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Condition ratings

Is a blank condition box the same as rating 1?

No. Rating 1 means the surveyor judged that no repair is currently needed. A blank box means the template was not filled. Not inspected means they could not or did not inspect. Those are three different outcomes. Do not promote a blank to a pass because the rest of the page looks calm.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

Ask the firm to complete or explain the blank before you exchange, if the element matters. The definitions in the Level 3 description only work if a rating was actually given. RICS “what to do now” cannot be applied to an empty cell. A photocopy that cropped the number is a different problem. Ask for the full page.

There is no charge in the standard for filling a box that should have been filled. Do not let an agent say “blank means fine”. If the loft, the drains or the electrics are the blank, those are the usual places a limitation hides. Read the limitations section as well as the table.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Was this box left blank on purpose?
  • Is the element rated in the prose even though the box is empty?
  • What did you not inspect that the box might have covered?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Ask for a corrected page or a written explanation.
  2. Do not tell the lender the element was rating 1.
  3. Check the limitations so a blank is not also an exclusion.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Is “see comments” a rating?

Only if the comments then state the condition. A cross-reference with no comment is still empty.

Can NI be written as a dash?

Only if the key says the dash means not inspected. Do not guess.

Sources