RICS Draft Home Survey Standard (2025): Implications for Surveyors, Clients, and Costs

For surveyors: Level 2 remains non-intrusive - you’ll still lift only what is loose and safe. If a client expects you to “try to free a stuck manhole,” that is now explicitly Level 3. Tighten your ToE and on-site script to manage expectations.

For clients: You should still get a look into any chamber with a loose cover, but you shouldn’t expect tools/effort to free stuck or screwed covers unless you’ve commissioned a Level 3.

However, the draft places stronger emphasis on competence around energy-efficiency context and terminology (e.g., HEM). If the client wants retrofit advice beyond L2 scope, signpost a separate instruction under the RICS Residential Retrofit Standard or to an appropriately qualified professional (e.g., Retrofit Assessor/Coordinator under PAS 2035).

When you comment on EPC discrepancies or discuss energy-efficiency suitability/risks (even at L2), you should anchor your reasoning to recognised technical and moisture-risk guidance:

Why it matters: it sets the best-practice diagnostic mindset for moisture-first, fabric-first thinking - crucial when explaining why certain EPC recommendations may be unsuitable or risky for traditional construction without a whole-building approach.

Why it matters: practical do’s/don’ts for insulation and cold-bridge/moisture interactions - invaluable context when explaining risks in solid-walled/complex dwellings.

Why it matters: underpins how thermal performance is assessed; helps you explain, at a high level, why an EPC/HEM estimate may not reflect as-found details. (You’re not calculating at L2, but you’re aligning your commentary with how it should be calculated.)

Why it matters: if a client wants to move beyond L2 commentary into advice/design/coordination, this is the framework you (or a colleague) should work under.

At Level 2

Example approach:

1. Record evidence: staining, mould pattern, ventilation provision.

2. Use JPS (2022) - confirm whether evidence fits condensation, penetration, or rising damp.

3. Apply BRE Digest 245 (2013) - only if further testing is required, explain that this lies outside a Level 2 inspection.

Example report wording: “There is evidence consistent with condensation-related mould in bedrooms, most likely arising from limited ventilation. While no building defect was found, monitoring and improvement of ventilation should be considered.”

At Level 3:

The draft Home Survey Standard introduces a clearer requirement for surveyors to consider basic accessibility information within a Level 2 report. While it is explicit that a Home Survey is not a disability access audit or assessment – and surveyors are not expected to evaluate a client’s specific disability needs – there is now a formalised obligation to include a set of standardised questions.

The surveyor must include the table (derived from the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Prescribed Documents) Regulations 2008) in their report, answering the following questions:

What does this mean for Level 2 surveys?

Impact on surveyors and clients

Surveyors: This will add a small amount of extra site time (5–10 minutes), but largely involves structured observation and record-keeping. It also creates an opportunity to flag where limitations apply (e.g. “unable to confirm doorway width without measurement”).

Clients: The benefit is significant – particularly for those with mobility needs or planning for future-proofing. It also aligns with increasing consumer demand for homes that support ageing in place.

Reflection – is this a “Level 2+”?

Although the draft explicitly states that accessibility information does not turn the Home Survey into a disability access audit, in practice this section may feel like an incremental widening of scope. By introducing a structured table, surveyors are being asked to provide a degree of standardised data that goes beyond the traditional narrative style of Level 2.

For most surveyors, this is manageable and sensible – many already cover such issues informally in client conversations. However, the inclusion of the prescribed table raises the bar for consistency, and adds to the cumulative list of small additional tasks within the draft standard. As with the damp and mould provisions, this may not fundamentally change what is inspected, but it does alter how it must be recorded.

For clients, this is likely to be welcomed as a value-adding change. For surveyors, it is another reminder that the time allocated for a Level 2 survey needs to be realistic: these incremental additions reinforce that a well-prepared, properly delivered survey cannot be compressed into a short site visit and quick report turnaround.

This requirement reflects wider demographic trends: with an ageing population and around 1 in 5 people in the UK living with some form of disability (Equality Act 2010; RICS, 2025 draft), accessibility has become an increasingly important factor in housing decisions.

The draft standard recognises that surveyors may use AI/tech. Here’s how you could phrase it (transparent, but not undermining professional accountability). The RICS guidance on ethics also requires transparency in professional judgement.

“Parts of this report have been prepared using digital tools, including software to assist with grammar, readability and consistency. All findings, interpretations and professional opinions remain the responsibility of the surveyor, who has verified the accuracy and appropriateness of the final content.”

Current Uptake

What Home Buyers Value

Anticipated impact of the proposed changes on the customer experience:

Time Impact: The End of 10 Surveys a Week? This model has long been a concern for diligent surveyors, although RICS has never set a limit on how many surveys can reasonably be carried out in any given day or week, with quality being very much self-regulated, save for formal complaints to RICS.

Reality check: A thorough Level 2 will reasonably take half a day minimum including site visit, preamble, write-up, and client communication. A Level 3 can take a full day or more. This perhaps marks the decline of the £250, high-volume survey model. Instead, surveyors will provide fewer but higher-quality surveys, with fees reflecting the increased time and expertise.

If your property is anything larger or more complex than a small, uncomplicated flat, a survey fee below £400–£450 is unlikely to provide good value. At that level, the surveyor may not have enough funded time to properly inspect, reflect, and write a useful report. Expect a lot of caveats and further recommendations.

If you are regularly delivering more than 7 surveys per week, the chances are you are not giving clients sufficient time or value, and you may be exposing yourself to professional risk.

(7 surveys × ~ 6 hrs = 42 hrs, before travel/admin, which is effectively a full-time load with little margin for QA or CPD.)

Required Time (Good Practice)

Total: 5.5–9 hrs

Thus: a £250 - 300 fee is only sustainable if corners are cut, particularly for employed surveyors within firms. Realistic sustainable fees are higher.

The RICS draft home survey standard (2025), assuming the consultation doesn’t drastically alter the proposals, will almost certainly improve the clarity, usefulness, and accountability of Level 2 reports. Clients will benefit from more meaningful insights into drainage, energy, and damp. However, the added work burden makes low-fee surveys (£250–£350) increasingly unsustainable, especially once employment or self-employment overheads are factored in. Firms offering these kinds of surveys will either increase costs, or continue to offer poor quality reporting, contributing to negative consumer perception of the profession. Professional surveyors offering good quality services may find margins decreasing, or may make use of technology to find efficiencies to keep costs reasonable.

The most likely impact:

References