you to follow up. Your details will also be sent to the listed surveyors so they can contact you to discuss your requirements in more detail.
If you need something other than a standard survey for a home purchase, then simply click on one of the 'Survey Types' options from the main menu to find a relevant surveyor.
FAQs
FAQs
I didn't get 5 results/estimates, why is that?
The maximum number of estimates you will receive is 5, and in most urban areas, for the common survey types, you will receive a full complement. But in some areas, particularly rural areas, the actual number may be fewer, depending upon the number of surveyors offering the specific service you require, as:
a) not all surveyors will offer all survey types in their chosen territories, and
b) some areas, particularly more rural areas, simply have fewer surveyors covering them!
Do quoted fees include VAT?
Yes, fees include VAT where applicable. But note not all surveyors are VAT registered, particularly independent surveyors or smaller practices who's prices will be shown without VAT.
Why are you not showing the option of a RICS Level 1 Condition Report?
The scope and work involved in the preparation of the RICS Condition Report is very similar to that of a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report. It involves the same amount of travel to the property, the same visual inspection, and only a slightly less comprehensive report. Because of this, the price differential between the two report levels is insignificant, generally less than 10%. Added to this, many surveyors consider the scope of a Level 1 report to be insufficient for buyers to make a truly informed buying decision. As a result very few suveyors actively offer the Level 1 survey, preferring to only offer the Level 2 HomeBuyer report as a more appropriate alternative. Conseqently we no longer include the RICS Level 1 Condition Report as a search option on our site.
Are your surveyors all local to my postcode?
Results will list surveying firms of a mixture of sizes and locations. Some are independent practitioners, and others may be larger firms covering wider areas. Smaller firms and independent surveyors tend to be highly localised - they don't like to waste hours 'on the road' travelling between surveys!
Larger regional or semi-national firms with main offices that are located out of your immediate locality usually employ surveyors local to the postcodes they appear in for the same reason, so you can expect that the surveyor carrying out your survey for any firm appearing in your search results will have a good knowledge of your local area. Just because the main office of a surveying firm is distant from your location does not mean the actual surveyor carrying out your survey is not local!
If you are in any doubt as to the local knowledge of the surveyors returned, we'd recommend you simply ask about their experience of your locality before you choose.
Why do you ask for the postcode and address of the property?
We need your postcode to find local surveyors actively operating in the area. The full address helps surveyors answer any questions you may have based on the specific property, and its location, for which you require the survey.
Why do you ask for my contact details?
We need these to email your estimates to you, and so the surveyors can contact you to discuss your exact requirements. If you choose to withold your contact information (by entering dummy information for example) you will still be able to view your search results on screen, but they will not be emailed to you. If you prefer to be emailed but not called, simply enter 'please don't call me' or a series of zeros in the telephone number field.
Can I withhold my contact details?
You can if you wish, but if you choose to withold your contact information (by entering dummy information for example) we will not be able to email your estimates to you, although you will still be able to view your search results on screen. If you want to receive confirmation of your estimates by email but prefer not to be called, simply enter 'please don't call me' or a series of zeros in the telephone number field.
What do you do with my details?
Details of your survey estimate and the contact details you provide are are stored in our database, and sent to the surveyors shown in results so they can respond to you. They are prohibited from using your data for any other purpose.
If you tick the 'Please send me details of other services...' box we may send you additional information on our other services and products. If you do not tick the box you will not receive any further offers from us. Under no circumstances will we sell or pass your personal data to any other party - please see our privacy policy for full details.
Is your site secure?
Our website uses a Secure Socket Layer (commonly called an SSL certificate) to encrypt all data being transmitted between your browser and our webserver using the https protocol to ensure that no personal information can be intercepted. Click on the padlock in your browser address bar for details of our SSL certificate.
Are all your surveyors RICS surveyors?
Yes. All the surveyors or firms listed on our site are RICS accredited - either AssocRICS, MRICS, FRICS, or RICS Regulated Firms. Results may also return estimates for companies such as Your Survey, that provide a centralised 'outsourced' marketing, booking and administration service for individual RICS regulated surveyors.
Why is there a difference between quotes from different surveyors for the same 'standard' type of RICS survey?
Most surveyors base their fees on the amount of time taken to carry out the property inspection and prepare their final report.
They will generally include an allowance for covering their travel time and mileage to and from the property, and time to answer any follow up questions.
Although Level 1 and Level 2 surveys (RICS Condition Report and RICS HomeBuyer Report) have to meet the RICS standard minimum scope, there can be variations to that. For example, some surveyors may include more detailed photos and additional information. Although the minimum RICS specification should be met, the survey may include 'extras' that add to the cost. This variation can be more marked for Level 3 surveys (Building Surveys), where reports may be more in-depth and more customised.
Many surveyors will provide sample reports, and it is worth requesting a copy of these to compare before giving your instruction to proceed to check you are comparing 'like-with-like'.
Another factor to consider is VAT. The fees quoted on our site include VAT where applicable. However, not all surveyors are VAT registered, particularly independent surveyors with smaller practices, and that will be reflected in their quoted fee.
Are the quotes on your site binding?
No. The fees quoted on our site are estimates based on a conventional property of standard construction, so should be correct for 'normal' urban properties.
However, if properties are older, or have been modified, for example through the addition of extensions, garages, conservatories, or loft rooms etc, then there might be extra costs involved. This would particularly apply to properties that have additional outbuildings or annexes. You should always check that the surveyor is aware of these, or any specific concerns you want addressed, in order to obtain a confirmed quotation.
This site is secured by SSL (https) so you can be sure your information is secure and cannot be intercepted. Click the padlock in your browser address bar for the certificate details. 
Get Instant Survey Quotes Now! »