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Renegotiating or walking away

Is one contractor’s quote enough to demand that exact sum off the price?

It is evidence of what one firm would charge, not a verdict the seller must accept. RICS wants written quotations before you commit where rating 3 repairs are needed. The seller can obtain their own, can offer to do the work, or can refuse. Your solicitor sends the proposal. The surveyor does not invoice the seller.

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 quote that bundles fifteen rating 2s with one rotten sill is easy to refuse. Split urgent repairs from improvements and from the survey fee. A price reduction and a lender retention are different. Do not ask for both and also for the seller to do the work, unless you mean to give one of them up.

There is no standard percentage of the purchase price. A small house and a large quote are not “10 per cent because of a survey”. Use the written number. If you only have a verbal estimate, you do not yet have the quotation RICS described.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Which items are urgent in your view, as against maintenance?
  • Did your report include a price? If it did not, I should not pretend it did.
  • What scope should a quote cover so it matches your sentence?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Attach the quote and the survey paragraph to the solicitor’s letter.
  2. Say whether you want money off or the work done, not both for the same item.
  3. If the seller’s quote is lower, compare scope. Do not compare the first line only.

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

Should you always get three quotes before speaking to the seller?

Get enough to know the order of cost for a rating 3 you care about. Three is not a legal threshold stated on the RICS page. One thin quote is a weak letter. Three identical copied guesses are not better.

Does the agent have to pass your letter on?

The solicitor’s formal proposal is the one that counts. Do not rely on a portal message alone.

Sources