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Choosing a survey level

What does a Level 2 leave unopened even if you are worried about the floors?

It leaves covered, fixed and furniture-hidden surfaces unopened, unless you agreed otherwise. Worried is not the same as instructed. If you need boards lifted, that has to be in the terms, with the seller’s consent. A standard Level 2 will not take up a fitted floor because you are anxious.

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?

RICS describes Level 2 as advice on repairs and maintenance for a conventional home, with a more extensive look at roofs and drains than Level 1, still without tests of services. Floors under carpets are a classic limit. The report should say so. If the worry is a specific bounce or a known rot history, say so before the visit so the surveyor can ask to see that spot.

Level 3 is more detailed and still not a licence to strip the house. The difference is the depth of description and advice, not a promise of destruction. If you want a floor opened, ask for that access as an extra, whoever does the survey. The fee changes. Ask. Do not assume the higher level includes carpentry.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • What will you not lift unless I arrange it?
  • If I can get one room cleared, will you look at that floor?
  • Is my worry about the floors a reason for Level 3, or a reason for access?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Arrange access before the inspection if the floor is the point of the survey.
  2. Read the limitations page when the report arrives. Do not skip it because the kitchen was pretty.
  3. If access is refused, decide whether a report that says NI on the floors is enough.

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 Level 3 include a drain camera if Level 2 does not?

Not automatically. A camera is an extra on either level unless the terms include it.

Can you be in the house and lift the carpet yourself?

Only with the seller’s agreement. It is not your carpet yet. Do not create a row the surveyor then has to work around.

Sources