RICS Level 3 Building Survey Aberdeen

A Level 3 survey is the most detailed visual inspection we provide. Our RICS-qualified building surveyors inspect all accessible parts of the property, then set out how the building is put together, where the defects are, and what those defects mean in practice. In Aberdeen that often means giving close attention to granite walls, lime mortar, slate roofs, sash and case windows, cellars, timber floors and any later rear extension. The report does not just list faults. It explains the likely cause, the repair method, the urgency, and the risk if the issue is ignored.

We look at the loft where it is safe and accessible, the sub-floor void where access is available, the roof coverings that can be seen, the visible condition of walls and joinery, and the external details that often fail first. That can include pointing, flashing, guttering, parapet details, rainwater pipes, window sills and signs of damp around openings. On an older property in Old Aberdeen or a listed terrace near Union Street, those details matter because granite can last a long time while the mortars, finishes and timber elements fail around it. The report is meant to show the difference between a cosmetic issue and a defect that will keep costing money.

A Level 3 report also gives repair priorities. It tells you what needs urgent attention, what can wait, and what may need specialist input after the survey. It does not include destructive opening-up, lifting carpets, drain CCTV, or testing of electrics, gas, plumbing or appliances. If our surveyor sees movement, major moisture, failed roof structure or evidence of rot, the report will usually recommend a separate specialist follow-up. That distinction matters in Aberdeen because a granite house in Ferryhill, a flat in AB24 or a 1960s house with later alterations in AB15 can each fail in a different way.

• roof void and visible structure
• external walls, stonework and render
• floors and sub-floor areas where access is possible
• windows, doors, joinery and rainwater goods
• visible services, safety concerns and repair priorities

Aberdeen is known as the Granite City for a reason. Older homes in Old Aberdeen, Ferryhill and the city centre often use solid granite walls with lime mortar, timber suspended floors, slate roofs and sash and case windows. Those materials can last well, but they also need the right care. In a Level 3 survey we look for failed pointing, weathered stone, slipped slates, bad flashings, tired rainwater goods and poor patch repairs that let water into the structure. A home can look solid at first glance and still have active moisture problems behind a clean front elevation.

The ground conditions matter too. Granite bedrock is stable, but glacial till, sands and gravels sit over parts of the city, and where there is more clay in the superficial deposits there can be moderate shrink-swell movement. That is one reason we pay attention to cracking, distorted openings and signs of previous movement, especially where an older house has been extended or where trees sit close to the foundations. Flood risk is another live issue in Aberdeen. The River Dee, the River Don, coastal edges and surface water run-off can all affect properties, and low-lying streets with hard landscaping can show damp or drainage stress after heavy rain.

Conservation areas make the repair picture more delicate. Old Aberdeen, Ferryhill, Bon Accord & St Nicholas, Rosemount & Golden Square and Union Street all contain listed buildings, many of them in granite, and the repair approach needs to respect original materials rather than cover them over with the wrong fix. Newer homes at Countesswells, Grandhome, Hazelwood on Countesswells Road and Den of Pitfodels in Cults are more standard in form, but they can still develop roof, drainage or settlement issues, especially where site levels and later alterations come into play. A survey in Aberdeen should read the building, not the postcode.

• rising damp or penetrating damp in solid granite walls
• slipped slates, tired flashings and failing gutters
• wet rot, dry rot or woodworm in poorly ventilated timber
• spalled granite and failed mortar joints
• flood ingress, drainage stress or surface water around low-lying plots