Condition ratings
Why should you read the limitations before you read the condition ratings?
Because the ratings only cover what was inspected. The limitations say what was covered, locked, high, or outside the level. A rating 1 on the windows does not flow backwards into a loft marked NI. RICS defines NI as not inspected. It is not a pass.
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?
Typical limits are furniture, fitted carpets, stored goods, a sealed hatch and services not tested. If the limitation contradicts a cheerful summary, believe the limitation. The Level 3 description also says the surveyor does not take up fitted carpets or move heavy furniture. A summary that ignores that is advertising, not the report.
Before you renegotiate, list what was not seen. You cannot ask the seller for money for a void nobody inspected, except as a request for access or a price for the risk you are willing to name. That is not the same as a quote for a seen defect.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where is the limitations section, and does the summary repeat it?
- Which elements are NI?
- Were services tested? The standard answer is no, unless the report says an extra was agreed.
What are the typical next steps?
- Read limitations, then ratings, then the recommendations.
- Do not let an agent quote only the rating 1 lines.
- If a limit hides something you care about, arrange access. Do not invent the unseen defect.
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 verbal caveat at the end of the visit part of the report?
Not unless it is written. Ask for the written limitation.
Can you waive a limitation by telling the surveyor you accept the risk?
You can decide to proceed. You cannot turn NI into a rating 1 by agreeing to hope.