Condition ratings
The further investigation has not happened yet. Why should you not treat today's rating as the last word on that element?
It is only this inspection's view. Today's rating records what the surveyor could say from the visit they have already made. The further investigation has not happened, so a later specialist can add facts this rating could not include. Treat the rating as the current grade of what was seen, not as the final description of that element once someone has opened it up or tested 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?
Ratings are a summary, not a forecast that nothing new will be found. Rating 1 means no repair is currently needed beyond normal maintenance. Rating 2 means repairs or replacement are needed but are not serious or urgent. Rating 3 means serious or urgent, and you should obtain written quotations before a legal commitment. NI means the element was not inspected. Any of those marks can sit beside a sentence that says further investigation, especially where the surveyor is concerned about something they could not settle visually.
Using today's rating as the last word skips that sentence. If you negotiate, insure or walk away, say that the grade is the surveyor's present view and that the named investigation is still outstanding. Do not upgrade a rating 2 into a rating 3 because you are worried, and do not downgrade a rating 3 because you hope the specialist will be reassuring. Wait for their written report, then read it next to the original paragraph. The home survey does not guarantee concealed parts, which is often why the last word was never going to be this visit.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which rating is your view today, and which sentence is still waiting on someone else?
- What could a specialist find that this rating cannot yet include?
- Will you leave the rating as it is until that written report exists?
What are the typical next steps?
- Quote the rating as this inspection's grade only.
- Say in the same breath that the further investigation is still outstanding.
- Re-read the element when the specialist's report arrives.
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 rating is 1, can there still be a further look?
Yes, if the report asks for one. The rating does not cancel the sentence under it.
Does NI mean the element is fine until proved otherwise?
No. NI means not inspected. It is not a pass, and it is not the last word either.