RICS Home Survey Level 2 (survey without valuation)
RICS Home Survey Level 2
The Level 2 survey explained: condition ratings, repair and maintenance advice, matters for your conveyancer, and why a valuation is not automatic.
Last reviewed 31 August 2026
What does a RICS Home Survey Level 2 include?
A Level 2 is a visual survey that rates the condition of each element and goes further than Level 1 on what the defects mean. It covers repairs, ongoing maintenance and matters your legal adviser should pursue, and it explains the consequences of not acting. A valuation is not automatically included: it forms part of the service only where a valuation is specifically commissioned.
At a glance
- Report style
- Condition ratings plus reasoned commentary and advice.
- Legal section
- Matters to raise with your conveyancer are set out explicitly.
- Valuation
- Only where separately commissioned — see Level 2 with valuation.
- Typical use
- The everyday buyer's survey for reasonably conventional homes.
The three things Level 2 adds over Level 1
First, reasoning. Level 2 does not simply rate an element; it explains why the rating was given and what happens if the issue is left.
Second, maintenance. The report distinguishes between work that needs doing now, work that is routine upkeep, and work that can be planned over the coming years — which is what most buyers actually need to budget.
Third, the legal thread. Alterations without visible evidence of consent, shared drainage, boundary features, evidence of past works: these are flagged for your conveyancer rather than left as an observation.
What Level 2 does not resolve
It remains a visual, non-intrusive inspection. Where the cause of a defect cannot be established without opening up or specialist testing, the report says so and recommends the appropriate next step.
It is not a structural engineer's report, an asbestos survey, an electrical condition report or a drainage survey. Those are separate disciplines with their own competence requirements.
Reading the report before you exchange
The practical value of a Level 2 sits in the gap between the inspection and exchange of contracts. Take the urgent items to your conveyancer, take the repair items to a contractor for quotes, and treat the maintenance items as your first year of ownership.
- Urgent and serious defects — act before you commit
- Matters for the legal adviser — raise in writing
- Repairs and improvements — get quotes rather than assume
- Maintenance — schedule rather than react
Who this is for
A good fit if
- Buyers of conventional houses and flats where more than a bare condition overview is wanted
- Owners planning a phased programme of repairs and maintenance
- Buyers who want an evidenced list of matters for their conveyancer
Not the right choice if
- Properties that are old, large, unusual, heavily altered or visibly run-down
- Anyone who needs a formal market valuation without commissioning one
- Cases where a specific defect has already been identified and needs diagnosis
What to do next
Level 2 is a good default, but confirm the property fits it first.
1.Describe the property honestly
Age, construction, extensions, conversions, and anything the agent glossed over. That is what determines the level, not the asking price.
2.Decide whether you need a figure
If you want a market valuation alongside the condition report, commission it explicitly rather than assume it is included.
See Level 2 with valuation3.Line up the specialists early
If the report is likely to recommend a drainage or timber investigation, booking it early keeps your timescale intact.
Defect surveys hub
Where you are buying matters
In Scotland, most residential properties are marketed with a Home Report, which includes a single survey and valuation prepared for the seller. Buyers there often still commission their own advice, but the process differs from England and Wales.
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England and Wales only. It does not apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland, where neighbouring-owner issues are handled differently.
When to bring in a specialist
- Structural calculations or remedial design: a structural engineer, not a surveyor.
- Suspected asbestos-containing materials: a competent asbestos surveyor.
- Blocked, collapsed or shared drainage: a drainage contractor with CCTV capability.
Common questions
Limitations and sources
- Any survey is limited to what the surveyor can see and safely reach on the day. Areas behind finishes, under floors or beneath stored belongings are not opened up.
- A Level 2 does not include a valuation unless one is specifically commissioned.
- Nothing on this page is a professional opinion about a specific property. KJ Surveyors has not inspected your building, and general guidance cannot replace an inspection and report.
Source: RICS · checked August 2026
Source: UK Government · checked August 2026
Source: Scottish Government · checked August 2026
Last reviewed 31 August 2026.
Where to go next
- how the survey levels compare — the parent hub for all three levels.
- the HomeBuyer survey — the same service under its familiar commercial name.
- Level 3 — where the property is older, altered or visibly worn.
Check the level before you book
Give KJ the postcode, property type and approximate age and KJ will tell you whether Level 2 is proportionate — and what to commission alongside it.
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KJ gives general guidance only and has not inspected your property. A professional opinion follows an inspection by a surveyor.