Choosing a survey level
Can you agree extra opening-up before the surveyor visits?
Yes, if the firm and the seller agree, and if it is written into the instruction with a price. It is not included because you mentioned a crack on the phone. The Level 3 description does not let the surveyor open the fabric as standard, and a Level 2 is no more invasive.
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?
Useful extras are specific: lift this loose board, open this hatch, arrange a drain camera, inspect this void. Vague extras (“have a really good look”) do not change the scope. The seller has to agree before anyone lifts finishes in a house you do not own. Making good should be in the same note. If the firm will not do opening-up, they can still recommend a specialist who will.
Agree it before the day. A surveyor who has finished the report cannot add a floorboard from memory. If the extra is refused by the seller, you learn something: access is part of the negotiation. Tell your solicitor. Do not turn up with a crowbar.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What extra access will you accept, and what will you not do even if we ask?
- What will it cost, and who makes good?
- What should the seller agree in writing before the day?
What are the typical next steps?
- Put any extra into the quote before you pay the basic fee.
- Get the seller’s consent if finishes will be disturbed.
- If consent is refused, treat the element as limited and decide whether you can live with that.
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
Can the surveyor move furniture?
Not heavy furniture, as a matter of the standard inspection. Light, safe access should be discussed. Do not expect a room to be emptied.
Is a drone an agreed extra?
Only if the quote says so. A drone is not a ladder, and it still may not see a valley. Ask what it will and will not cover.