Seller-side surveys
Does a seller’s builder’s quote cancel the buyer’s survey?
No. A quote is a price for work the builder is willing to do. The survey is an opinion of condition. They can disagree, and the buyer still has to decide. RICS does not say a builder’s letter deletes a rating. A Scottish Home Report is not cancelled by a tradesperson’s note either.
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?
Use the quote if it answers the defect the survey described. A quote for “general roof works” does not answer a chimney crack. A quote that excludes scaffold may be too low to negotiate with. The surveyor is not obliged to approve the quote. There is no RICS rule that the cheaper of the two documents wins.
Sellers can offer to do the work, or to reduce the price, or to do nothing. Buyers can accept, reject, or leave if they are not bound. Put the offer in writing through the solicitors. Do not stand down the survey because a builder who wants the job said the crack is fine.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Does the quote address the element you described?
- What did the builder not include?
- Are you being asked to withdraw a rating because of a quote? You do not have to.
What are the typical next steps?
- Compare the quote with the paragraph, line by line.
- Do not accept a verbal “we’ll sort it”.
- If you are the seller, make the quote specific or expect the buyer to ignore it.
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
If the quote is £0 because the builder sees nothing, is the rating wrong?
Not automatically. Ask what the builder looked at. A glance from the pavement is not a rebuttal.
Should you average the quote and the rating?
No. One is money, one is a condition opinion. Averaging them is meaningless.