RICS-Regulated Chartered Building Surveyors
Purchasing a residential property is one of the most significant financial commitments most people will make. A RICS Residential Building Survey provides an independent, professional assessment of a property’s condition before contracts are exchanged – helping you understand potential risks, repair requirements and future maintenance considerations.
The type of survey required will depend on the age, construction and overall condition of the property, as well as the level of detail you require. RICS surveys are designed to provide clear, standardised reporting so buyers can make informed decisions with confidence.
A RICS Building Survey involves a comprehensive inspection of the property, including the structure, roof, walls, floors, damp issues, insulation, services (where visible), and any signs of movement or structural concern. The final report highlights defects, explains their significance, and advises on necessary repairs or further investigations.
A RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Survey provides a clear, standardised assessment of a property’s overall condition. It is designed to identify visible defects, urgent issues and areas requiring repair or maintenance – without the level of technical detail included in a full Level 3 Building Survey.
This type of survey is typically suitable for conventional properties built after 1950 that appear to be in reasonable condition and have not undergone significant structural alterations.
The Level 2 survey follows the RICS reporting format, offering buyers a structured and easy-to-understand overview of the property’s condition before exchange of contracts. It helps purchasers understand risks, potential repair costs and whether further specialist investigations may be required.
A Level 3 survey is particularly appropriate where:
As a RICS-regulated firm, Western Building Consultants provides residential surveys in accordance with RICS standards and reporting formats. This ensures consistency, clarity and professional accountability across all inspections.
In addition to condition reporting, we can also provide professional advice relating to alterations, extensions and project management where required.
A RICS Level 3 Building Survey provides the most detailed and comprehensive assessment of a residential property’s condition. It is recommended for older properties, period homes, buildings that have been significantly altered, or properties where structural concerns are suspected.
This survey offers an in-depth analysis of the construction, materials and overall structural integrity of the building. It is particularly suitable where a property may have hidden defects, non-standard construction, or signs of movement, damp or deterioration.
The Level 3 Building Survey (sometimes referred to as a structural survey) provides buyers with a detailed understanding of both current defects and potential future risks. This allows for informed negotiations, budgeting for repairs and confident decision-making prior to exchange of contracts.
Understanding the difference between a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Survey and a Level 3 Building Survey is essential when purchasing a property. The table below outlines the key distinctions to help you decide which survey is appropriate.
| Feature | RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Survey | RICS Level 3 Building Survey |
| Best For | Modern, conventional properties in reasonable condition | Older, altered, non-standard or complex properties |
| Depth of Inspection | Surface-level visual inspection | Detailed inspection of structure and fabric |
| Technical Detail | Clear condition ratings | In-depth technical analysis |
| Repair Advice | General recommendations | Detailed defect diagnosis and repair guidance |
| Structural Assessment | Limited | Comprehensive |
| Suitable for Renovation Projects | Not usually | Yes |
| Report Length | Concise | Detailed and technical |
In summary:
A Level 2 survey is appropriate for lower-risk properties in good condition.
A Level 3 survey provides deeper technical insight where structural risk, age or alterations are a concern.
Choosing the right surveyor is just as important as choosing the right survey. At Western Building Consultants, our approach focuses on depth, clarity and professional accountability – rather than high-volume reporting.
Unlike volume-driven survey providers, our inspections are tailored to your specific concerns. Where required, we can assess particular areas of risk, proposed alterations or refurbishment considerations as part of your survey brief.
Our reports are designed to provide:
Clear identification of significant defects
Practical repair advice
Indicative cost guidance where appropriate
Ongoing maintenance recommendations
Following the inspection, we contact you directly to discuss key findings and answer questions – ensuring you fully understand the implications before proceeding.
Typical report turnaround is approximately 5 working days.
Our in-house team includes Chartered Surveyors, Structural Engineers and Architectural professionals. This collaborative approach allows us to:
Provide coordinated technical insight
Recommend further investigations where necessary
Advise on alterations or extensions
Assist with schedules of repair and project administration
This integrated expertise ensures continuity if additional professional input is required following your survey.
Western Building Consultants is regulated by RICS and operates in accordance with professional standards and ethical guidelines. We are also CIAT and Trading Standards approved, reinforcing our commitment to technical excellence and transparent service delivery.
The firm has received recognition at the Bath Property Awards, including awards for professional consultancy and civic contribution – reflecting our reputation within the property sector.
Surveying listed and historic buildings requires specialist knowledge of traditional construction methods, heritage regulations and conservation principles.
RICS Level 3 Building Surveys are particularly appropriate for older or listed properties, where original materials, structural alterations and long-term movement require careful assessment. These surveys provide detailed analysis of structural elements, building fabric and potential risks – helping buyers understand the condition of the property and the conservation responsibilities that come with ownership.
