Most buyers of a conventional, reasonably modern home in good order need a RICS Level 2 survey. If the property is older, has been extended or altered, is built in an unusual way, or shows visible signs of problems, you need a RICS Level 3 survey. Those two sentences cover roughly 90% of decisions. The rest of this guide explains how to place your own property on that scale, what each level actually inspects, and what you should expect to pay.

The choice matters because a survey is your one chance to understand a property’s condition before you are legally committed to buying it. A mortgage valuation will not do this for you. It protects the lender, not you, and it is not a survey at all.

What are the RICS home survey levels?

There are three. The RICS Home Survey Standard, which came into force on 1 March 2021, replaced a confusing patchwork of report names with a single three-level framework that every RICS-regulated surveyor now uses.

Level 1 is a Condition Report, the most basic option, suited to new or nearly new homes in good condition. Very few Surveyors offer these anymore as demand was so low given that the price differential between a Level 1 and a Level 2 was historically very low considering the uplift in quality of reporting when moving to a Level 2.

Level 2 is the HomeBuyer Survey, the mid-range choice and the most popular by a wide margin, designed for conventional properties in reasonable condition.

Level 3 is the Building Survey, the most thorough inspection, intended for older, larger, altered or unusual buildings. The numbering reflects depth of inspection and detail of advice, not quality. A Level 2 from a good surveyor is not a cut-price version of a Level 3. It is a different tool for a different job, and choosing the right one saves you both money and worry.

What’s the difference between a Level 2 and a Level 3 survey?

The core difference is how deeply the surveyor investigates and how much interpretation you receive. A Level 2 is a visual inspection of all the readily accessible parts of a property, reported using a clear traffic-light rating for each element. A Level 3 goes further: the surveyor examines the construction in detail, investigates the likely cause of any defects, and advises on repairs and their urgency.

Put simply, a Level 2 tells you what is wrong. A Level 3 tells you what is wrong, why it is happening, and what to do about it.

A Level 2 survey will not lift carpets, move heavy furniture or inspect concealed areas, and will recommend further investigation where something looks amiss rather than diagnosing it. A Level 3 survey is expected to probe further within the limits of a non-intrusive inspection, which is why it suits properties where problems are likely or already visible.

Which survey do I need for my property?

Match the survey to the property, not to your budget. The strongest predictors are age, construction type and whether the building has been altered.

Choose a Level 2 if the home was built within roughly the last 70 years, is of standard brick-and-tile construction, looks well maintained, and has not been heavily extended or converted. Most three-bed semis, modern terraces and standard flats fall here.

Choose a Level 3 if any of the following apply: the property is genuinely old (pre-1900s, and certainly anything listed or timber-framed); it is built of non-standard materials such as concrete or steel frame; it has had significant extensions, loft conversions or structural alterations; it is visibly run down or you have already spotted cracks, damp or a sagging roofline; or you plan major renovation and need to understand the structure before committing.

When a property sits on the boundary between the two, the older and more altered it is, the stronger the case for Level 3.

Our Level 3 Surveys also provide additional detail about phone and broadband signals and noise pollution.

What does a RICS Level 2 (HomeBuyer) survey include?

A Level 2 survey gives you a visual assessment of the property’s condition with a traffic-light rating against every major element, so you can see at a glance where the issues are. Condition Rating 1 (green) means no repair is currently needed. Rating 2 (amber) flags defects that need attention but are neither serious nor urgent. Rating 3 (red) marks defects that are serious or need repairing urgently.

The surveyor inspects the roof, walls, windows, ceilings, floors, bathrooms and visible services such as electrics, heating and drainage, all on a non-intrusive basis. The report highlights problems that may affect the property’s value, points out legal matters your conveyancer should investigate, and notes anything that could prove dangerous.

What does a RICS Level 3 (Building) survey include?

A Level 3 survey provides everything a Level 2 covers and adds a detailed analysis of the property’s construction and condition, including the likely cause of each defect and advice on the repairs needed. It is the most comprehensive home survey available under the RICS standard.

