Leasehold

Is the block buildings policy inside the survey PDF, or only among the papers the solicitor collects?

Only among the papers the solicitor collects. Buildings insurance for the block is a policy, a schedule and a premium arrangement under the lease. The survey does not produce that policy. A comment that you should confirm insurance is not the schedule, the excess or the name of the insurer.

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?

People confuse the reinstatement figure in a valuation, when they have one, with the block policy the landlord or the management company arranges. A home survey of one flat is a visual inspection of condition. It does not open the insurance file, test whether the sum insured matches the block, or say whether a claim is already open. GOV.UK’s leasehold pages deal with service charges and related costs as lease matters. The policy documents are for your solicitor to obtain, usually inside the management papers.

If the survey rates the roof or the walls, that rating is about what was seen. It is not a statement that the insurer will pay, and it is not a statement that the block is uninsured. Ask who insures, what the schedule covers, and whether any defect in the survey has already been notified. Do not invent an excess or a refusal. There is no RICS rule that pastes a condition rating onto a certificate of insurance.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Did you see a policy schedule, or only the building?
Are you leaving insurance to the solicitor?
Which rated defects should be shown to whoever reads the policy?

What are the typical next steps?

Ask the solicitor for the block buildings policy and schedule.
Do not use a condition rating as proof of what the insurer will pay.
Keep any claims history in the legal file, not in the margin of the PDF.

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 contents insurance the same question?

No. Contents are your own cover later. The block policy is a different document and not part of the survey.

Does a quiet rating on the walls tell you a policy is in force?

No. Rating 1 means no repair is currently needed for that element. It says nothing about whether a policy exists.