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Does RICS publish a tariff that tells a Level 3 firm what to charge?

No. RICS explains what a Level 3 is and leaves the fee to the firm. Anyone who shows you a “RICS fee scale” for a three-bedroom house is not quoting a current RICS tariff, because the consumer guide does not set one. Ask the firm for a written price for this address.

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?

Level 3 fees vary more than Level 2 fees because the buildings vary more. A small modern house and a large altered one are not the same day’s work, which is why a single national number would be misleading. Compare scopes: what will be described, what remains closed, whether outbuildings are in, whether VAT is in, and whether a follow-up is in.

If the fee is more than you want to pay, you may choose Level 2 with your eyes open, or you may decide the house is the wrong house. Do not invent a complaint that the firm has breached a scale that does not exist. Do ask a second firm for a second scope. Two real quotes beat one imaginary tariff.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • What is included in this Level 3 price for this address?
  • What would you drop if we instructed a Level 2 instead?
  • Is VAT, travel and the outbuildings inside the figure?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Get the price in writing for the address, not for “a typical semi”.
  2. Ignore screenshots of unofficial fee scales.
  3. If you change level to save money, write down what you are giving up.

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

Will a Level 3 always cost more than a Level 2?

Almost always, because it is more work, but the quotes in front of you are the evidence. Do not argue from “always”.

Does the fee include specialist tests?

Not unless the quote lists them. Assume they are extra.

Sources