Electrics and gas
What does “services not tested” mean in the limitations section?
It means the surveyor did not test the electrics, gas, plumbing or heating. The phrase is a limit on the inspection, not a finding that the services have failed, and not a finding that they have passed. Read the comments on what they could see anyway.
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?
Every RICS home survey has limits. Level 1 says services are not tested. Level 2 and Level 3 remain visual inspections of services unless you agreed extra tests, which is unusual and would be in the terms. “Not tested” sits in the small print so you do not think a switched-on light was an EICR or a warm radiator was a service.
Use the phrase when you brief specialists. Tell the electrician and the Gas Safe engineer that the survey did not test their systems, and give them any positive comments, such as a leaking valve or a cracked consumer-unit cover. Those comments are the findings. The limitation is the boundary around them.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which services, if any, did you test because I asked you to?
- Which visible defects should I still act on, given the limitation?
- Where is the limitation written, so I can quote it accurately?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not tell a lender the services “passed”.
- Do not ignore a leak or a scorch mark because the limitation exists.
- Commission tests only where the visible evidence, the age, or your plans justify them.
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 heating was on, has the system been tested?
No. A running boiler on the day is an observation. It is not a service, a combustion test or a check that it will run next winter.
Can you pay the surveyor extra to remove the limitation?
You can ask, before the inspection, whether they offer any extra. Many will not test gas or electrics because that is another profession. The terms of engagement are where any extra would be written.