Level 3 Building Survey

Who it's for

A Level 3 survey suits homes where there is more to understand, or more that could go wrong. It is usually the right choice if the home:

• is older, such as a Victorian or Edwardian house or a period cottage
• has been extended, converted or altered, for example with a loft conversion, a removed wall or chimney breast, or a conversion into flats
• looks run-down, has been empty for some time or needs modernising
• is larger, or has an unusual layout or several outbuildings
• is of non-standard construction, such as precast concrete, no-fines concrete, steel frame or timber frame (see our non-standard construction guides)
• is one you plan to renovate or extend after you buy

For a conventional home in reasonable condition, our Level 2 Home Survey may be enough. The guide Level 2 or Level 3? can help you decide.

What we inspect

Andrew Parker AssocRICS MCIOB inspects all the parts of the property he can see and safely reach, inside and out. The inspection is more extensive than at Level 2. It covers:

• Roofs and chimneys: coverings, flashings, chimney stacks, gutters and downpipes, from the ground and, where flight is permitted, by drone
• Outside walls and joinery: walls, windows, doors, fascias, soffits and decorations, including signs of movement
• The roof space: structure, insulation and ventilation, where there is safe access
• Inside: ceilings, walls, floors, fireplaces and chimney breasts, stairs, built-in fittings, kitchens and bathrooms
• Damp and timber: checks for dampness with a moisture meter, and for signs of timber decay and wood-boring insects in the timbers that can be seen
• Services: electrics, gas or oil, water, heating and drainage, inspected visually and seen in normal operation where the occupier allows
• Grounds: garages, permanent outbuildings, boundary and retaining walls, paths and drives
• Legal and safety matters: points your legal adviser should check, such as approvals for alterations and guarantees for past work, and risks to the building, the grounds and the people who use them

What you get

Your report follows the RICS Home Survey Standard for a Level 3 survey. It opens with a summary of the main findings, then works through the outside, the inside, the services and the grounds. For each part of the home it describes how it is built and what condition it is in. Where there is a defect, it explains the likely cause, the options for repair and what could happen if the defect is left.

Each part of the home is given a condition rating:

• 3: serious defects, or defects that need urgent repair, replacement or investigation
• 2: defects that need repair or replacement but are not considered serious or urgent; normal maintenance is still needed
• 1: no repair is needed at present; normal maintenance is still needed
• NI: not inspected

The report also includes:

• budget costs for some repairs, where they can reasonably be estimated from the inspection
• recommendations for further investigation or specialist tests, to arrange before you exchange contracts
• matters for your legal adviser, and risks to the building, the grounds and people
• photographs of the main findings, and drone images of the roof where we were able to fly

The report is typically issued within 5 working days of the inspection. If you are working to a deadline, the express option gets it to you within 2 working days of the inspection, for an extra fee.

Once the report is issued, we offer you a call with Andrew to go through it. The RICS Home Survey Standard asks surveyors to set aside time to discuss their findings with clients.

We use AI tools to transcribe Andrew's site dictation and to draft report text from his own notes and photographs. The findings, condition ratings, costs and advice are his, and he reviews and signs every report. You can opt out. Read our AI statement.

Drone roof inspection

A drone roof inspection is included where flight is permitted. It gives close views of roof coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters that are hard to see from the ground.

Before the inspection, we check your address against restricted airspace and the weather forecast. Under CAA rules, drones cannot fly in the Flight Restriction Zones around most airports and airfields without permission, and flying is restricted around some other sites, such as prisons.

If weather or airspace rules prevent the flight, the drone element of the fee is deducted, or refunded if you have already paid. Where it is practical, we may offer to come back and fly within 14 days instead, at no extra cost. If we do not fly, we inspect the roof from ground level and other safe vantage points.

What it does not cover

A Level 3 survey is a visual, non-invasive inspection. It does not include:

• a valuation, a market value opinion or a reinstatement cost assessment for insurance
• moving furniture, stored items or fixed panels, or lifting fitted carpets, floor coverings or floorboards
• opening up the structure or exposing the foundations
• testing the services beyond normal operation. Where tests are needed, such as an electrical installation condition report or a gas safety check, we recommend them
• an asbestos survey, or laboratory testing of any kind. Where we see materials that may contain asbestos, we say so and recommend what to do
• going onto roofs. Roofs are inspected from the ground, from the roof space and by drone where flight is permitted
• checking whether alterations had planning permission or building regulations approval. We flag these for your legal adviser to check

We cannot inspect parts of the building that are hidden or unsafe to reach, such as wall cavities or the space under fixed floors. Where this matters, the report says so and explains what further checks we recommend.

How it works

1. 1

   Get your price

   Choose the survey and enter the property value and postcode. The price includes VAT and any travel supplement.

2. 2

   Book and sign

   Confirm your booking and sign our terms online. You can cancel within 14 days.

3. 3

   Inspection

   Andrew inspects the property. For a Level 3 we check the airspace and the weather and fly the drone where permitted.

4. 4

   Your report

   We invoice you after the inspection, and issue the report once it is paid: typically within 5 working days of the inspection, or 2 with the express option.

5. 5

   Talk it through

   We offer you a call with the surveyor to go through the findings and your next steps.

Prices

Level 3 prices are fixed by the value of the property and include VAT. The price includes the drone roof inspection where flight is permitted. A travel supplement applies beyond about 25 miles of Hemel Hempstead, and the price calculator adds it for you. Homes above our top value band are quoted individually.