The surveyor describes how the building is constructed, identifies defects and explains the consequences of not addressing them, and gives an indication of repair priorities and likely scope of work. Where a Level 2 would recommend that a specialist investigate further, a Level 3 surveyor will go as far as a non-intrusive inspection allows to establish what is actually going on.

This depth is what makes a Level 3 the right choice for a Victorian terrace with movement cracks, a converted barn, or a period home you intend to renovate. The report is longer and more technical, and it equips you to make repair decisions and, where appropriate, to renegotiate on the strength of documented findings.

How much do Level 2 and Level 3 surveys cost?

We price our Surveys according to a range of issues, principally how long we believe it will take us to write the report. A studio flat in an apartment block built a few years ago is likely to take us far less time than a large detached pile built over a hundred years ago with multiple extensions and in poor condition.

Typically, we will be at a property for anything ranging from 2 hours to 6 hours and then writing up our report afterwards.

A Level 3 Survey involves a greater level of advice so naturally costs more than a Level 2 Survey.

It is worth keeping the cost in perspective. On a property purchase running to hundreds of thousands of pounds, the amount of money spent on the right survey is a small sum against the repairs a survey can uncover. Buyers who skip a survey to save money are the ones most exposed to an expensive surprise after completion, when there is no longer any seller to share the cost with. Cheaper is not better here.

Our Surveyors range from providing 3-5 reports a week. This low number allows us to concentrate on quality as we believe that if you’re investing hundreds of thousands or millions of pounds in investing in a home with no refund policy, that it’s advisable to have it sensibly checked over before.

Should I ask for a sample Survey report?

Always, yes!

In the same way that items of clothing or restaurants can be of different qualities, so can Surveys.

Our belief is that Survey reports should be accessible, easy to understand and genuinely aid our clients in making informed decisions. We don’t believe in unnecessary caveats, in bulking out with text that doesn’t help anyone and we don’t push our Surveyors into rushing around to do 8-10 reports a week with quality suffering.

Our Surveyors are afforded the time to provide 3-5 reports a week and talk through their findings in post Survey calls.

We will always provide you with a sample report or two when we quote so you can consider the quality you’re paying for before making an informed decision.

If you are considering other quotes as well, do ask other firms for a sample report so you can compare. Also ask them if the person inspecting the property is RICS qualified. All of our Surveyors are.

What if you’re still not sure which level to choose?

Speak to us before you book. Let us know the address of the property when you call and we’ll look it up on Rightmove or Zoopla so we can advise you properly.

If we believe it should be a Level 2 Survey, we will recommend this and it will keep your costs down.

If we believe it should be a Level 3 Survey, we will recommend this and it will make sure that you’ll get the right level of reporting for your investment.

If we believe that either are justifiable, we’ll talk you through the issues and we’ll provide sample reports so you can make an informed decision.

If you are buying anything older or more individual than a standard modern home, err towards the more thorough survey. The cost difference is small, and the value of understanding what you are buying is considerable.

Will my survey help my solicitor?

Yes. Every Websters survey comes with a free Solicitors’ Summary Report, a short plain-English document that pulls out the key findings from your full survey so your solicitor can act on them quickly. There is no extra charge, and it is included as standard with every survey we carry out.

Conveyancing slows down when a solicitor has to wade through a long technical report to find the points that carry legal weight. The summary solves that. It sets out the issues, risks and anything urgent in clear language, so your solicitor can raise the right enquiries with the seller’s side without delay.

You get a faster, smoother transaction with less back-and-forth. Your solicitor gets straight to what matters instead of reading a forty-page report cover to cover. It is a small thing that removes a common bottleneck, and it is one of the reasons our surveys keep a purchase moving rather than holding it up.

How Websters Surveyors can help

Websters is a RICS-regulated firm of chartered surveyors and Registered Valuers carrying out home surveys across London. Every survey is undertaken by an experienced, named surveyor, and we will advise you on the right level for your property before you commit to anything.

If you would like to discuss which survey suits the home you are buying, or to arrange a Level 2 or Level 3 survey, get in touch and we will talk it through with you.