RICS home surveys across Surrey
Level 2 HomeBuyer and Level 3 Building Surveys from Reigate and Redhill to Woking, Epsom, Caterham, Staines and the Thames-side towns — from RICS chartered surveyors who know Surrey’s clay, chalk and greensand, and the cracks they cause.
Do you carry out home surveys in Surrey?
Yes — home surveys are the core of what we do across Surrey. We work through Reigate and Redhill, Caterham and Whyteleafe, Epsom and Ewell, Ashtead, Cobham and Oxshott, Walton-on-Thames, Woking and Guildford, and the Thames-side towns of Staines, Sunbury and Shepperton. Surrey asks more of a survey than most counties: the ground changes sharply from the chalk of the North Downs to the greensand ridge and the heavy Weald clay, subsidence risk in parts of the county runs well above the national average, and the Thames flood plain shapes everything along the river. When you instruct us, an RICS surveyor who knows the area inspects your property — and the same surveyor talks you through the report afterwards.
Which survey do you need?
Two RICS levels cover almost every home in Surrey. Tell us the address and we will tell you honestly which one you need — we would rather sell you the right report than the bigger one.
RICS Level 2 — HomeBuyer Survey
Best for: a 1930s semi, a post-war house or a modern flat that looks well maintained.
- Visual inspection of all safely accessible parts
- RICS traffic-light ratings — sound / needs attention / urgent
- Damp, roof coverings, visible drainage and services
- Plain-English summary of what affects value and repair cost
RICS Level 3 — Building Survey
Best for: Victorian and Edwardian houses, period and listed property, anything extended more than once — or any home showing cracking.
- The fuller structural report: construction, movement, roofs, timbers
- Shrink–swell and subsidence: crack patterns, distortion, underpinning
- Extensions and loft conversions — and whether they were signed off
- Repair advice, likely costs, and what to do next
Reinstatement cost assessments for insurance · Party Wall notices, schedules of condition and awards · RICS valuations and leasehold reform work where clients need them. Ask when you book a survey and we will quote for everything together.
Reports for solicitors & conveyancers
We work directly with solicitors across Surrey and the South East — clear, defensible reports written for the file, delivered to your deadline, with the surveyor available afterwards to answer queries rather than disappearing after delivery.
For solicitors ›- Structural movement & subsidence reports
- Defect & condition reports for transactions
- Reinstatement cost assessments
- Expert witness & CPR Part 35 reports
Areas we cover in Surrey
Choose your town for local detail on the housing stock, the ground beneath it and what our surveys look for.
What our surveys check in Surrey
Ground that changes street by street
Surrey is unusually varied underfoot: the chalk of the North Downs through Caterham and the Epsom escarpment, the greensand ridge through Reigate and Redhill, heavy Weald clay to the south, and London Clay to the north. Shrink–swell movement near mature trees is a recognised risk across much of it — parts of the Reigate and Banstead borough are rated at around 1.6 times the UK average for subsidence risk from clay shrinkage. So a crack in one street means something different from the same crack a mile away, and we read them against the ground the house actually sits on.
The Thames flood plain
Along the river — Staines-upon-Thames, Sunbury, Shepperton, Walton and Chertsey — flood risk is the defining local issue, and much of this stretch sits on the Thames flood plain with a real flooding history. On riverside and low-lying property we draw attention to the position, look for the practical signs of past water ingress, and recommend the flood position is confirmed through the searches and with your insurer before you commit.
Extensions, conversions & sign-off
The single most common problem we find in Surrey is not dramatic: it is work that was done without the right consent or sign-off. Rear and side extensions, loft conversions, knocked-through walls, garage conversions — all routine, all capable of causing trouble on a sale. We check the standard of the work and its building-regulations and planning status, and set out plainly what it means for the transaction.
Period stock, post-war & new-build
The county runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces and substantial period houses, through vast interwar and post-war suburbs, to town-centre flats and modern estates. Each needs a different level of scrutiny: period and altered houses usually warrant a Level 3, conventional suburban homes in good order suit a Level 2, and on newly completed homes we report on condition and construction in the usual way. We recommend the level the property needs — not the most expensive one.
Surrey home surveys
Which survey do I need?
For a conventional house or flat in reasonable condition, a Level 2 HomeBuyer survey is usually enough. For a Victorian or Edwardian house, a period or listed property, anything extended or altered more than once, or any home showing cracking, we recommend a Level 3 Building Survey — which, given Surrey’s ground conditions, is the report we most often carry out here. Tell us the address and we will tell you which one you actually need.
How much does a survey cost?
Level 2 HomeBuyer surveys start from £850 + VAT and Level 3 Building Surveys from £1,100 + VAT, with the fee depending on the size, age and condition of the property. We give a fixed quote once we know the address — and we will tell you if the cheaper report is the right one.
The house has cracks. Is it subsidence?
Usually not — most cracks are not structural. But parts of Surrey carry a subsidence risk well above the national average from clay shrinkage, so it deserves a proper look. In a Level 3 Building Survey we assess the crack pattern, width and direction, check doors, floors and skirtings, look for historic underpinning and consider nearby trees and drainage, then explain plainly what we can and cannot tell from a visual inspection, and what to do next.
How quickly can you survey, and who writes the report?
We can usually inspect within a few working days, and often sooner. The RICS surveyor who inspects the property writes the report and is available to talk it through with you afterwards — you will not be passed to a call centre.
Do you do valuations and lease extensions too?
We do, and we are RICS Registered Valuers — but home surveys are our focus in Surrey. If you need a valuation for probate, tax or matrimonial purposes, or a lease extension valuation, tell us and we will quote for it alongside the survey.
Get started
Tell us about your property.
Share a few details below and we'll come back with a clear, bespoke quote — and explain the options so you can decide on scope, not guesswork. Prefer to talk? Call 020 8017 1943.