Survey costs
Does RICS publish the price of replacing the particular slates a report has rated?
No. RICS does not publish the price of replacing the particular slates a report has rated. House-survey guidance explains the levels and what a visual visit is for. It does not catalogue slate types, clips, nails or how this roof should be stripped. The figure that matters is a roofer's quote after seeing these slopes. That quote belongs to the roofer. Nothing in the guidance turns it into an endorsed tariff.
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?
A condition comment on the covering tells you the surveyor saw a defect, a risk, or a limit on what could be seen. It does not convert into a unit price. Pitch, access, how many pieces are cracked and whether the battens are decayed all change a contractor's number, and none of that is tabulated for you to copy. Ask roofers to price a written scope taken from the paragraph, then keep their quotes beside the report rather than writing a figure back into the rating as if the surveyor had calculated it.
There is no national tariff for this repair, and the consumer guidance does not pretend there is one. Two similar ratings can still need different work. If you are negotiating, use quotes for this roof, not a remembered price from another house. The survey fee, whatever it was, bought the inspection and the report. It did not buy a priced schedule of slate replacement, and the surveyor is not obliged to adopt a contractor's figure after the PDF has been issued.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you price these particular slates, or only describe them?
- What should a roofer be asked to include so the quotes match your paragraph?
- Which parts of the covering did you not see?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask at least two roofers to price the same written scope.
- Keep contractor quotes separate from the condition paragraph.
- Do not insert a slate price the report never printed.
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
If the slates are a different size from next door, does a shared price exist?
No. Size, fixings and access are this roof's problem. RICS has not published a shared replacement price.
Can the surveyor be required to sign a roofer's number?
No. A later quote is the roofer's offer. The survey does not become a certificate of that offer.