How long does a building survey take?

If you’re in the process of buying a property, you might be wondering how long a building survey, such as a RICS Level 2 Survey or RICS Level 3 Survey, will take. You may also be wondering when you should instruct a survey to be carried out, and whether it could delay your purchase.

The good news is that we work as quickly as is needed by our clients, and commonly exceed our own timeframes (where quality isn't affected). For example, we recently turned around a RICS Level 2 Survey of a property in Acton in less than 24 hours due to time pressures related to the Stamp Duty Holiday closing. This enabled our client to have a greater sense of confidence in what they were buying as the transaction completed.

That said, the timing does depend on a few key factors, which we’ll walk you through in this post.

Why the timing of a RICS Home Survey matters

A RICS Home Survey is a crucial part of the due diligence process. But when you’re coordinating with solicitors, estate agents, and vendors, it helps to know what kind of timeline to expect.

Whether you’re considering a Level 2 Survey or a more detailed Level 3 Survey, planning ahead can help avoid delays and keep your transaction moving smoothly.

So, how long does a survey take?

Here's a breakdown of our typical timeline:

1. Booking the Survey

   
   Timeframe: Following your instruction, we aim to book the survey in with the Estate Agent or Vendor as soon as possible (within 1 working day after instruction), subject to the availability of the Estate Agent, Vendor or Tenants.

2. On-site inspection
   

   Timeframe: Our inspections usually take 2 to 4 hours, depending on the size, age, condition and complexity of the property. Level 3 Surveys naturally take longer as they go into more detail than a Level 2 Survey, but we do have the occasional Level 2 Survey which can take some time!
   

3. Writing & reviewing the report

   
   Timeframe: A Level 2 Survey will typically take 2 to 3 working days, whereas a Level 3 Survey typically takes 3 to 5 working days.

4. Delivery to you

   You’ll receive your final report as a PDF, and as standard, we always offer a follow-up call with our clients so that we can run through the report, and to talk through any concerns or questions.

Our recommendation

Ultimately, our recommendation is to book your survey as soon as your offer is accepted. This keeps everything moving and gives you time to respond to any issues that might arise.

This article is part of the Ekron Knowledge Hub where we share our knowledge on property to help you make better property decisions.

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