Choosing a survey level

The quote still says Condition Report. Which current RICS level should you make the firm name?

Level 1. Condition Report is the old name for the Level 1 home survey, and the current three-level names have been in use since 1 March 2021. Make the firm write Level 1 on the quote if that is the product those old words were reaching for. Until they name a current level, the old label has not shown you which inspection you are about to buy.

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 1 is a visual overview aimed at a conventional home. It records defects, risks and urgent matters. It does not generally tell you how to manage them, and it does not test the fabric or the services. That is a narrower job than a Level 2, which is for a conventional home in reasonable condition and of simple form, and narrower again than a Level 3 for an older, altered or unusual building, or where major works are planned. The quote should say which of those you are getting.

Ask them to replace the old title rather than add it in brackets and hope. If they meant a Level 2 and reached for an outdated phrase, you need that corrected before you pay, because the scope and the fee sit with the level. Cost is variable and there is no national tariff, so the figure on the quote only means something once the level is named. Do not pay against a banner that the current RICS names do not use.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Will you reissue the quote with Level 1, or with a different current level, written in the title?
If it is Level 1, will you confirm you are not testing the services?
What in this house made you offer that level rather than Level 2 or 3?

What are the typical next steps?

Ask for the quote to name Level 1, 2 or 3 in current words.
Do not pay against Condition Report as if it were a present-day product name.
Check the scope matches the level they finally write down.

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 Condition Report the same booking as a HomeBuyer?

No. HomeBuyer is the old name for Level 2. Condition Report is the old name for Level 1.

Does the old title by itself include a valuation?

No. Make them say whether any market valuation is included. The old words do not settle that.