What Does a RICS Home Survey Not Cover?

Key points

Furniture, finishes and stored items can restrict inspection.
No visual survey can confirm the condition of every concealed component.
Services may need electrical, gas, drainage or other specialist tests.
The report should identify material limitations and recommend further investigation where justified.

What does visual and non-destructive mean?

The surveyor does not normally cut holes, lift permanently fixed finishes or dismantle building components. Accessible roof spaces, rooms, elevations, grounds and visible services are inspected within the agreed scope and safe access limitations.

Where an area cannot be inspected, that limitation should be considered alongside the risk presented by the property.

What about electrics, gas, drains and heating?

A Home Survey can comment on visible age, condition and obvious concerns, but it is not a substitute for an Electrical Installation Condition Report, Gas Safe inspection, drain CCTV or specialist heating test.

Further testing is most useful where age, defects, missing records or visible evidence create a reasonable concern.

What happens when an important area is hidden?

The surveyor considers what can be inferred from the surrounding evidence and reports the limitation. In some cases the sensible next step is documentary evidence, specialist testing or opening-up before exchange or before major work begins.

A limitation is not the same as a defect. It identifies uncertainty that may or may not justify further investigation depending on its potential consequence.

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Common questions

Questions people often ask

Will the surveyor move furniture?

Light, readily movable items may sometimes be moved where safe and reasonable, but surveyors do not normally empty cupboards, move heavy furniture or disturb occupants possessions extensively.

Does a survey guarantee there are no hidden defects?

No. A visual non-destructive inspection cannot guarantee the condition of concealed construction or inaccessible areas.

Will the survey test the drains?

A Home Survey may inspect visible drainage components, but CCTV or functional drainage testing is a separate specialist investigation when required.

Sources and review

Recognised sources used for this guidance

These sources support the general guidance above. They do not replace property-specific inspection, current legal advice or specialist testing where those are needed.

RICS Home survey standardCurrent RICS Home Survey professional standard and update information. RICS: House surveys - types and benefitsRICS consumer guidance on Level 2 and Level 3 Home Surveys.