The short answerA house survey is a visual inspection of everything the surveyor can safely see: the roof and chimneys, external walls and damp-proof course, rainwater goods, windows and doors, the roof void, ceilings, walls and floors, kitchen and bathroom fittings, visible services, and the grounds and outbuildings. Nothing is tested and nothing is opened up — services are observed, not operated, and concealed areas stay concealed. Knowing exactly where that boundary sits is the point of this guide.
Why this matters when buying
The single biggest survey risk is not a missed defect — it is a misunderstood scope. Buyers routinely assume the surveyor tested the boiler, ran the taps, checked the wiring and lifted the carpets. None of that happens on any RICS survey level. The report describes what was visible on the day, within the access that existed on the day.
That matters because in England your window for due diligence closes at exchange of contracts. After exchange, a defect in an area you assumed was checked — but which actually sat outside the survey’s scope — is your liability. Knowing what is covered, area by area, tells you which extra checks the property needs while you can still act on them. If you are choosing between levels, start with our Level 2 vs Level 3 comparison.
What is a house survey?
A house survey is a professional visual inspection of a property’s condition, carried out under the RICS Home Survey Standard on a single visit. A Level 2 Homebuyer Report gives a condition-rated assessment suited to modern, conventional homes; a Level 3 Building Survey — historically called a building survey or “full structural survey” — inspects the same areas but analyses them in depth: what each defect is, what is causing it, and what happens if it is left. Both are non-invasive: the surveyor inspects what can be seen without moving furniture, lifting fitted coverings or opening up the fabric.
What the surveyor checks, area by area
Here is the inspection walked through the way a surveyor actually works it — outside first, then inside from the roof void down, then services and grounds. Each table shows what is examined and the defects most commonly recorded there.
Outside the property
| Area | What the surveyor checks | Common defects found |
|---|---|---|
| Roof coverings & chimneys | Tiles or slates, ridge lines, flashings, flat roofs, chimney stacks and pots — from the ground, accessible vantage points and, where instructed, drone imagery. | Slipped or cracked tiles; failed flashings; roof undulation suggesting spread; eroded chimney mortar and leaning stacks. |
| External walls & damp-proof course | Wall construction, pointing, render, cracking patterns, the visible DPC line and external ground levels relative to it. | Movement or lintel-failure cracking; blown render; a DPC bridged by raised paving or flower beds; spalled brickwork. |
| Rainwater goods | Gutters, downpipes, hoppers and gullies — alignment, joints, staining on walls below. Not tested; it may not be raining on the day. | Leaking joints, blocked or back-falling gutters, and the damp staining and rot they cause beneath. |
| Windows & external doors | Frames, sills, visible seals and general operation on a sample basis; lintels above openings where visible. | Failed double-glazing seals, rotten sills and frames, dropped openings, defective or missing lintels. |
Inside the property
| Area | What the surveyor checks | Common defects found |
|---|---|---|
| Roof void (loft) | Entered where safe, practical access exists: roof structure, timbers, underfelt or membrane, insulation depth, water tanks, signs of leaks or condensation. | Cut or notched rafters from past works, timber decay and woodworm, daylight through coverings, condensation, thin or displaced insulation. |
| Ceilings | Construction (lath and plaster, plasterboard, textured coatings) and condition in each room — sagging, cracking, staining, bulging. | Bulging plasterboard indicating lost fixings or loading above; cracked lime plaster with failed keys, at risk of collapse; pre-mid-1980s textured coatings that may contain asbestos; leak staining. |
| Walls & floors | Internal cracking patterns, bulging, moisture-meter readings at skirting level, floor levels and deflection underfoot — fitted coverings are not lifted. | Movement cracking around openings and extensions, damp at the base of walls, springy or sloping floors suggesting joist problems beneath. |
| Kitchen & bathrooms | Fittings, sealant, visible pipework, extraction and signs of leakage around baths, showers and sinks. Appliances are not tested. | Failed sealant letting water into floors below, condensation mould from poor extraction, leaking waste connections. |
Services, grounds and outbuildings
| Area | What the surveyor checks | Common defects found |
|---|---|---|
| Visible services | Consumer unit age and type, visible wiring and pipework, boiler age and flue position, stop tap, meters, drainage covers where they can be lifted safely. No testing of electrics, gas, water or heating on any survey level. | Dated consumer units suggesting old wiring, lead or mixed pipework, boilers near end of life, blocked or root-damaged drainage at inspection chambers. |
| Extensions & conversions | How later additions meet the original structure, cracking at junctions, evidence of support where walls or chimney breasts have been removed. | Movement at extension junctions, removed chimney breasts with no visible support, loft conversions without evident compliance. |
| Grounds, boundaries & outbuildings | Garages and outbuildings within scope, boundary and retaining walls, paths, drives, trees near the building, ground levels and drainage falls. | Leaning or cracked boundary walls, vegetation against the fabric, ground levels directing water at the house, trees with subsidence potential on shrinkable clay. |
What should you do before the survey?
