Home surveys
RICS Level 3 Building Survey
For older, larger, altered, or non-standard properties, including period homes, stone cottages, and properties requiring extensive structural renovation, our Level 3 Building Survey is our most thorough and comprehensive investigation.
Best Suited For
- Period and historic homes (Victorian, Edwardian, or older vernacular buildings).
- Non-traditional construction types (such as timber-frame, stone cottages, or solid-brick walls without cavity insulation).
- Properties with a history of significant alterations, extensions, or structural modifications where you need to know how the old meets the new.
- Buildings in poor or neglected condition that require extensive repairs or immediate capital expenditure.
- Properties you plan to significantly renovate, remodel, or restore.
What is Included
- An exhaustive visual inspection of all accessible elements, exploring the historic performance and construction of the building fabric.
- High-level drone inspection of complex roof structures, valleys, flues, and high-level chimney stacks to catch structural movement or weathering.
- In-depth defect analysis detailing the root cause of damp, cracking, structural distortion, or timber decay, rather than just noting that a problem exists.
- Pragmatic repair and cost guidance, outlining how defects should be fixed, estimated urgency, and realistic ballpark costs to help you budget or negotiate.
- Legal and statutory advisory notes highlighting critical title, boundary, or planning issues for your conveyancer to investigate.
- A post-survey call on the day of the inspection to walk you through the major findings and critical takeaways before the formal report lands in your inbox.
Specialist Expertise: Non-Traditional & System-Built Homes
Buying a non-traditional property, such as precast concrete (PRC), steel-framed (e.g., BISF), timber-framed, or modular construction, requires a surveyor who understands how these specific frameworks age.
Our Level 3 Building Survey provides deep, practical analysis tailored to non-traditional builds:
- Frame & Concrete Condition
- Identifying hidden tie corrosion, carbonation, and interstitial moisture issues.
- Mortgageability & PRC Repairs
- Guidance on whether previous repairs meet recognised scheme standards (like PRC Homes Ltd) for lender compliance.
- Alteration & Insulation Planning
- Clear advice on ongoing maintenance, thermal performance upgrades, and structural modifications.
Why it suits border-country property
Much of the housing stock across the Forest of Dean, the Wye Valley and the Brecon Beacons is solid stone, rubble-filled or timber-framed, often with later cement renders, replaced roof coverings and modern extensions. Those combinations create the damp and movement patterns that a condition-rating survey can note but not explain.
A Level 3 is written to explain them, so you can price the work or renegotiate with evidence.
Specific concerns
If a single issue is the reason for the survey — a crack, a damp wall, a suspect roof — a focused specific defect inspection may serve you better and cost less. A Drone Survey might also be an option. Say so when you enquire and you will get an honest recommendation.
The other levels
RICS Level 1 Home Survey
The most concise of the three RICS home survey levels. A visual inspection with condition ratings, suited to modern, conventionally built and apparently well-maintained property.
RICS Level 2 Home Survey
For conventional properties in reasonable condition, this level of survey provides a clear, detailed assessment of structural integrity and condition. All accessible areas are inspected, defects are explained, and repairs and maintenance are advised on.
Talk to the surveyor, not a call centre
Describe the property and you will get an honest recommendation and a fixed quote.