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Condition ratings

What should you do if the summary looks calm but a rating 3 sits in the back of the report?

Read the back. The definitions do not say a rating 3 only counts if it is on page one. Serious or urgent is serious or urgent wherever it is printed. The “what to do now” note still expects written quotations before legal commitment. A calm executive summary does not repeal the element.

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?

Templates bury services, grounds and legal flags after the photographs. Buyers who negotiate from the summary alone miss the drain, the roof void or the NI line. Ask the surveyor, if the summary and the element conflict, which one they stand by. Do not let an agent circulate only the summary page.

There is no RICS rule that the first page outranks the schedule. When you instruct quotes, use the element paragraph, not the headline. Another report may use its own word for urgency rather than rating 3. Read that system’s words. Do not skip them because they are not in a red box on page one.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Does the summary list every rating 3?
  • If the summary and the element differ, which should I follow?
  • What is marked NI that the summary does not mention?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Read the whole report before you speak to the agent.
  2. Quote from the element, not from a cropped summary.
  3. If you are the seller and you were shown only a summary, ask for the page that contains the rating.

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 a rating 3 in the grounds less real?

It is real for the grounds. It may not be a defect in the house. Read which element it is.

Can you ignore a rating 3 you can live with?

You can decide to proceed, but you should know the quote first if you are about to be committed. The note is about information, not about forcing you to withdraw.

Sources