A survey reports on what was accessible on the day, so the most valuable preparation costs nothing: make sure access exists, and brief the surveyor properly.
Arrange access
- Ask the agent to confirm the loft hatch is openable and reasonably clear of stored belongings
- Ensure every room, the garage and any outbuildings will be unlocked
- Ask for keys to any secondary spaces — cellars, store rooms, roof terraces
Ask the seller, and brief the surveyor
- Has the property been extended, converted or altered — and are certificates and building-regulations sign-off available?
- Any history of damp treatment, roof repairs, underpinning or insurance claims? Gather guarantees and paperwork
- Tell the surveyor anything that concerns you — a crack you noticed, a musty smell, a patch of staining — so it is examined deliberately, not incidentally
- Mention your plans (removing walls, converting the loft) so the report can comment on feasibility clues
What a survey can and cannot do
A survey can
- Identify visible defects, explain their likely cause and rank their significance
- State clearly where access was restricted — a blocked hatch, a locked garage, heavy furniture
- Recommend the specialist checks the evidence justifies: an electrician’s EICR, gas safety inspection, drainage CCTV, structural engineer
- Raise questions about alterations for your solicitor to pursue before exchange
A survey cannot
- Test services — electrics, plumbing, gas, heating or drainage are observed, never operated or tested
- See concealed areas — behind walls, under fitted floor coverings, inside boxed-in pipework
- Guarantee that past work complies with building regulations
- Force access to locked, unsafe or obstructed areas
Stated limitations are not a weakness in a report — they are professional honesty, and they tell you exactly where further investigation should be aimed before you commit.
Decision framework: which survey covers your situation?
| Property situation | Sensible choice |
|---|---|
| Modern (post-1985), conventionally built, unaltered, apparently good condition | Level 2 Homebuyer Report |
| Built before about 1985, period, or of non-standard construction | Level 3 Building Survey |
| Extended, loft-converted or altered — at any age | Level 3 Building Survey |
| Visible defects, or you plan significant renovation | Level 3 Building Survey — the analysis feeds your budget and negotiation |
| Complex, high-value or high-risk purchase where concealed areas matter most | Level 3+ with targeted further investigation where the report recommends it |
For a fuller treatment of that choice, read Level 2 or Level 3: which do you need? — and current figures for each level are on our survey costs page.
What a Flettons survey will examine
Our surveyors — independent and regulated by RICS — inspect on a single visit: roof coverings and chimneys, external fabric, windows and doors, every accessible room, the roof void where safe access exists, visible services, and outbuildings and grounds within scope. The inspection is visual and non-invasive; we do not test services or open up the fabric, and every limitation is stated plainly. A summary of significant findings is emailed within 24 hours of the inspection, so anything urgent reaches you long before the full report.
What distinguishes one Level 3 report from another is not the areas covered — the standard defines those — but how findings are recorded. Flettons reports work room by room and component by component, so a sound ceiling in one bedroom is never averaged together with a failing one in the room below.
| Reporting characteristic | What it looks like in the report | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Room-by-room coverage | Each bedroom, bathroom, hallway and reception assessed separately, not one heading per element. | You know which ceiling is defective and which is sound — plan repairs and negotiation room by room. |
| Component-by-component assessment | Lime plaster, plasterboard and textured coatings distinguished in their specific locations. | Different materials fail differently; a one-size-fits-all summary cannot capture that. |
| Risk explained in context | A bulging ceiling linked to the roof structure above; cracking linked to deflecting floor joists. | You get cause and consequence, not just “there is a crack”. |
| Clear limitations | “Inspections were visual only; concealed fixings could not be confirmed.” | Uncertainty is stated honestly, not buried in small print. |
| Actionable advice | Replacement required, monitoring advised, asbestos testing recommended — with who to instruct. | You know what to do next and what it might cost. |
What happens if the survey finds a problem?
