A RICS Level 3 Building Survey is the most detailed inspection you can commission on a home before you exchange contracts. It tells you what the building is actually made of, what is already failing, and what the repair bill is likely to look like — while you still have room to negotiate or walk away.
Below is what we inspect, in the order we inspect it, so you know exactly what you are paying for.
What a Level 3 Building Survey is
A Level 3 Building Survey — still often called a full structural survey — is an in-depth, non-invasive inspection of the structure and fabric of a property, carried out to the RICS Home Survey Standard. It goes further than a RICS Level 2 Homebuyer Report, which is designed for conventional homes in reasonable condition and reports on most elements by exception.
A Level 3 assumes nothing. Every accessible element is opened, described and assessed, including the parts of a building that are easy to miss: the roof space, sub-floor ventilation, hidden timbers and evidence of past movement.
When a Level 3 is the right choice
A Level 3 is normally the right survey for:
Properties built before around 1900, where materials, damp-proofing and past alterations all matter.
Non-traditional and system-built homes — Wimpey no-fines, Orlit, Reema, Cornish Unit, BISF and similar — where the construction type itself affects mortgage lending.
Any property that has been extended, converted or altered, including loft conversions and rear returns.
Timber-framed, stone, thatched or listed buildings.
Homes you intend to renovate, where you need the defects priced before you buy.
If you are buying a modern flat or a post-1990s house in good order, a RICS Level 2 Homebuyer Report (from £450) is usually the better value choice. It is the same surveyor and the same standard of care, just a lighter scope.
What a Level 3 Building Survey covers, room by room
Outside the building
Roof coverings, chimneys and flashings, rainwater goods and drainage outlets, external walls, render and cladding, lintels, sub-floor ventilation, ground levels against the damp-proof course, visible drainage, boundaries and outbuildings.
The roof space
Roof structure and any historic strengthening, boarding, felt or underlay, insulation type and condition, cavity and eaves ventilation, and evidence of condensation or staining that points to a leak. Older insulation materials and spray foam are looked at closely — both can affect a mortgage.
Inside the property
Walls, ceilings and floors — including sloping or bouncy floors — joinery, staircases, chimney breasts, and every sign of damp, timber decay or movement. Glazing and window condition are assessed; services such as electrics, gas and drainage are inspected visually and commented on, but not tested.
Below and beyond
Cellars, basements and any accessible voids, plus a considered view of the site: nearby trees and vegetation, retaining walls, and how the ground is likely to behave around the foundations.
What a Level 3 Building Survey does not cover
It is not a valuation. If you need a figure to negotiate with, our market valuation service can be arranged alongside — and remember your lender instructs its own valuer separately.
It is not a test of services. Your solicitor can arrange specialist electrical, gas and CCTV drainage reports; we will tell you when they are worth doing.
It is not legal advice on title, boundaries or planning. We will flag issues for your solicitor to investigate.
Structure cannot be opened up. Where a defect cannot be confirmed without works, the report says so plainly and recommends the next step.
What a Level 3 Building Survey costs
Our Level 3 Building Survey starts at £550, and £850 for larger, older or heavily altered properties. The price is fixed and confirmed in writing before we inspect — no call-out fees, no surprise add-ons.
You receive a detailed report within 48 hours of the inspection, and you can speak directly to the surveyor who carried the survey to talk through anything in it. We are RICS-regulated and 5-star rated by buyers across London and the South East.
How to read your report
Every element is given a condition rating, usually 1 to 3. Rating 1 means no action needed now; rating 2 means repairs or further investigation; rating 3 means serious, urgent defects. Focus your reading on the 2s and 3s, and on anything marked "further investigation required" — those are the items with money attached.
Three practical steps:
Get quotes for the most urgent items before you exchange, not after.
Share the report with your solicitor so overlapping legal issues are picked up.
Use it as evidence. Defects are a legitimate reason to renegotiate the price, and buyers who do so usually recover more than the survey fee.
Red flags that most often change a decision
Structural movement or subsidence, particularly with historic underpinning.
Extensive damp with timber decay, or repairs that have been patched rather than solved.
A roof at or past the end of its serviceable life.
Non-traditional construction with documented lending restrictions.
Non-compliant loft conversions and extensions built without consent.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Level 3 Building Survey worth it?
On an older, altered or unusual property, almost always. The typical cost of a survey is a small fraction of one significant repair, and it is the only point in the purchase where you can still renegotiate or withdraw.
Should I choose a Level 2 or a Level 3?
Choose a Level 2 for a conventional modern home in reasonable condition. Choose a Level 3 if the property is old, extended, non-traditional, or if a previous report raised questions you want answered properly.
How soon will I get my report?
We return a detailed report within 48 hours of the inspection. If you are working to a tight exchange deadline, tell us when you book and we will aim to fit the visit around it.
Can you survey a property with tenants living there?
Yes, although access to every room makes the survey more complete. If access is limited, the report will state what could not be inspected and what that means for you.
Does the survey include the drains?
We inspect the visible above-ground drainage. A CCTV drain survey is a separate specialist investigation — we will recommend one where the age or layout of the property makes it sensible.
Is the survey a guarantee?
No. It is a professional opinion on the condition of the property on the day of inspection, not a warranty or an insurance policy. Defects can develop after any survey.
Get a fixed quote for your survey
If you are buying an older, altered or non-traditional home, a Level 3 Building Survey gives you the full picture before you commit. Call 0330 043 4650 for an instant, fixed quote, or request your survey online — we will confirm the price and the inspection date straight away.