Yes, with one honest difference. Instant online calculators guess a price from a bedroom count, and their figures are unreliable because the real drivers are construction type, age, alterations and access. This page shows the full breakdown for every survey level, then sends your property details to our surveyor, Chris Anslow, who confirms a fixed price for your specific property by email. You get the same transparency as a calculator, with an answer you can rely on.
Survey pricing
Building Survey Cost Calculator
Instant online calculators guess a price from a bedroom count, and the figures are unreliable. The honest way to work out a survey cost is to look at the full breakdown below, then send us the property details. Chris Anslow, our RPSA-certified surveyor, confirms a fixed price for your specific property by email, before you book anything.
Every price is a starting point. What moves the figure is the property: its size, age, construction, alterations and access. Nothing else. No hourly rates, no hidden extras, and the same pricing across Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
| Survey type | Price | Best suited to | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Home Survey | From £325 | Newer, conventional homes in good condition | A visual overview with simple condition ratings, flagging urgent or significant issues without detailed analysis. |
| Level 2 Home Survey | From £395 | Typical post-1930s homes in reasonable condition | A detailed inspection of accessible parts, with defects identified, their likely significance explained, and practical repair and maintenance advice. |
| Level 3 Building Survey | From £495 | Older, altered, extended or unusual properties | The most detailed inspection available: construction type, defects, their causes and likely progression, and clear repair priorities. |
| Snagging Survey | From £450 | New builds before handover | A pre-completion inspection that lists defects, unfinished work and poor workmanship, photo-backed, for the developer to put right. |
| Property Defects Survey | From £450 | A specific problem: damp, cracks, movement | A targeted investigation of one concern, establishing the likely cause before you commit to any treatment. |
| Buy-to-Let Survey | From £650 | Landlords and portfolio investors | A condition assessment focused on rental risks, maintenance liabilities and anything that could affect income. |
What affects the price
- Size and bedrooms. A one-bedroom flat and a five-bedroom house are different jobs on inspection time alone.
- Age and construction. Older or non-standard construction takes longer to inspect and explain.
- Extensions and alterations. The more a property has been altered, the more of its original construction is concealed.
- Access. Roof spaces, cellars and outbuildings that cannot be reached limit what can be reported, and the report says so.
Not sure which level you need?
Send the property details and we will recommend the right level, including saying so if we think the cheaper option is the one for you. There is no charge for the advice and no obligation to book.
Prefer to read first? Our guide to building survey costs and our Level 2 vs Level 3 comparison set out the decision in full.
Get your cost breakdown
Send the property details and Chris will confirm your fixed price by email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most Asked Questions
FAQs
As a guide: a Level 1 Home Survey starts from £325, a Level 2 Home Survey from £395, and a Level 3 Building Survey from £495. Snagging surveys and property defect surveys start from £450, and buy-to-let surveys from £650. The final figure is fixed for your property and confirmed before you book, with no hourly rates and no hidden extras.
We aim to reply within 2 hours during the working week. If you send the details in the evening or at the weekend, you will hear from us the next working day. The breakdown is free and there is no obligation to book.
It depends on the property. A Level 1 suits a newer, conventional home in good condition. A Level 2 suits most typical post-1930s homes in reasonable order. A Level 3 suits older, altered, extended or unusual properties. Send the property details and we will recommend the right level, including saying so if we think the cheaper option is the one for you.
No. Our prices are the same across Greater Manchester and Cheshire. There is no call-out charge, travel surcharge or regional uplift. A Level 2 survey in Knutsford is quoted on the same basis as one in Sale or Stockport. What changes the figure is the property itself, not the postcode.