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Survey costs

What does the RICS consumer guide actually say about fees, if it is not a price list?

It says the cost is variable. On that guide, Level 1 sits at the lower end and starts at a few hundred pounds, and a Level 3 sits at the higher end, with some bespoke services costing over £1,000. Those are RICS’s published words, not a quotation for your house. The firm still prices the building in front of it.

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 larger, older or more awkward home takes longer. Travel, a valuation bolted onto a Level 2, and extras such as a drone or a return visit are why two “Level 2” quotes differ. RICS is not publishing a tariff you can insist on. If a firm quotes far outside those descriptive words, ask what this building needs. Do not accuse them of fraud because they are not at the bottom of a range that was never a ceiling.

VAT may or may not be in the figure. Ask. The repair costs the survey later recommends are not part of the fee. Do not demand the English “few hundred pounds” sentence as the price of a seller’s pack in a different system. Ask what you are actually buying.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • What level, what extras and whether VAT is included?
  • What about this house moves the fee?
  • Is a valuation included or extra?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Get two or three written quotes that name the level.
  2. Do not treat RICS’s descriptive range as your entitlement.
  3. Keep the survey fee out of the repair negotiation.

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 over £1,000 a cap on a Level 3?

No. RICS says some bespoke services cost over that. It is an illustration, not a maximum.

Does a few hundred pounds buy a Victorian Level 3?

The guide puts Level 1 at that lower end. A complex Level 3 is the higher end. Ask for a quote. Do not force the wrong level to hit a number.

Sources