How to write a RICS condition report.

The seven steps, in order

The steps below follow the shape the RICS Home Survey Standard gives a condition report: an agreed scope, a methodical inspection, consistent element ratings, evidenced descriptions, honest limitations, and a clearly delivered conclusion.

1. 1

   Choose the survey level and agree the scope

   The RICS Home Survey Standard describes three survey levels, with the depth of inspection chosen to suit the age, construction and condition of the property — Level 1 for modern, standard-construction homes, Level 2 for conventional properties in reasonable condition, and Level 3 for older, complex or altered buildings. Agree the level, the scope and any exclusions with the client in writing before the visit; the terms of engagement frame everything the report can later be held to. PropertySurvey Pro includes Level-aligned scope-of-survey templates so the agreed scope is recorded inside the survey itself.

2. 2

   Prepare with desktop research

   A short desktop study makes the inspection sharper: the property’s registered EPC, its approximate age and construction type, local context such as flood or mining history where relevant, and anything the client can share from previous reports. PropertySurvey Pro queries the GOV.UK EPC register by postcode and pulls the registered rating into the report, so that piece of preparation is done in seconds.

3. 3

   Inspect in a consistent on-site sequence

   Most surveyors work top-down and outside-in: chimney stacks and roof coverings first, then rainwater goods, external walls and joinery, then room by room internally, followed by services, the roof space and any accessible sub-floor areas. The habit matters more than the exact order — a fixed sequence is what stops elements being missed. Because PropertySurvey Pro captures rooms, elements and photos offline on the device, the sequence works the same in a basement or a rural plot with no signal.

4. 4

   Rate each element with condition ratings

   The recognised three-point scale keeps reports consistent: CR1 — no repair currently needed; CR2 — defects that need repairing or replacing but are not considered serious or urgent; CR3 — serious defects that need urgent repair, replacement or further investigation; and NI — not inspected. Apply the rating to the element, not the room, and stay consistent: the same defect severity should earn the same rating wherever it appears. PropertySurvey Pro has the CR1/CR2/CR3/NI scale built in, with an automatic rating key in the exported report.

5. 5

   Write objective defect descriptions with photo evidence

   Good defect text records what was observed, where, and its apparent extent — and separates observation from interpretation. “Hairline cracking to the plaster above the bay window, consistent with minor movement” is defensible; “subsidence” without evidence is not. Pair each significant defect with photographs — PropertySurvey Pro’s photos carry EXIF-verified capture timestamps — and if you dictate shorthand on site, AI Polish expands it into structured, RICS-aligned wording that you review and edit before it goes anywhere near the client.

6. 6

   Record caveats and limitations honestly

   Every visual, non-invasive survey has limits, and the report should say so plainly: rooms restricted by furniture or stored items, fitted floor coverings preventing sub-floor observation, concealed voids and cavities, services observed but not tested. Recording limitations as you meet them — rather than reconstructing them at a desk later — is both more accurate and more defensible.

7. 7

   Assemble, review and deliver the report

   Assembly is where paper workflows lose evenings: matching photos to rooms, formatting rating keys, rebuilding the same boilerplate. PropertySurvey Pro compiles the structured survey into a professional PDF on the device — offline — so the draft exists before you leave site. Review it against your notes, make sure CR3 items and recommended further investigations are clearly flagged in the summary, and deliver it. The judgement in the report remains the surveyor’s own.

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