Surveyor Referral Terms & Conditions

We introduce you to one of our hand selected surveyors to complete your chosen survey for you. The surveyor introduced will be competent to provide the Service as follows:

Service
Qualification/Regulator
Level 2 Home Survey with a valuation, Level 2 Home Survey without a valuation, Level 3 Building Survey and Valuations (probate, current market, lease extension and purchase of freehold.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Surveyor

Find your surveyor here: RICS Surveyor Database

Inspection for a load bearing wall, subsidence, chimney breast
The Institution of Structural Engineers or Building Surveyor

Find your surveyor here: Structural Engineer Surveyor Database

Damp & Timber Survey
Certificated Surveyor in Structural Waterproofing (CSSW) registered Surveyor
Asbestos Survey
BOHS British Occupation Health Society registered Asbestos Surveyor



All Surveyors introduced by us are regulated for the services they provide either by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), or an appropriate regulator for the service they provide.

You are deemed to have accepted the introduction to work with our introduced Surveyor upon receipt of the payment for the survey. We will provide the following personal details to your independent surveyor to complete the Service for you:

  • Full name - the surveyor will use this on the front of your report.
  • Home address - the surveyor will use this on the front of your report.
  • Email - the surveyor will use this to send you the completed survey report.
  • Contact number - the surveyor will use this to call you for the post survey call.

Your surveyor will handle your personal data in accordance with the current data protection laws.

The surveyor will submit their terms to you prior to the Survey Date. If you want to cancel you can do so following the Cancellation Policy below. The surveyor acts independently to us in the delivery of the regulated service.

The survey takes place on the Survey Date that is agreeable with you, the estate agent (if applicable) and the property owner. The surveyor provides a detailed analysis over the phone with you after the survey has taken place and then the Surveyor delivers the written survey by email between 5 working days after the survey date. There are occasions where the report can take longer than 5 working days and you will be informed if this is the case.

HomeBuyer Reports, Building Surveys, Property Valuations and Lease Extension Valuations are non-intrusive visual inspections in accordance with the RICS regulations. If you require the Surveyor to inspect areas of the property that require access or an intrusive inspection this must be agreed in writing with the owner of the property and confirmed on instruction with your Surveyor.

We are not surveyors and don’t complete any regulated part of the Service for you. We do not take any responsibility for nor accept any liability in relation to the service provided by the Surveyor or the availability of the survey. The payment you make for the costs of the survey to us is passed on as Agent to the surveyor less our marketing fee for introducing you.

About You (the 'Client')
Your survey Quote is based on the information you provide to us, so if the information you provided is incorrect or changes please let us know so we can provide you with a correct Quote. We can only provide surveying services in England and Wales.

You should be 18 or over and be entitled to the surveying service on the relevant property.

Services Scope of Work

Level 2: Home Survey with No Valuation

Previously called the Level 2: HomeBuyer Survey. The scope of work is detailed here: RICS Guidelines for Surveys of residential property 3rd edition, May 2016 reissue. With no additional add-ons such as a valuation, reinstatement cost or cost of works*.

RICS Home Survey – Level 2 (survey and valuation)

Previously called the HomeBuyer Survey/Report. The scope of work is detailed here: RICS Guidelines for Surveys of residential property 3rd edition, May 2016 reissue. With no additional add-ons such as a valuation, reinstatement cost or cost of works*.

RICS Home Survey – Level 3

Previously called the Building Survey or Full Structural Survey. The scope of work is detailed here: RICS Guidelines for Surveys of residential property 3rd edition, May 2016 reissue. With no additional add-ons such as a valuation, reinstatement cost or cost of works*.


A valuation of the property at the time of death, which will come with a site visit to assess the condition of the property, comparison of sold properties of similar condition (if available) at the time of death and delivered on RICS headed paper suitable for probate.
 
This is not a defect survey and does not report on any defects found. This is not a structural or defect assessment such as a Building Survey or HomeBuyer Report. It does not include a current market valuation as at today's date.

Lease Extension Valuation (Desktop)

Included in our Fixed Fee: our RICS surveyor values the property based on a desktop assessment (no-site visit), reviews your lease and provides a premium to add an additional 90 years added onto your existing lease term using the formal calculations from the Leasehold Reform Act 1993. This is not a structural or defect assessment such as a Building Survey or HomeBuyer Report.
 
