Condition ratings
The lender wants a timber report that the Level 2 only hinted at. Who chooses the firm that does it?
You place the instruction, after asking the lender what they will accept. The Level 2 did not choose a timber firm by hinting, and it did not appoint one. MoneyHelper's mortgage valuation, which is the lender's own check and not a structural survey, also does not choose that firm for you. Ask the lender which timber report they will accept, then instruct a firm on a written brief you can show them.
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?
A hint in a Level 2 is a condition comment from a visual inspection. It might be a rating, a stain, or a sentence about possible decay. It is not a timber report, and it is not a contract. The lender's later demand is their lending condition. It can be stricter than the hint, or aimed at a document the survey never promised. You should not assume the surveyor will pick a name off a list, and you should not assume any firm you like will satisfy the lender. Those are questions for the lender and for the instruction you sign.
When you instruct, paste the Level 2 sentences that prompted the worry and the lender's wording of what they want, if you have it. Ask for a written timber report, not a phone call. The Level 2 fee does not include that specialist. Survey cost is variable and there is no national tariff that adds timber investigations automatically. Concealed timbers were not guaranteed by the Level 2, which is why a hint can exist without a finished diagnosis. Choose the firm in the only sense that matters: you engage them, on terms the lender has told you they will accept.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did your Level 2 appoint a timber firm, or only comment on the risk?
- Which sentences should I paste into a timber brief so it matches what you saw?
- Are you intending to choose the specialist for the lender, or leaving that to me?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask the lender what timber report they will accept.
- Instruct that firm yourself against a written scope.
- Do not treat the Level 2 hint as either the report or the appointment.
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 lender names one company, is that the surveyor choosing?
No. That would be the lender's requirement. The Level 2 still has not appointed them.
Can you ignore the hint if you are paying cash?
The lender's demand may fall away if there is no lender. The hint in the Level 2 remains a condition comment you should still read.