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After the house survey: turn the ratings into figures

A survey report answers what is wrong, but deliberately not what it costs: the RICS condition ratings prioritise without pricing. This page fills that gap with the same validated data as the calculator: the common rating 2 and 3 findings with their honest ranges, what genuinely needs a specialist instead, and how to renegotiate with evidence rather than a round number.

The common findings, priced

  • Damp readings or failed damp-proof course: £1,500 to £4,500, details in the damp proofing guide.
  • Dated or unsafe electrics, rewire advised: £5,000 to £8,000, details in the rewiring guide.
  • Boiler or heating at end of life: £1,800 to £3,500, details in the boiler guide.
  • Windows in poor condition: £4,000 to £8,000, details in the windows guide.
  • Bathroom past its useful life: £5,500 to £8,500, details in the bathroom guide.

Mid-range, national figures from the validated 2026 price data, the same source as the calculator; your size, region and finish move them.

What needs a specialist, not a range

  • Roof coverings and chimneys
  • Structural movement or subsidence
  • Cavity wall tie failure
  • Drains (a CCTV drain survey answers it)
  • Japanese knotweed and tree proximity
  • Anything the surveyor marked NI: not inspected

For these, a national range would be dishonest: the survey usually names the right specialist per finding, and their report comes before any builder's quote.

From report to decision

  • List every rating 3 and risk item first, then the rating 2s; two ratings with the same colour can carry very different bills.
  • Price the list: the ranges above for the common trades, specialist quotes for the rest, plus a contingency.
  • Save the house with its own plan and compare what each candidate really costs in the state you want it.
  • When quotes arrive, the quote check reads them line by line against the independent ranges.

The ratings framework follows the RICS Home Survey Standard, as explained by JBS Surveying (chartered surveyors, opened 30 August 2026); price ranges from our validated 2026 UK price data with named sources per project.

Frequently asked questions

What do the condition ratings 1, 2 and 3 mean?

Under the RICS Home Survey Standard, rating 1 means routine maintenance only, rating 2 means repair or replacement that is not serious or urgent, and rating 3 means serious defects or urgent repair, replacement or investigation. NI means not inspected, and that is not the same as sound: read why access was unavailable. The ratings prioritise; they deliberately do not state a repair price, which is exactly the gap this page fills.

Does a rating 3 mean I should walk away?

Not by itself. A rating 3 means serious or urgent, not unbuyable: a failed damp-proof course is a rating 3 and costs £1,500 to £4,500 to put right, which is a negotiation, not a reason to withdraw. What matters is the sum: price every rating 3 and the accumulated rating 2s, add a contingency, and put that total next to your offer. Several moderate items together can be material even when no single one is.

Can I renegotiate the price after the survey?

It is common and legitimate before exchange in England and Wales (in Scotland the process differs), and evidence beats percentages: a renegotiation carried by two or three specialist quotes or independent ranges lands better than a round number. Complete the material enquiries before exchange where possible; your conveyancer handles the documentary side.

Which findings need a specialist rather than a price range?

Roofs, structural movement, wall ties, drains and invasive species depend so heavily on the individual house that a national range would be dishonest; the survey itself usually recommends the right specialist per finding. Get the specialist report first and quotes second, and check those quotes line by line against independent data before you sign anything.