Choosing a survey level
On the phone the surveyor sounded relaxed about a crack that the PDF then flags. Which version do you rely on?
Rely on the PDF. A relaxed remark on the phone is not the report. The written survey is the document that can be read again by you, your solicitor and a lender. A calm tone may mean the crack is ordinary for the age of the house, or that it needs watching rather than panic. It does not delete a flag, a photograph or a recommendation that was printed. Where the call and the PDF differ, the PDF stands. If a sentence is unclear, ask for a written clarification. Do not treat the phone call as a second, softer survey.
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?
Surveyors often explain findings in plain language after the visit. That talk helps, but it is not edited, not paginated and not the product you instructed. A crack can be common in a terrace and still worth recording so you know where it is. Relaxed speech is not a deletion of the paragraph. If you remember a caveat that is not in the PDF, it is not part of the report until the surveyor writes it. Memory of a call is a weak record when a purchase is being discussed.
Email the surveyor the page and the sentence you think conflicts with the call, and ask for a short written note. Your solicitor should see the PDF, not a summary of how calm the surveyor sounded. A lender, if one is reading the survey, will use the issued report. Do not ask anyone to ignore a flagged crack because of a phone manner. If the wording is harsher than you expected, the remedy is a clarification or the further look the report names.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which paragraph and photograph in the PDF describe the crack you discussed on the phone?
- Has the surveyor agreed to put the phone remark into a written note?
- Does the report ask for monitoring or for an engineer, rather than for reassurance?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read the crack section in the PDF and set the tone of the call aside.
- Email the surveyor quoting the sentence you want reconciled with what was said.
- Give your solicitor the PDF, not a recollection of the conversation.
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
Can you ask the surveyor to soften the PDF so it matches the call?
You can ask what the sentence means. You should not ask for a defect to be removed because the call felt calm. The report should describe what was seen. A written note can explain severity. Rewriting the finding to match a mood is not what the PDF is for, and your solicitor should still see the original text.
Is a later email from the surveyor part of the report?
An email can explain or correct a point if the surveyor sends it as a clarification of the issued report. Keep it with the PDF and send both to your solicitor. A message you only half remember is not part of the report. Until the caveat is written down, the PDF is the version that counts.