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A level three survey includes a detailed visual inspection that is more extensive than level two, and although the services are still not tested, they are observed in normal operation — switched on or off or operated where the occupier has given permission and it is safe to do so. That single difference matters in an older house where the heating system's age is a significant part of the purchase decision.

The report itself is structured differently. It objectively describes the form of construction and the materials used for different parts of the property, and it goes on to describe the identifiable risk of potential or hidden defects in areas not inspected, propose the most probable causes of the defects based on the inspection, outline the likely scope of appropriate remedial work and explain the likely consequences of non-repair, and make general recommendations on the priority and likely timescale for necessary work.

RICS also notes that at level three the surveyor may be able to provide an estimate of costs for identified repairs if that is agreed with you in advance. That is worth asking for at instruction rather than after the report arrives, because it changes the scope of the work the surveyor is doing.

Before the Home survey standard, survey products varied by firm and a buyer could not easily compare two quotations. The standard, first published in November 2019 and effective from 1 March 2021, defines the three levels of service and what each includes, so that a level two from one practice is the same product as a level two from another. New-format reports had to be used from 1 September 2021 after a transition period that ran from 1 March to 31 August 2021.

RICS publishes a detailed description document for each level — Description of the RICS Home Survey Level 1, Level 2 survey only, Level 2 survey and valuation, and Level 3 — and advises asking your surveyor for the one that matches the service you are buying. That document, not the sales page, is the thing to read before instructing.

The standard is a professional standard binding on RICS members rather than a statute. Its force comes from the fact that the surveyor is regulated by RICS and the report has to conform. That also means the check worth doing is whether the individual doing your survey is an RICS member, since RICS states these surveys can only be conducted by an RICS qualified surveyor.

In Scotland the seller commissions the survey, not the buyer. A Home Report must be in place before a property can be put on the market, and it is split into three parts: a single survey and valuation, a property questionnaire and an energy report. A seller or selling agent must give it to you within nine days of you asking for it. Only surveyors registered with or authorised to practise by RICS may produce single surveys.

There are exemptions. Houses that have been on the market since before 1 December 2008 do not need one, nor do new houses being sold off-plan or to the first occupier, along with several other categories listed by mygov.scot. If you are buying in Scotland, read the property questionnaire as carefully as the survey — it is where the seller discloses alterations, council tax band, parking and any notices affecting the property.

Scottish buyers sometimes still commission their own survey, typically where the single survey is old, where they want a more detailed inspection than a single survey gives, or where they intend substantial work. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have no equivalent requirement, and the buyer commissions the survey after an offer is accepted.

Survey fees move with the level of service, the size and value of the property, its age and construction, and how far the surveyor has to travel. A level three on a large altered period house takes far longer on site and far longer to write than a level one on a modern flat, which is why RICS says level three costs more than the other reports. Adding a valuation, or agreeing repair cost estimates in advance, changes the scope and therefore the fee. Compare quotations at the same level and with the same extras, and ask whether the fee includes a follow-up conversation about the findings.

LokalMatch is the introduction and nothing beyond it. Describe the property and the survey you want once, add your postcode, and surveyors covering your area will get in touch with you. Homeowners and buyers pay nothing; the professionals pay for the enquiries they receive. LokalMatch does not carry out surveys, does not set fees and does not vet, rank or recommend anyone, so confirm RICS membership and the survey level directly with whoever you instruct.