Choosing a survey level
What will a Level 1 usually leave unsaid about a thatched roof?
Level 1 is the most limited RICS home survey. Its scope page is the list of what that product includes. Thatch needs a description of the coat, the ridge and the chimney junction. A Level 1 is a poor match for that description. A tidy view from the lane does not widen the scope you bought.
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?
RICS publishes the Level 1 scope separately from Level 2 and Level 3 so buyers can see the difference before they book. A thatched house is an older, specialist roof even when the rooms look newly painted. The cheaper level does not become a thatch survey because you asked the surveyor to ‘keep an eye on the roof’.
If you still book a Level 1, read every limit and do not fill the gaps with guesswork. A better fit is a level that describes construction and defects in more detail, plus a thatcher when the roof itself is the question. The survey fee and the thatcher’s fee are different invoices.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Given this is thatch, which level are you actually quoting?
- What of the coat and ridge will this level not describe?
- Will you tell me to use a thatcher, or stay inside the Level 1 limits?
What are the typical next steps?
- Book the level that matches the roof, not the level with the smallest fee.
- Ask a thatcher about coat and ridge if the survey stops at a general comment.
- Do not use a Level 1 to renegotiate a thatch repair it was not designed to diagnose.
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 Level 1 the same as a mortgage valuation?
No. A valuation is for the lender. A Level 1 is a limited condition survey. Neither is a thatch report.
Can you add a thatcher to a Level 1 on the day?
Only if someone instructs the thatcher. The Level 1 surveyor does not become one by standing on the path.