Choosing a survey level
What should you ask to see before you instruct a home survey?
Ask for a sample report, the level, what will not be opened, who will inspect, when the report will arrive, and the full fee including VAT. A sample shows how the firm writes limitations and ratings. It is not a survey of your house. RICS does not publish one national price, so the quote is the only price that matters.
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?
Questions worth asking in writing: Is the firm regulated by RICS? Is a valuation included? Are outbuildings, the loft and the drains in scope? What happens if the seller refuses access? Who do you complain to? A firm that will not answer those is a poorer bet than a firm that answers them plainly.
Do not instruct from a star rating on a marketplace alone. Stars are not a standard. The Home Survey Standard is. If you need an extra, such as a drain camera, put it in the same instruction or accept it is a second contract. There is no published add-on tariff here.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Can you send a sample of this level with the names removed?
- Who will attend the property?
- What is outside the fee, in writing?
What are the typical next steps?
- Compare two firms on scope and report date, not on a single round number.
- Keep the engagement email. It is the scope when the report later says NI.
- Do not send a deposit until you know the level.
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 sample report a template they will not follow?
It should be representative. If your report looks nothing like it, ask why before you complain in the abstract.
Should you ask for the surveyor’s years of experience?
You can. It is not a qualification this page can rank. The regulation of the firm and the level are the checks that have a public meaning.