Survey costs
If the seller repairs a defect, is the second look included in the first survey fee?
Not unless the quote said so. A reinspection is another visit or another piece of work. RICS levels describe the first inspection, not a project-management service that returns until the seller is finished. Ask the fee and what the second letter will actually say. It may only say that a stated item appears to have been done, not that the whole house is re-rated.
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?
Be precise about the defect. A surveyor who returns to see one chimney flashing has not re-surveyed the drains. A letter that overclaims will be useless to you and unfair to them. There is no RICS reinspection tariff. If the first fee was at the “few hundred pounds” end of the consumer guide’s description, do not expect an open-ended series of visits inside it.
Sometimes you do not need them back. A guarantee, a building-control certificate or your own contractor’s invoice may be the better paper. The solicitor says what the contract requires. Do not pay for a second survey to soothe anxiety about a rating 2 you have already decided to accept.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What would a reinspection of this one item cost?
- What will the second letter not cover?
- Is it inside the original fee? Say if it is not.
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask for a price before you promise the seller a reinspection.
- Limit the second visit to the defect that was repaired.
- Do not treat a photo from the seller as the reinspection.
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
Can the original surveyor refuse to return?
Yes. You can ask someone else to look at that item. They will not rewrite the first report.
Does a builder’s invoice replace the second look?
It proves they billed someone. It does not prove the defect the survey described has gone. Decide how much checking you need.