Condition ratings
Does a Level 3 assess whether the gas or the electrics are safe?
No. The Level 3 description says the surveyor inspects visible parts of the services only, does not carry out specialist tests, and does not assess the safety or efficiency of the electrics, the gas or other energy sources. A rating on the services element is not an EICR and not a Gas Safe record.
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?
Buyers book a Level 3 because they want depth, then read a services rating as if the circuits had been tested. The extra depth is description and condition of the building fabric, not a different set of instruments for gas and electricity. The surveyor can see a damaged fitting, an old fuse board or a flue terminal, and can rate what that means in the RICS scale. The code on an electrical report, if you commission one, is a different scale.
If the services rating is 3 because the surveyor could not confirm safety, follow the definition: get the proper inspection before legal commitment. That inspection is an electrician or a Gas Safe engineer, not a second copy of the same Level 3. Costs vary. Ask them for a quote.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What did you actually see of the services, and what did you not test?
- Is a rating 3 here a visible defect, or a limit because you cannot confirm safety?
- Who should do the further investigation the definition points to?
What are the typical next steps?
- Instruct an EICR or a Gas Safe inspection if you need a safety finding. Do not reread the Level 3 hoping it contains one.
- Give that specialist the survey sentence so they know what was seen.
- Do not let a services rating 1 be described later as a certificate.
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
Does “operated where possible” mean the boiler was serviced?
No. Switching an appliance on, if the surveyor did that, is not a service, a tightness test or a combustion analysis.
Will a Level 2 have tested more?
No. A Level 2 is not a deeper services test. Neither level replaces an electrician or a gas engineer.