- Establish the likely cause and extent — the report’s analysis is your starting point.
- Understand the consequences — urgency, safety, insurability and what happens if nothing is done.
- Commission the right further investigation — electrician, drainage CCTV, structural engineer or damp and timber specialist, as the report directs.
- Estimate the repair liability — real quotations, not guesses.
- Ask your solicitor the right questions — certificates, guarantees and building-regulations evidence for past works.
- Renegotiate, proceed or withdraw based on evidence — a costed defect is a fair basis for a price reduction.
Every Flettons report is built around the same framework: what we found, what it means, what it could cost, and what to do next.
An example from practice
Case study · details anonymisedA buyer of an older terraced house assumed “the ceilings” would be one line in the report. The room-by-room inspection told a different story: the reception ceilings were skimmed-over lime plaster with extensive cracking indicating deflected floor joists and failed plaster keys — a collapse risk needing replacement, not patching; a bedroom’s plasterboard ceiling was bulging from loading above; and two pre-mid-1980s textured coatings needed UKAS-accredited asbestos testing before any disturbance — the risk explained in our guide to asbestos in UK properties. Other ceilings were recorded as sound. The buyer renegotiated on the genuine liabilities and proceeded knowing exactly which rooms needed nothing at all.
Frequently asked questions
Do surveyors check the electrics, boiler or drains?
No — no survey level tests services; the surveyor reports on what is visible, such as consumer unit age, pipework and the boiler’s apparent condition, and recommends specialist checks where justified: an electrician’s EICR, a gas safety inspection or drainage CCTV.
Do surveyors go into the loft?
Yes, where safe and practical access exists — a reachable, openable hatch and space to enter. A sealed hatch or a loft packed with belongings can prevent inspection entirely, so ask the agent to arrange clear access before the visit.
Do surveyors move furniture or lift carpets?
No — the inspection is non-invasive, so furniture stays where it is and fitted floor coverings are not lifted. Floors are assessed from what can be seen and felt underfoot, and the report states where coverings limited the inspection.
How long does a house survey take on the day?
Typically one to two hours for a Level 2 on a conventional home, and two to five hours for a Level 3, depending on size, age and condition. A thorough room-by-room Level 3 on a larger period property sits at the top of that range.
Does a house survey check for damp?
Yes — the surveyor looks for visible signs and takes moisture-meter readings at accessible surfaces, then interprets the likely mechanism: condensation, penetrating damp, a plumbing leak or, more rarely, rising damp. Concealed damp behind finishes may still need further investigation.
What if the surveyor can’t access something?
The report states exactly what could not be inspected and why — a locked garage, a blocked hatch, an unsafe roof. You can then arrange access for a follow-up look, or treat the area as an unknown in your negotiation.
How much does a house survey cost, and how quickly does the report arrive?
With Flettons, Level 2 Homebuyer Reports start from £450, Level 3 Building Surveys from £550 and Level 3+ from £850 — competitive, transparent pricing that varies with property size and value. Reports typically arrive in around five working days for a Level 2 and ten for a Level 3, with a 24-hour summary of significant findings.
Surveyor’s conclusion
A house survey checks more than most buyers expect in some areas — the roof void, the grounds, the junctions of past alterations — and less than they assume in others: no service is ever tested, and nothing concealed is opened up. The buyers who get the most from a survey understand that boundary before the inspection: they arrange access, brief the surveyor on their concerns, and read the limitations as carefully as the defects. Match the level to the building’s age, alteration history and condition, and treat the report as what it is — a decision-making tool, not a certificate of soundness.
This article is general guidance based on inspection experience, not advice on a specific property. Every RICS home survey is a visual, non-invasive inspection subject to the scope, access and limitations stated in the report, and this guidance reflects practice in England. Always commission an independent RICS-regulated surveyor to inspect the actual property before committing to a purchase.
Want to know exactly what your survey will cover?
Tell us the property’s age, size and any alterations, and we’ll confirm the right level and scope. A Flettons survey gives you:
- Every accessible room and component inspected and reported individually
- A summary of significant findings within 24 hours of inspection
- Plain-English analysis: what we found, what it means, what it could cost, what to do next
- Clear direction on any specialist checks worth commissioning before exchange