Condition ratings
Can you add the condition ratings up to a score out of ten?
No. Each rating belongs to an element. RICS does not publish a house score. Three rating 2s are three pieces of non-urgent work, not a secret rating 3. One rating 3 is not cancelled by ten rating 1s. NI is not a zero you can average.
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?
Agents like averages because they soften a roof. Lenders do not lend on your average. They read what their valuer says, and you should read the worst element you care about. The Level 3 text says written quotes for rating 3 repairs come before legal commitment. It does not say “if the average is under 2”.
If you want a feel for money, list the elements and get quotes for the ones that matter. There is no formula that turns ratings into a percentage of price. Anyone selling you one is not citing RICS. Three rating 2s and one rating 3 are not a score of nine, and they are not a reason to average the house into “fine”.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Please confirm you are not scoring the whole house.
- Which single element would you not ignore?
- Which NI items did you leave out of any summary?
What are the typical next steps?
- Make a list: element, rating, what was seen, what it will cost once quoted.
- Ignore any “score” an agent invents.
- Decide using the serious items and the gaps, not an average.
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 house with no rating 3 “a pass”?
It means nothing was rated serious or urgent. It can still be a long maintenance list, and NI items were not passed.
Do Scottish single surveys use a score?
Read that report’s categories. Do not force an English average onto it.