THE CHECKLIST / LEVEL 2 SCOPE
Every element a surveyor works through on a Level 2 inspection, in the order they work through it. Take it to a viewing, or read it before the report arrives so you know what each rating is attached to.
Price a Level 2 from £335 →THE ANSWER / READ THIS FIRST
A Level 2 survey is not an impression of a house. It is a structured pass through defined elements — outside in, top down — where every accessible item is inspected, rated and explained. The checklist below is that structure, written out in full so you can see exactly what the fee buys.
01 / THE FULL LIST
Print this page and take it to a viewing, or keep it beside the report. Anything a surveyor could not reach on the day is recorded as a limitation rather than quietly left out — so read those notes as carefully as the ratings.
02 / THE OTHER LIST
No floorboards lifted, no furniture moved, no structure opened up. Services are observed rather than tested, so a survey is not a gas safety check, an electrical certificate or a drainage camera survey. There is no asbestos sampling and no valuation. None of that is corner-cutting — it is the defined scope of a non-invasive inspection, and the skill lies in how much a good surveyor reads from what is visible. Where a visible sign points at something concealed, the report names the specialist you need next. What a survey checks on services →
03 / THE RATINGS
Rating 1 means no repair is currently needed. Rating 2 means a defect requiring repair or replacement, but not serious or urgent. Rating 3 means serious, urgent, or both — investigate or repair without delay.
The practical rule is that ambers are homework and reds are action. Get a quote for every 2 and every 3 before you exchange, because that is the only point at which the findings still have negotiating value. See the ratings in a real report →
04 / BEFORE THE INSPECTION
Go through this checklist after your second viewing and note anything you have already seen: a stain on a bedroom ceiling, a door that will not close, a wall that looks newly plastered, an extension nobody has mentioned paperwork for. Raise those with the surveyor before the inspection, not after the report.
Every SurveyChoice booking includes that conversation with the practice for exactly this reason. A surveyor who knows what you are worried about spends their time where it matters to you, and the report answers your questions rather than only the standard ones.
05 / MATCH THE LIST TO THE HOUSE
For a pre-1930 property, an extended or converted one, or anything visibly tired, a Level 3 works the same elements in more depth and adds causes and repair options. The 20-second checker will tell you which one your property needs, and the price register shows both totals before you enter any contact details.
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Every visible and accessible element of the property: roof coverings and structure, chimneys, rainwater goods, walls, damp-proofing, windows and doors, roof space, ceilings, internal walls, floors, joinery, the visible parts of the electrical, gas, heating and drainage installations, and the grounds and boundaries. Each one receives a condition rating of 1, 2 or 3.
It follows the element structure set out in the RICS Home Survey Standard, which is what a Level 2 report is built around. An individual surveyor's site notes will go further in places, and will add anything specific to the property in front of them.
Use it to view a property with better questions and to know what you should be told about. It is not a substitute for an inspection: a surveyor is reading construction type, age, likely causes and consequences from what they see, and carries professional indemnity insurance for the opinion they give.
Rating 1 means no repair is currently needed. Rating 2 means a defect that needs repair or replacement but is not serious or urgent. Rating 3 means a defect that is serious, urgent, or both — and needs to be investigated or fixed without delay.
Anything concealed or inaccessible, anything requiring the structure to be opened up, live testing of services, asbestos sampling, and valuation. A standard house survey is visual and non-invasive by design; where something visible suggests a deeper problem, the report recommends the right specialist.
The same elements, examined in more depth. A Level 3 adds analysis: not just that a wall is cracked, but why, how urgent it is, and what the realistic repair options and likely consequences of inaction are.
Note anything you have already seen or been told about — a stain on a ceiling, a door that will not close, a recent extension — and raise it with the surveyor before the inspection. A surveyor who knows what is worrying you will spend their time where it matters most to you.