Condition ratings
What should you do if a report seems to rate an element and also mark it not inspected?
Ask the surveyor which one they mean. Not inspected means they did not see it. A condition rating is an opinion of something they could judge. The two should not be applied to the same unseen thing. If the rating is of a part they saw, and the NI is of a part they did not, the report should say so in words.
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?
Lofts, eaves and drains are where this muddle happens. A surveyor may see the underside of a ceiling and not the covering, or lift one cover and not another. The Level 3 description’s ratings assume an element that has been considered. NI is the honest mark when it was not. RICS does not want you to read NI as rating 1. A coloured box that does both is a question, not a pass.
Email the firm and ask them to reconcile the line before you rely on it. There is no fee in the definitions for that clarification. Do not treat the worse reading and the better reading as an average. Until they answer, the unseen part is unseen.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which part did you see, and which part is NI?
- Is the number attached only to the visible part?
- Will you correct the line if both marks were applied to the same thing?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not tell the seller the element passed.
- Do not tell the lender it failed if the truth is that it was not seen.
- Get the sentence straightened before exchange if the element matters.
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 a photo proof it was inspected?
A photo proves that view. It does not prove the hidden side. Read the limitation next to it.
Can an element be rating 3 in part and NI in part?
Yes, if the report splits them. A seen crack can be rating 3 while the rest of the void is NI. The split has to be written.