We will need you to provide us a copy of your lease. This can be provided in a PDF document or a hard copy.
 
We will charge extra for:
  • Negotiations - Your surveyor can help negotiate with your freeholder once the section 45 counter notice is served by the freeholder. The surveyor will negotiate with the freeholder's surveyor. The surveyor charges a rate from £150 per hour EXC VAT. We suggest fixing a set amount of hours to limit the costs. You are not liable to pay the freeholder's negotiation costs.

Purchase of Freehold Valuation (Desktop)

Included in our Fixed Fee: our RICS surveyor values the freehold based on a desktop assessment (no-site visit), reviews your leases of all flats and provides a premium buy the freehold using the formal calculations from the Leasehold Reform Act 1993. This is not a structural or defect assessment such as a Building Survey or HomeBuyer Report.
 
We will need you to provide us a copy of the leases for all of the flats. These can be provided in a PDF document or a hard copy.
 
We will charge extra for:
  • Negotiations - Your surveyor can help negotiate with your freeholder once the section 21 counter notice is served by the freeholder. The surveyor will negotiate with the freeholder's surveyor. The surveyor charges a rate from £150 per hour EXC VAT. We suggest fixing a set amount of hours to limit the costs. You are not liable to pay the freeholder's negotiation costs.

Load Bearing Wall Removal

The work is undertaken by a structural engineer and they attend your property to investigate the wall. Our quote includes confirmation of whether the wall already removed, or to be removed, is load bearing and needs reinforcing.

If it requires reinforcing the surveyor will provide drawings for what work a builder is required to undertake to reinforce the wall. The inspection may need to be intrusive and the client will need to provide a builder to expose any necessary brickwork and make good post-inspection.
 
If the wall isn't load bearing the structural engineer will provide a report to certify that this is the case that is suitable for mortgage lender purposes. If this inspection is linked to a purchase, your solicitor should be provided with a copy of the report and an indemnity policy may need to be provided by the vendor.

Chimney Breast Removal

The work is undertaken by a structural engineer and they attend your property to investigate the chimney breast. Our quote includes confirmation of whether the chimney breast already removed, or to be removed, is load bearing and needs reinforcing. If it requires reinforcing the surveyor will provide drawings for what work a builder is required to undertake to reinforce the wall.

The inspection may need to be intrusive and the client will need to provide a builder to expose any necessary brickwork and make good post-inspection. If the chimney removal was strengthened appropriately the surveyor will provide a letter confirming the same and this can be sent to building control.
 
Please note the structural engineer will endeavour to ensure that any damage caused in carrying out his inspection is kept to a minimum and will direct the builder accordingly. The intrusive nature of the inspection allows him to determine what support work is required and provide the necessary calculations for the works to be completed.
 
If no additional work is required, the structural engineer will provide a report to certify that this is the case that is suitable for mortgage lender purposes. If this inspection is linked to a purchase, your solicitor should be provided with a copy of the report and an indemnity policy may need to be provided by the vendor.

Non-Intrusive Subsidence Survey

The work is undertaken by a structural engineer and they attend your property to investigate any signs of subsidence. Please note that he will need access to any areas deemed necessary to complete his inspection and not just the affected area. He will be looking to identify the cause of the cracks/movement and he will then provide recommendations including any required calculations in order for the remedial works to be completed.
 
If the structural engineer flags signs of subsidence then further more intrusive work will need to be completed for an additional fee and these works are normally carried out by the insurer of the property.

Letter of Regularisation

Included in Fixed Fee: attend the property to inspect the works. This is a non-intrusive inspection. Where intrusive work is needed a further £120 INC VAT is payable. Intrusive work will always be needed where the works are hidden behind plaster board. Any repair works are payable by the owner of the property and are not included in this fee.
 
This quote is for one element as noted. Any additional elements requiring checking and design will incur further charges. We can help with extensions and other works so please get in contact.

Residential Asbestos Survey

Includes any samples that the surveyor deems necessary to be taken from the property. Please note that this is for a non-intrusive Survey, except for taking samples, and is undertaken under Working at Height Regulations (no Specialist Access Equipment is used).
 
Our Surveyors are all qualified to British Occupational Hygiene Society P402 and some to S301 Standards. All samples are analysed in a UKAS accredited laboratory.
  • All samples are analysed in a UKAS accredited laboratory; and
  • All Surveys are undertaken in line with current HSE Regulations.

