What is a RICS Level 2 Home Survey?

A RICS Level 2 Home Survey is a mid-level, visual inspection of a property's condition, designed for conventional homes in reasonable condition. It replaced the old HomeBuyer Report and gives you a clear, traffic-light rated report on the main parts of the building, flags urgent or serious defects and tells you where further investigation is needed.

Key points

• It is one of three survey levels in the RICS Home Survey Standard (Level 1, 2 and 3).
• It suits standard-construction homes in fair condition, including most modern houses and flats.
• It is available with or without a market valuation.
• It typically costs around £400-£900, depending on the property.

What does a Level 2 Home Survey include?

The surveyor carries out a non-intrusive visual inspection of the inside and outside of the property. That usually covers:

• Outside: chimneys, roof coverings, rainwater pipes and gutters, main walls, windows, external doors, and other joinery.
• Inside: the roof space (if safely accessible), ceilings, walls, floors, fireplaces, built-in fittings and internal woodwork.
• Services: a visual look at electricity, gas, water, heating and drainage, where visible. These are observed, not tested.
• Grounds: garages, outbuildings (main ones), boundaries and other features within reasonable view.
• Risks: issues that could affect the building, the grounds or people, such as signs of movement, damp, or potentially hazardous materials.

The report also includes a section of matters for your conveyancer to check, such as guarantees, planning consents and building regulations approval for alterations.

How does the report work?

Each element is given a condition rating:

• 3 - defects that are serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently.
• 2 - defects that need repairing or replacing but are not considered serious or urgent.
• 1 - no repair is currently needed. Normal maintenance applies.
• NI - not inspected.

You get a summary at the front, so you can see the key issues quickly, followed by more detail for each section. Our guide on how to read your survey report walks through this in more detail.

What does a Level 2 survey not cover?

A Level 2 is deliberately limited, and it helps to know where the edges are:

• The surveyor will not move heavy furniture, lift fitted carpets or floorboards, or open up the structure.
• Services are not tested. If something looks unsafe or old, you will be advised to get a specialist check.
• The roof is inspected from ground level and from the loft hatch or roof space if it is safe. The surveyor will not climb onto the roof.
• It does not give detailed repair advice or cost estimates. Where the cause of a problem is unclear, the surveyor will typically recommend further investigation.
• Legal issues such as boundaries, rights of way and title are for your conveyancer.

If you need more detail than this, a Level 3 Building Survey is the better fit.

Which properties is a Level 2 suitable for?

A Level 2 works well for:

• Houses and bungalows of conventional brick or block construction.
• Flats in purpose-built blocks or conversions where the building is in reasonable order.
• Homes from roughly the 1920s onwards that have not been heavily altered.
• New or nearly new homes, once any snagging is done (see do I need a survey on a new build home?).

It is less suitable for listed buildings, older period homes with original or altered fabric, unusual construction, or homes in clearly poor repair. Our Level 2 vs Level 3 guide helps you choose if you are on the fence.

Level 2 with or without a valuation?

There are two versions:

• Level 2 survey only - the condition report.
• Level 2 survey with valuation - the same report plus the surveyor's opinion of the market value and an insurance reinstatement cost (the estimated cost to rebuild, used for buildings insurance).

A valuation is useful if you are worried you are overpaying, if you are buying with cash and have no lender's valuation, or if the survey finds issues you want to reflect in the price. Read more in Level 2 survey with valuation: when is it worth adding?

How much does a Level 2 survey cost?

Prices typically sit around £400-£900. The main factors are:

• The value of the property (higher value usually means a higher fee).
• Size and number of rooms.
• Location, with some areas, especially London and the South East, typically costing more.
• Whether you add a valuation.

Fees vary between surveyors, so a figure outside that range is not necessarily wrong. Always check what is included before you book.

How long does it take?

The inspection on an average family home usually takes a few hours. The surveyor then writes up the report, which typically arrives within a few working days. Booking quickly after your offer is accepted helps keep the purchase on track.

Who carries out a Level 2 survey?

Level 2 surveys under the RICS Home Survey Standard are carried out by RICS members. Other regulated surveyors, such as members of the Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA), offer comparable mid-level home surveys under their own frameworks. Our guide to RICS vs RPSA surveyors explains the difference.

Whoever you use, check that they are regulated, carry professional indemnity insurance and know the local area. Local knowledge matters, because surveyors familiar with an area will know its typical construction, ground conditions and common defects.

What should you do with the results?

A Level 2 report almost always finds something. Most homes, even good ones, will have a few condition rating 2 items. Focus on:

• Anything rated 3, especially structural movement, roof failures, significant damp or safety issues.
• Recommendations for further investigation. Get these done before exchange, not after.
• Items your conveyancer needs to check, such as missing consents.

From there you can proceed, renegotiate or, in rare cases, walk away. See how to renegotiate the price after a bad survey.

Book a Level 2 survey

Book A Surveyor finds a regulated independent surveyor near the property, agrees a fixed price, liaises with the estate agent for access and takes payment, so the survey is booked without you chasing quotes. Learn more about the Level 2 Home Survey, see how it works, or get a fixed-price survey booked.

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