Survey costs
Two roofers price the same rating 3 paragraph differently. Which of those prices does RICS endorse?
Neither. RICS does not endorse either roofer when two firms price the same rating 3 paragraph differently. The paragraph is a condition warning. It is not a bill of quantities, and it does not pick a winner between contractors. The gap usually means they have not priced the same work. Ask each one to restate the job in the same words before you treat either total as the figure the survey had in mind.
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?
The paragraph tells the roofers there is a problem. It does not tell them the method, and it does not pick a price. One roofer may have allowed for scaffolding, underfelt and a run of battens. The other may have priced a small patch from a ladder. Both can claim to be answering the paragraph. Only a shared scope shows whether they are. The home-survey guidance has no column in which one of those totals is stamped as approved.
Do not average the two figures and call the average a RICS price. An average of mismatched scopes is still not this roof's cost, and it is not something you should deduct as if the report had calculated it. If you need a single number for a negotiation, choose a scope, get quotes against that scope, and use the quotes you are willing to rely on. The surveyor can explain what they saw. They are not required to umpire the contractors' arithmetic or to endorse the lower price because it is convenient.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What work did you intend a quotation to cover?
- Which sentences in the paragraph are easy for a roofer to under-read?
- Will you review two competing scopes, or only explain what you saw?
What are the typical next steps?
- Send both roofers the same scope before comparing totals.
- Do not average unlike quotes and call the result official.
- Get written quotations before you are legally committed.
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
Does the lower quote automatically satisfy a rating 3?
No. A lower quote might be a smaller job. The rating does not certify that the cheap scope is enough.
If both roofers refuse the work, is there still an endorsed price?
No. Refusal does not create a RICS figure. You still need a contractor who will price the scope you actually want.