You are here: Find the best Building Survey (Level 3) in your area

Completing the short form below will  give you a set of estimates for a Building Survey (Level 3 Survey) on your property. The prices will come from Surveyors who cover your local area. You will also instantly be provided with their full contact details. You can then get in touch with them directly and compare prices and services. If you wish to place an order you deal with them directly.

Step 1: Property Details
Step 2: Your Contact Details
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Show terms and conditions

Short Summary of Terms & Conditions

This website will help you find suppliers who provide property services.  When you enter your details and press submit, the system will immediately give you the contact details of the suppliers covering your local area.  Where appropriate, initial estimates will also be instantly provided. You can then contact any of the suppliers directly. In addition, your details will be sent to each of the suppliers listed, so they will also be able to contact you. Your details will not be forwarded to any other third parties. Your email address is required but if you do not want to provide your telephone number, please enter 0000. Using this website will not commit you to placing any orders or paying any money. If you do place an order with one of the suppliers, you will be dealing directly with them.  In most cases there is no middle man. Suppliers on this website pay advertising fees to be listed, they do not pay any commission to Local Surveyors Direct. Before placing an order you should ensure that your chosen supplier has satisfactory qualifications, accreditation, experience and insurance. You will receive an email from us requesting feedback a few weeks later. After that we will not use your details again.

Detailed Summary of Terms and Conditions

This agreement describes the terms and conditions of your use, as a Client, of our services provided under the domain and sub-domains of our websites.

For the purposes of this agreement these websites are all refered to as 'The Website'

By using these websites you are agreeing to be bound by this agreement and by our Privacy Policy

The Website

The Website is a tool to facilitate surveyors, engineers and the like (Members) to promote their services to Clients. Members provide information about themselves, their services and their fees (Members Information) which is stored on the Website.  Selected parts of Members' Information may be displayed on the Website and emailed to you in response to your enquires so that you can contact them.  Members will be informed by email whenever any of their information is displayed and/or emailed to you, along with your details so that they can contact you.  We are not involved in any discussions, negotiations or agreements between Members and Clients.

Member's Information

We do not review or check the accuracy or legality of Member's Information.  You are responsible for checking that any Member's Information which you may rely upon is correct.  In particular before placing an order with a member it is your responsibility to ensure that the member has satisfactory qualifications, accreditations, experience and insurance suitable for your requirement.

In the event that any incorrect or misleading Member's Information comes to your attention you must inform us immediately, by email, so that we can request the Member to correct or remove it.

Member's Services and Estimates

Members must only offer to carry out work for which they are sufficiently knowledgeable, experienced, competent and able to carry out, taking into account all relevant factors, including the type of work, the age and type of the property concerned, and its geographical location (Services).  The offer of a Service or the provision of an estimate (Estimate) for a Service through the Website is based on limited information and does not constitute a contract or binding offer.

Client Information

Any information which you provide about yourself to the Website is known as Client Information, and you warrant that this is genuine and correct.  You agree that any Client Information may be passed to Members to allow them to promote their Services to you.  Client Information will be treated with full confidentiality and will not be passed to any other third party.

Continuous Operation

We will use our reasonable endeavors to ensure that the Website and Members Information is always available to Clients.  However, we cannot and do not guarantee a continuous, uninterrupted operation as this could be affected by many factors beyond our control as well as our need to maintain and further develop the Website. 

Improper Use

You must use the Website only for the purpose of obtaining information about Members and their Services, and Estimates for their Services in respect of genuine enquiries.  You must not use the Website in any improper manner or for any fraudulent purpose, nor with the intention of doing so.

Computer Viruses

You must ensure that you do not upload any computer viruses, macro viruses, trojan horses, worms or anything which could interfere with the normal operation of the Website or any other computer, or which could intercept, access, gather or export data from the Website.

Liability

In the event that you have any grievance, complaint or claim against a Member, you agree to pursue this directly with the Member, without involving us. We would request that you do inform us of any such event so that we can take any other actions that we feel appropriate.

Limitation of Liability

Nothing in this agreement shall limit or exclude our liability for fraudulent misrepresentation, or for death or personal injury resulting from our negligence. Subject to this, we will not be held liable for any loss or damages arising out of this agreement or the operation or non operation of the Website.

Revisions

This agreement may revised at any time, without notice, by displaying the revised agreement on the Website.

Notices

Notices to us must be delivered to our registered office, The Stables, Rear of 60 The Avenue, Southampton SO17 1XS.

Notices to you will be sent to the email address or postal address which you have provided.

Governing Law

This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law. If any provisions of this agreement are held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck out and the remaining provisions shall remain. 

The above are the terms and conditions for Clients using the website.  For the terms and conditions for members listed on the website please click here.

 

Completing the short form above will  give you a set of estimates for a Building Survey (Level 3 Survey) on your property. The prices will come from Surveyors who cover your local area. You will also instantly be provided with their full contact details. You can then get in touch with them directly and compare prices and services. If you wish to place an order you deal with them directly.

Building Survey Overview

A Building Survey is the most thorough and detailed report that you can commission on the condition of a property. The survey is usually carried out by a Chartered Surveyor who will be a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in which case he or she will have the letters MRICS or FRICS after his or her name.  The RICS refer to this stype of survey as a "Level 3" Survey. The RICS ensures that all its members maintain professional standards in their work. When commissioning a Chartered Surveyor to carry out a survey you should be able to feel confident that the results will be appropriate for your needs. 

Another body for professionals specialising in the design, construction, evaluation and maintenance of building construction is the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE). Professionally qualified members will have the letters MCABE or FCABE after their names. 

