A building surveyor will help you specify, tender for, and supervise repairs. They will also carry out building condition surveys and prepare maintenance plans.
There are several types of surveyor, all of whom should be members of the RICS. The types of surveyor you may want to employ are:
- building surveyors who carry out maintenance surveys, draw up specifications, and supervise works
- quantity surveyors who measure and cost works, and are normally called in by your architect
- valuation surveyors who assess properties for their sale value and may also get involved in negotiations about changes to title deeds
Architects and building surveyors carry out similar roles in the building repair process. Architects may be better suited for jobs where detailed drawings are required. Fee levels will be similar. The most important thing is to get professionals who are experienced in repairing buildings like yours. If your building is listed or in a conservation area, choose an architect or surveyor who has a conservation accreditation.
How to find a surveyor
Look on the RICS website.
Once you have identified a number of suitable firms, check out their websites and ring them up to see if they have experience in repairing your type of building and working with groups of co-owners. Finally choose two or three to interview. At this point, you should check how the surveyor plans to supervise the work, what other members of the design team will be required, and how fees will be calculated (which could be a percentage, fixed fee or time-charged basis).
