Moving Home
A Building survey/Level 3 is the most comprehensive and detailed inspection of a property's structure and condition. Buyers use it to find the problems and defects that affect what a home is worth, and what it will cost to put right. Here is how long it takes, and what happens along the way.
What it is
Everything from a visual inspection of the building to an overview of the services within the property's boundaries, including electricity, gas and water. Plumbing, heating and drainage are inspected too, alongside a detailed search of roof spaces and the surrounding grounds.
Building Survey/Level 3 surveys suit most homes, and are used particularly on older buildings, non-standard construction and heavily renovated properties. By highlighting defects that need fixing, the survey can reveal costly hidden repairs, support a better sale price and provide genuine peace of mind.
Expected timings
Time on site: Around 4 hours, up to 8 hours
Report: Approximately 2-3 working days
Typically two hours inside and two hours outside, extending towards a full day on larger, older or harder-to-access properties.
Time on site: Between 2 and 4 hours
Report: Approximately 2-3 working days
Quicker than a Building Survey/Level 3 because the inspection is less intrusive, though age, condition and access still move the timings.
What's included
All exposed floors and their surfaces are inspected, including lifting the corners of carpets and coverings where that is feasible. Excessive deflection is checked with a heel-drop test, and the subfloor may be examined with a head-and-shoulders inspection where it is safe to do so.
The roof space is accessed where it sits no more than three metres above floor level, and the whole roof structure is visually inspected for areas at greater risk of damage and deterioration. Sections of thermal insulation may be lifted, where safe, to check the ceiling beneath.
Windows are opened where the owner has given permission, it is safe to do so, and locks and keys are available. The surveyor attempts every window to check condition and flag defects, and reports back on any that could not be accessed.
Accessible inspection chamber covers are lifted to check drains and septic tanks, provided that can be done safely and without causing structural damage. Drains are then observed in normal use so condition and potential issues can be assessed.
Gas, electricity and water systems are visually inspected in normal operation wherever that is safe and non-damaging. The surveyor may ask for the heating or an extractor fan to be switched on, but service installations and appliances are not tested.
The grounds within the property boundaries are visually inspected, sometimes from adjoining public land where that gives a fuller view of the plot. A grounds inspection is also used to examine roof areas that cannot be seen from a window or elsewhere in the property.
After the inspection
The report flags every issue and defect identified, and makes general recommendations on priorities and timescales for the work and repairs needed. Where you have chosen it as an optional service, it can also include a cost estimation for that work. Allow approximately 2-3 working days from the inspection for a detailed Building survey/Level 3 report to reach you.
When to choose one
Homes of a century or more, where age-related movement, materials and past repairs all deserve close inspection.
Buildings put up with unusual materials or methods, which behave differently to conventional brick and block.
Properties where major alterations have already been made, or where you are planning renovations of your own.
Common questions
Most Level 3 surveys take around four hours on site, roughly two hours for the internals and two hours for the externals. On larger or older properties, or where access is difficult, it can take up to eight hours. The written report usually follows around five working days later.
A HomeBuyer/Level 2 survey, formerly known as a Report, usually takes between two and four hours to complete. Timings vary with the age and condition of the property and with any access restrictions.
Allow approximately five working days from the inspection for a detailed Level 3 report to be compiled. The report flags the issues and defects found and makes recommendations on priorities and timescales for the work needed.
Booking a Building survey/Level 3 survey
Tell us about the property and we will confirm the time needed on site, when to expect your report, and whether a Building survey/Level 3 is the right level of detail for what you are buying.
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