Our experience in conservation architecture and heritage property ensures that survey findings are supported by practical advice on appropriate repair methods and materials, aligned with listed building and planning requirements.
A detailed survey is essential when purchasing a period or protected property, safeguarding both your investment and the building’s historical integrity.
A Single Fault Assessment provides a focused investigation into a specific defect or area of concern within a property. This may include structural cracking, damp penetration, timber decay, foundation movement or defects in the building fabric.
This service is particularly useful where an issue has been identified during a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey and requires further technical analysis, or where a standalone concern needs professional diagnosis.
The assessment involves a detailed inspection of the affected area, identification of the underlying cause, and a clear written report outlining risks, recommended remedial works and any further investigations required.
Our multidisciplinary team – including Chartered Surveyors and Structural Engineers – ensures that findings are supported by appropriate technical expertise, allowing property owners to address issues efficiently and prevent escalation.
Being socially responsible and promoting excellent ethics is at the forefront of our business. Our staff are happy and content and this is shown through our positive approach to your project. We work to the highest professional standards as required by both the RICS and CIAT. You can rest assured that when you employ WBC you will be supporting an organisation that champions local, national and international projects through schemes such as FairTrade, Mentoring Plus and the Bath percent club. This is backed up by a rigorous Corporate Social Responsibility Policy. We sponsor many grass roots sports clubs such as Combe Down Rugby Club, Frome Park Bowls Club & Cardiff Harlequins.
We are realistic with timescales and honest about what you will receive. Most people underestimate the time involved with a building project, but we are upfront about what is involved and will be clear about how long a project might take. Throughout the project we will continue to update you about progress and will advise you if there will be a disruption in the timetable.
We have vast planning experience and are adaptable to most architectural styles and ages of buildings. We are perfectly able to adapt to the style of your property from contemporary to traditional, urban to rural. We have designed projects in most styles and can use our broad experience to help design the best solution for your property, using whatever construction technology best suits your needs. Whether you plan a modest alteration or something spectacular WBC can help you achieve your project goals.
We employ qualified professionals with a variety of skill sets and the latest training. many of our employees have specialist post graduate qualifications. We also train selected staff through university programmes and professional qualifications to ensure our clients get the best trained surveyors and up to date advice. You will receive a professional, comprehensive and cohesive consultation and guidance throughout the project, ensuring that your development is handled with a consultant level of knowledge.
We are here for you when you need us, with our survey to completion guarantee. You won’t be left alone, we will fit in wherever you need us in the project or guide you through the whole process. You will have the knowledge that someone is always at hand whatever level of service you need.
Whilst offering exceptional value for money we also bring a positive, approachable, pragmatic, realistic and well rounded attitude to your project. You will feel at ease discussing issues with your project, our pragmatic approach to design and refurbishment means that we can often deliver built in VALUE. One example of this is recognising where cost savings can be made in the design without compromising the overall scheme and offering a higher standard of technical specification over many of our competitors, this reduces the need for outside engineering input and ultimately saves you money in fees. We are grounded which means that we can deliver a build in a cost conscious manner in order to make sure our projects are buildable.
Where we do not have the in house skills to tackle an element of a project we are well networked locally to utilise outside consultants that we have built up relationships with over many years. You will get the best of local knowledge and be introduced to like minded trusted suppliers with excellent professional services.
We can provide the majority of services required for a small project in house, making us practically a one stop shop. Having most services in house means that we are often fully accountable for the professional services on your project, this ensures simplicity, communication and efficiency. By utilising a multi-disciplinary approach we are able to keep professional costs for the project extremely competitive and hassle free, essentially you only pay for one set of overheads.
We have unparalleled technical knowledge and produce comprehensive architectural designs and surveys. You will be getting market-leading technical advice that has been approached with imaginative problem-solving techniques. This helps us to identify potential problems with a build before they arise.
Our knowledge adds value, an example of this is that most architects do not provide any advice on the structure of a building during the building regulations approval stage, relying on a structural engineer to produce all work relating to the super structure. At Western Building Consultants we provide structural advice on many areas, such as timber design for floors and roofs, limiting the scope of the engineers work and saving you money.
Having a large team of surveyors means that your project is unlikely to be held up due to other circumstances, there will always be at least two surveyors familiar with the project therefore continuity and a personal service will be retained. On larger schemes a bigger team will be assembled with the required specialist knowledge to fully support your project.
Merlin House
No 1 Langstone Business Park,
Priory Drive
01633982588
Commerce Park, Unit R17, Marshall Way
01373488566
Western House,
2 Rush Hill
01225789307
Sophia House,
28 Cathedral Road
02922679366
Kingston House,
Lydiard Fields
01793234516
Studio 1a,
31 Berkeley Square
0117 3294290
Unit 2, Byre Workshops, Winterbourne Court Farm Barn, Church Lane, Winterbourne
0117 3294290