Damp and Timber Survey

Our damp surveyor attends the property and inspects all accessible areas, taking damp meter tests and confirming if there are any areas being effected by damp and putting forward an estimate for repair works. The service is undertaken by a PCA registered surveyor. This is not a structural or defect assessment such as a Building Survey or HomeBuyer Report.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel for any reason please call our office on 0333 344 3234 - we are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm or Saturday 11am to 1pm. You have 14 days from entering into a service contract in which you can cancel it.
If you request a service to start straightaway by booking a survey date within the next 14 days you still have the right to cancel, but you must pay for the value of the service that is provided up to the point you cancel which is as follows:
 
  • Cancel 2 working days or more before the Survey Date – full refund of survey paid
  • 1 to 2 working days before the Survey Date - £60 INC VAT charge and the balance of the survey paid refunded
  • 1 working day or less before the Survey Date – No refund
 
If you cancel on the same day as the Survey Date, or any time after the Surveyor has attended the property then no refund is due however the report will be delivered in accordance with the terms agreed with the Surveyor. For the avoidance of any doubt, we do not count hours for the time we are closed so if your Survey Date is on a Monday at 10am you must cancel the survey by 10am on Thursday to get a full refund, 10am on Friday to get a refund less £60 and after 10am on Friday there is no refund.
 
If you make a charge back request with your card provider after the Service has been delivered then we reserve the right to charge an additional £240 INC VAT plus any third party legal fees in pursuing the settlement of our invoice.
 

Complaint Process

  1. General Q&A this normally addresses issues and allows you to ask questions and get further clarity on the details of the report. If you can email your surveyor then you'll get a reply to your questions.
  2. Formal Complaint if you are unhappy with the answers from the surveyor then you can raise a formal complaint.
  3. Dispute Resolution if you are still unhappy you can get the RICS appointed dispute resolution service to review your case.
 

Step 1. General Q&A

This stage addresses the majority of concerns as it will give you further clarity on the issues you raise. These are just a few things that the surveyor could do:
  • Review and Report - the surveyor may be able to further expand on points within the report and discuss these through with you so you have a better understanding of the findings. You may find the further clarity helps in addressing your concerns.
  • Revisit - if you haven't yet purchased the property then the surveyor may look to revisit the property. There is no fee for doing so and the objective is to review their original findings. There are many variables that effect a survey such as the weather on the day. Any additional comments will be provided to you.
  • Advise on Limitations - it may be that what you are concerned about is outside the scope of work for the service. This will be explained if this is the case. The scope of work was sent to you when we quoted. We list below the different scope of work for all our Services.
 

Step 2. Formal Complaint

This starts the formal process and as such you will need to write a formal complaint letter to your surveyor and this can be emailed to them. Please bullet point all issues and provide any evidence to support your claim.
 
The Surveyor will send you their Formal Complaints Procedure which sets out their time frames to respond to your complaint. Upon receipt of your letter your surveyor takes all reasonable steps to resolve your complaint and may ask to revisit the property. After completing their review, the Surveyor writes to you in response to your complaint. This will hopefully address your concerns through providing additional information where possible.
 

Step 3. Dispute Resolution

The RICS have instructed CEDR to handle complaints for {SERVICE}, so in the event that you are still unsatisfied with the Surveyor you can raise your complaint wit CEDR. You cannot raise a complaint to the dispute resolution service until you have raised a formal complaint to your Surveyor. The details of the dispute resolution service for your RICS surveyors is:
 

Service Provider

Address

Email

Website

Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
 
70 Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 1EU
 
 
 
 
The dispute resolution service is free for you to use and considers all information provided by you and the Surveyor. They provide their independent opinion on the delivery of the Service by the Surveyor. If you are unhappy with the decision from the dispute resolution service you can ask for a further review by another person at CEDR. If after this further review you are still unhappy then you can seek to look to reclaim your losses through the legal system.
 
Your Feedback Matters
We work very hard to make sure you receive the best service possible. If during the survey service you are unsure of the next steps or need additional guidance or support, please contact us.

At the end of the survey service we will want to get your honest feedback on the surveyor you used. We want to hear if you had a great experience, or if we can learn from any mistakes.

Terms updated: 14th March 2023 9:45am