Choosing a survey level
Whose name has to be on an English home survey before you rely on the ratings?
The client named in the terms, almost always the buyer who instructed and paid for it. RICS distinguishes that private instruction from a Scottish Home Report, which a purchaser can rely on. Forwarding an English PDF to a later buyer, a lender or a seller does not make them the client. If you need them to rely on it, the letter has to say so.
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?
This is why a seller’s survey is a weak substitute for your own, and why two buyers should not share one English report unless the firm agrees both are clients. Reliance is a contract term, not a favour. The condition ratings are still only as good as the inspection. Sharing a PDF does not inspect the house again.
Ask, before you pay, whose name will be on the report and who may use it. There is no RICS standard fee for adding a lender as a party. Do not put the seller’s name on your report to “make them responsible”. That confuses the duty. In Scotland, do not try to opt into Home Report reliance by forwarding a private file.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Who will the report name as the client?
- May my lender or a co-buyer rely on it?
- What happens if I cancel before it is delivered?
What are the typical next steps?
- Get the client’s name right before the visit.
- Do not rely on someone else’s English survey.
- In Scotland, use the Home Report rather than pretending a private letter is one.
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 you show the report to a builder?
You can show it so they can quote. Showing is not the same as making them your surveyor’s client.
Does paying the invoice make you the client?
It should, if the terms say so. Read them. A parent paying for a child should ask whose name is on the duty.