Survey costs
One firm quotes a single sum and never names Level 1, 2 or 3. Why can you not compare that sum with a quote that names one level?
Because the unnamed sum has not said which product it is selling, so it is not the same offer as a quote that names a level. Level 1 is a visual overview for a conventional home. Level 2 fits a conventional home in reasonable condition and of simple form. Level 3 is for older, altered or unusual construction, or where major works are planned. Until the single sum names one of those, and says what is included, you are comparing a label with a mystery.
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?
Price comparison only works when the jobs match. A sum with no level might be a valuation, a walk-through, a Level 2 with extras, or a refusal to be pinned down. A named Level 2 quote might be survey only, or survey plus valuation and reinstatement. Those are already two different named products, and the unnamed sum is not known to be either. The consumer guidance distinguishes the levels because the inspection and the report differ. It does not provide a national tariff that makes an anonymous total equivalent to a named one. Ask the silent firm which level, in writing, before you put the numbers in the same column.
When you do have two named quotes, still check inclusions: photographs, valuation, reinstatement, and whether the property is within what that level is for. A Level 1 on an old, heavily altered house is not made equivalent to a Level 3 by being cheaper. A Level 3 quote on a simple conventional flat is not a bad quote merely because a nameless sum was lower. Choose the product the building needs, then compare firms who have named that product. Do not let a single tidy number bully a clearer quote off the page.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which level is this sum, and will you put that in writing?
- Is valuation or reinstatement included, or is this survey only?
- Does this house actually suit the level you are about to name?
What are the typical next steps?
- Refuse to compare a sum that names no level.
- Ask the firm to name Level 1, 2 or 3 and the inclusions.
- Compare firms only after the product matches.
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
If the unnamed sum is lower, is it automatically better value?
No. A lower mystery is not a cheaper Level 2 or Level 3. You do not yet know what it buys.
Can the firm add the level name after I have paid?
You should have the level named before you accept. Paying first does not reveal which product the old sum was.