The chartered surveyor's toolkit

When you think about what a chartered surveyor does to assess the state of the property they are appointed to look at, you might imagine that all they do is stand in the garden and look at the outside of the house or flat and then stand in each room ticking items off on a clipboard.

If you do think that's all they do, then you'd be justified in wondering why you need to pay out so much money for a survey report - worse, you might even consider that it's pointless in getting a survey done as a result of this perception.

However, the chartered surveyor does so much more than that, and they have a toolbox that the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recommends that all surveyors carry to their assignments so that they can achieve their job efficiently and effectively.

Let's open that lid on the toolbox!

• Binoculars - this allows the surveyor to view the higher parts of the external façade of a house block of flats, the chimney stacks and the roofs in more detail.
• Ladder - these are used to climb up walls and on to flat roofs (if it is deemed safe to do so), but no more than 3 metres in height - the stipulation is that the ladder should extend to 1 metre above the viewing level (meaning that the ladder should be able to extend to a maximum of 4 metres to cover every safe situation).
• Magnet - this is a useful tool for testing whether a metal is constructed of iron or steel or not.
• Measuring devices - the modern tool is the distance meter which projects a laser beam on to an opposing wall or from the floor to the ceiling and measures the length of that beam - however, there are occasions where an opposing wall may not be accessible with this device (e.g. because of a built-in wardrobe), so your surveyor will also carry a standard tape measure. This is crucial for external measurements, including boundaries, where the laser meter is effectively rendered useless. Your surveyor will carry a number of gauges and rulers for measuring smaller widths, such as the size of a crack in the wall.
• Moisture meter - as the name suggests, the moisture meter measures the level of moisture found in the atmosphere of the room or on a surface.
• Torch - an essential and obvious tool is a torch with a powerful beam to shine into all the nooks and crannies.
• Lifting equipment and/or crowbar - with so many areas that need to be opened for inspection, such as external water meters, access hatches, and other chambers protected with a heavy cover, it's essential for the surveyor to have tools to clear dust and debris as well as hoist keys to be able to lift the covers. Screwdrivers, bolsters and chisels are also useful should the need arise to lift floorboards, if allowed, as well as a hammer to replace them afterwards.
• Spirit level - a key tool for verifying any off-kilter part of the house, such as floors, door- and window-frames and anything else that might be impacted by problems such as subsidence or heave.
• Plumb bob -tohelp ascertain whether a wall is vertical or not. 
• Mirrors - a useful addition to the toolbox to allow the surveyor to look under and around items that are otherwise too difficult to move.
• Compass - this might seem obvious, but a compass will help to understand which way the building is facing and the prevailing weather patterns to consider the effect on dampness within the property.
• Digital camera - critical for the report that they will write for you are the pictures that show the evidence of the problems they want to highlight in their textual explanation. The visual is always more impactful than a simple block of text.
• Protective clothing - self-explanatory, but high-vis jackets, steel-toed boots, dust masks, goggles, ear plugs or defenders, and hard hats may all be required at some stage of the analysis.
• Specialist equipment - depending on the property and the types of problems that the chartered surveyor has been specifically asked to check for by the client, they may employ additional equipment to them assess the property, such as a selfie stick for photographs of difficult-to-access places, an endoscope to reach into narrow areas to investigate further, a drone fitted with cameras, a thermometer, a metal detector… and so many other types of machine and tool to help understand what problems are underlying at the property.
• Fresh batteries (and bulbs) - with so much electronic gadgetry that can be used, the chartered surveyor will need to ensure that they will work for the entirety of their assessment of the property.

As you can see, the job of the chartered surveyor is taken very seriously, and you can also understand why a RICS Level 3 Survey takes so much time to do before the report is even written. Crucially, it gives an insight into what you'll be getting for your money, and provides you with that peace of mind that you're getting a high degree of value when you appoint an experienced chartered surveyor.

Have you found a good property that you want to buy but are worried about its structural integrity or other problems that might be lurking within its boundaries? 

You'll want to get a professional assessment of any existing problems and what the remedial effort and cost will be with a RICS Level 3 Survey. 

At Surveyor Local, we only work with chartered surveyors who are members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, ensuring the survey you get is always professionally delivered.

They will work hard to identify all kinds of problems, including the impact of prior flooding on the structure of the property.

Call  to get your no-obligation survey quote started, or to discuss your concerns with the acquisition of your planned property.

Or you can get a quick quote, using Surveyor Local's easy-to-use quote generator. Simply input your name, postcode, email address, phone number and an approximate value of the property (usually the agreed price), and we'll give you an instant quote for the work (with an email copy). 

We'll do the rest once you confirm your acceptance of the quote.