HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a building surveyor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Check the Chartered Surveyor title, choose the right survey level and know a valuation is not a survey.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a building surveyor in five steps

  1. Choose the survey levelA lighter survey for a modern home in good order; a full building survey for older, altered or unusual homes.
  2. Check the Chartered titleIf they say Chartered Surveyor, check with RICS.
  3. Tell the surveyor your worriesCracks, damp or extensions you noticed on viewing.
  4. Ask what is not inspectedLofts, under floors, services and roofs out of reach.
  5. Read the report and callAsk about anything rated urgent before you exchange.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence is needed to carry out building surveys in any UK nation. The government's Regulated Professions Register lists Chartered Surveyor as a title regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, so check that title where it is claimed.

Ask the building surveyor whether they are chartered and check their membership. regulated-professions.service.gov.uk →

Survey, not just a valuation

A lender's valuation is for the lender and is not a survey of defects; a building survey by a surveyor, chartered or not, reports on condition, defects and repairs to budget for. Neither is a licence or certificate of the building's condition.

Book the survey level that suits the property's age, type and condition.

Building Regulations for past work

Extensions and alterations often needed Building Regulations approval. A surveyor can flag work that may lack it; your conveyancer then asks for the certificates.

Ask the surveyor to list alterations that need approval paperwork. gov.uk →

Professional indemnity insurance

Your remedy for a missed defect depends on the surveyor's insurance. No register sets the cover, so ask.

Ask for the building surveyor's insurer and limit.

VAT

Survey work is standard-rated, so a registered building surveyor adds 20% to the survey fee and to extras such as a valuation or drone inspection. Registration becomes compulsory once a building surveyor has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the building surveyor for the VAT number with the terms of engagement and for the survey fee and VAT shown separately. gov.uk →

“Which survey level do you recommend for this property, and why?”

A good answer: A reasoned answer based on age, construction and alterations.

“Are you a Chartered Surveyor?”

A good answer: Yes or no, with membership you can check.

“What will the building surveyor not inspect?”

A good answer: Hidden areas, services and anything needing specialist tests.

“Will you check for alterations needing approval?”

A good answer: Extensions, removed walls, loft conversions flagged for paperwork.

“When will I get the report?”

A good answer: A date, usually within a week of the visit.

“Can I call you to discuss the findings?”

A good answer: A follow-up call included.

“Do you hold professional indemnity insurance?”

A good answer: Yes, with the insurer named.

Getting the quote right

  • Survey level and what it covers
  • Who actually attends the inspection: the building surveyor who signs the report, an employed surveyor, or a subcontracted one
  • Fee for the property's value band
  • Extras such as a valuation or roof drone inspection
  • Report delivery date and follow-up call
  • Insurance details
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% under the survey fee

Walk away if

  • Offers a valuation as if it were a survey
  • Claims Chartered status you cannot check
  • Report delivered with no site visit details
  • Very short time on site for an old house
  • No insurance
  • Refuses a follow-up call
LOW
£400
TYPICAL
£700
HIGH
£1,500

What a building surveyor costs: £400–£1,500 per survey

Building surveys are priced per survey by level and property value, with extras such as valuations added. Building Surveyor price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Building surveyors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. BookingSurvey level, access and your concerns agreed.
  2. InspectionA visual inspection of the roof, walls, floors, services and grounds.
  3. RatingsEach element rated for urgency.
  4. ReportDefects, risks and repairs explained in writing.
  5. Follow-upA call to talk through the findings.

Building survey
The most detailed survey, for older or altered homes.
Condition rating
A score showing how urgent a defect is.
Mortgage valuation
The lender's check of value; not a survey.
Chartered Surveyor
A title regulated by RICS.
Level of survey
How deep the inspection goes; older and altered homes need more.
Further investigation
A recommendation for a specialist to check something.

AFTER

When the job is done

Act on urgent itemsGet quotes for serious defects before exchange.
Share relevant points with your conveyancerAlterations and boundary issues they need to raise.
Keep the reportIt is useful for future works and insurance.
Review the jobBooked work is the only kind reviewed on Locufy, which makes each review of the building surveyor worth reading. Use the make-it-right step first if anything is unresolved.

STEP 1Set it out for the building surveyorEmail the building surveyor with the facts, the evidence and a date for a reply. Reasonable care and skill is a term the Consumer Rights Act 2015 reads into every service a trader sells you, and a shortfall entitles you to have it redone or pay less.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the job under four stars and you can send it to the building surveyor through the make-it-right step. We keep track of it, then you post the review.
STEP 3The surveyor's professional bodyIf the building surveyor is chartered, RICS regulates members and their firms; complain to the firm first, then to RICS. Consumer advice: Citizens Advice 0808 223 1133, Advice Direct Scotland 0808 800 9060, Consumerline 0300 123 6262.
STEP 4A small claim for the moneyWhen the building surveyor has had a fair chance and nothing has changed, small claims is built for you to use yourself: £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure, £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a building surveyor: questions people ask

No licence applies; the title Chartered Surveyor is regulated by RICS.

No. It is for the lender and will not list defects; a survey is a separate service with its own contract.

A fuller building survey for older, altered or unusual properties; a lighter survey for modern homes in good order.

Between £400 and £1,500 per survey, most often near £700. Survey level, property value, age and size set the fee. For the reasons behind the range, read the building surveyor price guide; for local building surveyors, enter your town above.

They can flag alterations that probably needed it; your conveyancer checks the paperwork.

Two to six hours on site, with the report usually within a week.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

How to hire: Conveyancing SolicitorHow to hire: Mortgage BrokerHow to hire: BER / EPC AssessorHow to hire: Fire Risk AssessorHow to hire: Health & Safety ConsultantHow to hire: SolicitorHow to hire: Insurance BrokerHow to hire: Business ConsultantAll 701 hiring guides →

Building surveyors near you

Building surveyors in LondonBuilding surveyors in ManchesterBuilding surveyors in BirminghamBuilding surveyors in GlasgowBuilding surveyors in BelfastAll building surveyors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk Regulated Professions — Chartered Surveyor
  2. gov.uk — building regulations approval
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  5. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  6. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  7. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register