There is also the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) .  Their members work in the development, conservation and improvement of the built environment.  Chartered members will have the letters MCIOB or FCIOB after their names.

There is also the Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA) who have surveyors working to defined inspection and reporting standards and can offer a range of different reports.  Please note that the RPSA does not have a chartered status and so members of the RSPSA are not ‘Chartered Surveyors' unless they also have chartered membership of one of the above organisations.

It should be noted that registered Architects also sometimes carry out surveys.

What Quality of Report Should You Expect For Your Money?

Generally a Building Survey is considered to be the most comprehensive service available.  Prices vary between different Surveyors and so a common question from homebuyers is: what will I get for my money?  In general most Building Surveys from most surveyors will be fine.  Before carrying out a survey the Surveyor will discuss your situation and then recommend the most appropriate way forward.  When deciding which Surveyor to go with, you may wish to consider the following:

  1. Qualifications, accreditation, experience and insurance.
  2. Likely survey date and likely date for delivery of the resulting survey report.
  3. Will it be possible to meet the surveyor at the property?  Most surveyors are happy to do this but they will probably want to complete the survey first and then do a quick walk around with you afterwards.
  4. What will the report look like?  Most surveyors will be happy to email you an example of a typical report to give an indication of what you can expect.
  5. Will the report contain photographs?  This varies a lot between surveyors.  Having photographs included is not essential but could be useful.  Some surveyors will automatically include lots of photos.  Some surveyors will provide photos but these will just be a separate file and will not be part of the report.  Some surveyors do not generally include photos but will do so for an extra cost.  If the property is in good condition then there will be less need for photographs.  If the property is in poor condition then photographs might be useful.

It should be noted that most surveyors will have much of this information covered on their website.

Appointing a Surveyor

It should be noted that not all Building Surveyors are members of the RICS, they may be members of another professional body and have similar qualifications and experience. Some will provide a good level of service and some will not. In general it is always recommended that you use the services of a qualified Surveyor however, the choice is yours. Before appointing a Surveyor and placing an order you should ensure yourself that your chosen Surveyor has satisfactory qualifications, accreditation, experience and insurance to provide the level of service that you require.

Objective of a Building Survey

The objective of a Building Survey is to identify any particular problems that may exist with a property before you finalise an agreement to purchase. An experienced Building Surveyor will be able to cast an expert’s eye over the building with the possibility that he may pick up things that you have missed. Please note that a Building Survey does not normally include a  valuation.

Building Surveys are sometimes referred to as Full Structural Surveys as they provide a detailed report on the property’s construction and condition. In general terms a Building Survey is recommended for older houses or houses that may have problems however they can be applied to any age of property and are particularly helpful for dilapidated properties and those that have been extensively altered. Building Surveys are also useful if you plan to renovate or convert the property.

Different Types of Survey

If your prospective new home has only recently been built you may wish to consider the alternative of a HomeBuyer Report (Level 2) which will probably work out to be slightly lower in cost. This report follows a format specified by the RICS and is generally suitable for situations where major problems are felt to be unlikely. It replaces what the RICS previously referred to as a Homebuyer Survey.

Your Building Society or Finance provider may commission a Valuation Report. This slimmed down report can be very useful but it should be noted that it is produced more for the lender rather than the purchaser and may not necessarily contain the detail that you require.

If you would like more information on the differences between surveys, please click here.

To discuss your requirement for a possible Survey on your new home the best people to talk to would be one or more of the Building Surveyors who cover the local area. By completing the estimate request form above, you will be given a list of contact details so that you can then speak to these people directly.

If you are looking for contact details for Mortgage Brokers then click here.

Are you a Surveyor?

If you are a Building Surveyor and you would like to be listed on this website, please fill out a request for a no obligation trial

What do our customers say about our surveyors?

We ask all of our Customers to let us have feedback on any of our Surveyors they used. Please see below for some of their comments:

Thank you for our level 3 survey. The findings have meant a reduction in the sale price. Can’t thank you enough.
Laura, London
You connected me with Surval Ltd who stopped me spending £350k on a house with a very serious damp problem. I’m forever grateful!
Pauline, Swindon
From quote to report delivery, Martin's comms were excellent and timely. He was able to deliver the survey within a week of quoting, and also supplied a summary email on the day of the survey itself detailing key areas of focus. Would highly recommend using Kingsley to anyone looking for a comprehensive and well delivered home survey
Martyn, Ascot
The service provided by Neil Aylin was excellent. He phoned explained the process and provided additional information. He produced a very precise and useful report with pictures and recommendations. Neil was prompt, always replied to messages and his fees were very reasonable. I would highly recommend his services.
Vio, Peterborough
Highly recommend. Peter was quick to answer my initial queries, he spoke directly to the agent and organised the survey within a few days notice. The report was issued within the week of initial contact. It was well laid out, had pictures identifying the issues as well as the severity of the issue. I will certainly use again so thank you
James, Blackwood, South Wales
Great service, informative feedback and very professional. Full report was ready in a few days.
Dean, Bristol
We were debating whether to have a survey on a bungalow or fix what minor problems I could see once we purchased. Thank god we did! The surveyor found £15,000 of major (hidden) issues. We asked if the vendor would reduce the price, a very adamant no! We walked away and saved ourselves a headache. The service was excellent, the surveyor we chose was very knowledgable, polite and slotted us in mere days before exchange, although he didn't disclose any issues prior to payment he hinted to hang fire on the purchase
Jennie, Essex.
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