Choosing a survey level
What does a Level 1 deliberately not tell you about a defect it has found?
How to manage it. RICS describes Level 1 as a visual overview that notes defects, risks and urgent matters, and says it will generally not advise you how to manage those defects. It is aimed at conventional homes in reasonable condition. If you need repair advice you can budget from, RICS points you to a Level 2 or, for older or altered buildings, a Level 3.
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?
The Level 1 scope is a visual look, less extensive than the levels above it, with no tests of the fabric or the services. It does not remove secured panels or, on the standard inspection RICS describes for Level 1 and Level 2, electrical fittings and chamber covers. A clear Level 1 is not a Level 3 that happened to be short. A Level 1 on a Victorian house with alterations is the mismatch RICS is warning you about.
Do not pay for Level 1 and then complain it lacks a repair specification. Either it was the product you wanted, or you bought the wrong level. There is no automatic upgrade in the fee. Ask the firm what this building needs before you instruct. Do not assume every UK purchase asks you to pick Level 1. Ask which product this sale actually uses.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Will this instruction advise me how to manage defects, or only flag them?
- Is this house conventional and in the condition Level 1 is meant for?
- What will you not open?
What are the typical next steps?
- Choose the level before the visit, not after a thin report.
- If you already have a Level 1 and it flags something urgent, get advice. Do not pretend the Level 1 contained it.
- Do not use Level 1 as a cheap Level 3.
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
Was Level 1 once called a Condition Report?
Yes. RICS says that was the previous name. The limits are the current Level 1 limits, not the old brochure.
Does a longer Level 1 become a Level 2?
No. The level is the product in the terms, not the number of pages.