Choosing a survey
How long does a home survey take?
RICS says a Home Survey inspection generally takes between two hours and a full day, and several days on a particularly large property. That is the visit, not the written report. Report timing is set by the firm, not by a national rule. Ask for the inspection date and the date you will receive the report before you instruct.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless a source says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
How long is the surveyor actually at the property?
RICS answers this directly on its consumer guide: it depends on the size and complexity of the property, but generally an RICS Home Survey inspection takes between two hours and a full day. For particularly large properties, it may take several days. That sentence is about the inspection, the time spent looking. It is not a promise that the PDF arrives the same evening.
Level 1 is a shorter, less extensive inspection than Level 2, and Level 3 is longer again, because the surveyor is looking at more and writing more. A compact modern flat with a clear loft hatch is not the same visit as a listed farmhouse with outbuildings. If someone quotes a 20-minute “survey”, ask which RICS level they think they are providing. A lender’s valuation can be brief. A Home Survey should not be.
How long after the visit does the report arrive?
RICS does not set a national number of working days for the written report. Firms do, in their terms of engagement. Some send a Level 2 within a few days of the inspection. A long Level 3, or a week when the surveyor is on other inspections, takes longer. Treat any “usual” turnaround you are told as the firm’s own service level. Get it in the instruction, especially if your exchange date is close.
The report date matters more than the visit date. Condition ratings describe the property on the day of inspection. A report that arrives after you have exchanged is a souvenir, not a decision. Build the firm’s stated turnaround into the timetable your solicitor is working to, and leave room for a follow-up question.
What makes a home survey take longer?
- A higher level. Level 3 is a longer inspection and a longer piece of writing than Level 1.
- Size and odd construction. RICS says a larger, more complex home takes longer and therefore costs more.
- Access. A locked loft, a tenant who is out, furniture tight against every wall, or no keys to the garage all shrink what can be seen and can force a return visit.
- Agreed extras, such as a valuation, a reinstatement figure, or meeting a contractor on site.
- The surveyor finding something that needs a careful description rather than a stock sentence. That is the point of the visit.
Bad weather can limit roof and chimney comments. It does not cancel the inspection by itself. The report should say what could not be seen. Those limits are part of the product, and they are one reason a fast verbal “it’s fine” at the door is not a substitute for the document.
How should you plan the week of the survey?
Book the inspection as soon as the sale is agreed, not the week you hoped to exchange. Ask the firm for two dates: the day they will be on site, and the day they expect to issue the report. Tell the seller or agent what access is needed, including the loft, the electricity and gas cupboards, and outside drains if the level includes them. Clear a path to the loft hatch if the house is yours to prepare. If you are the buyer, you cannot usually clear the seller’s loft. Say so, and expect some “not inspected” lines.
Read the report the day it arrives. A Level 2 or Level 3 is repetitive on purpose: each element has a rating and a note. If you only read the summary, you will miss the NI items and the further-investigation lines, which are often the ones that change the price or the decision. If you want that reading done in plain English, with the surveyor’s sentence kept next to the explanation, that is what the decoder on this site is for.
Common questions
Is two hours enough for a Level 2?
RICS gives a range, not a minimum: generally two hours to a full day, depending on size and complexity. A small, simple flat can sit at the short end. A large house should not. If the visit was very short for the building in front of you, ask the surveyor what they did not have time or access to see, and read the NI entries before you treat the report as complete.
Can you get the report the same day?
Some firms offer a fast written turnaround. RICS does not require same-day delivery, and a report written in a hurry is not automatically a worse or better Level 2. What matters is that the level, the limits and the ratings are in the document. Agree the date in writing if your solicitor is working to a deadline.
Does a Level 3 take longer than a Level 2?
Yes, in the way RICS describes the service. Level 3 is a longer and more detailed visual inspection and a deeper written analysis. The site visit and the writing both grow. That is why the fee is higher. It still may not take “several days” unless the property is particularly large. Several days is the top of RICS’s inspection range, not the typical terraced house.
Does adding a valuation make the visit much longer?
A Level 2 with valuation includes the survey plus a market value and a reinstatement figure. The valuer has to consider comparable evidence, which is partly desk work, not only extra minutes on site. Ask the firm whether the valuation changes the report date. Do not confuse this with the lender’s own valuation, which is a separate instruction and can be much shorter.
Do you need to be there?
Usually the surveyor attends with access arranged through the agent. You do not have to be present. A short conversation at the end can help, but it is not the report. Do not rely on a doorstep summary. Wait for the ratings and the sentences that support them.
What if the seller is at home and the house is full?
The surveyor works around occupation. Fitted furniture, stored lofts and floor coverings limit a visual inspection at every level. Those limits should be written down. They are not a reason to pretend the hidden part was fine. If something important could not be seen, the useful next step is access for a second look, or a specialist, before exchange.
Will the survey delay exchange?
Only if you leave it late, or if the report recommends investigation you then have to book. The inspection itself is one visit. Further investigation — a structural engineer, a drain survey, an EICR — is extra time that sits outside the Home Survey. Plan the survey early so that extra, if it is needed, still fits before you are legally committed.
How long does it take to read the report?
A Level 1 is short. A Level 2 is often a few dozen pages of repeated element headings. A Level 3 is longer prose. Give yourself an evening, not a commute. Read every rating 3, every rating 2 that mentions water or structure, and every NI. The summary page is an index, not the advice.
What do you do if the report is late?
Use the date in the terms of engagement. A polite written chase to the firm is enough to start. Your solicitor needs the document, or a known delay, so they do not exchange around it. If the firm will not give a date at all, that is a reason to ask another regulated firm before you are stuck.
Is a phone call from the surveyor enough to proceed?
No. RICS home surveys are written reports with condition ratings, limits and, at Level 2 and 3, advice. A reassuring call can be accurate and still omit the NI loft or the rating 3 chimney. Make decisions from the document. If the call adds something the document does not say, ask them to confirm it in writing.
Sources
Key facts
- On site
- RICS consumer guide: generally two hours to a full day. Particularly large properties may take several days. Reviewed 24 October 2026.
- Written report
- Not fixed by RICS. The firm should give you a date. The inspection time is not the turnaround.
- What lengthens the visit
- Size, complexity, the level instructed, poor access, and outbuildings. RICS ties fee and time to those factors.
- What it is not
- A mortgage valuation slot, a snagging list, or a specialist damp, drain or electrical test, unless you agreed that extra.