RICS Level 3 Building Survey in Bath and North East Somerset

Our most detailed RICS report looks at all accessible parts of the property and explains what we see. That means the roof space, external walls, floors, ceilings, joinery, visible services and signs of movement or damp. On a Bath terrace in BA1, that can mean checking stonework, flashings and rainwater goods, while a BA3 house in Midsomer Norton may need more attention on altered roofs, cavity walls and later additions. The surveyor records the condition, then explains the likely repair implications.

The report does more than list faults. It tells you what the defect means, what repair work is likely, how urgent it is and what could happen if it is left alone. A failed slate roof can turn into timber decay and internal staining. Penetrating damp around a chimney, or a repointed Bath Stone wall with hard cement mortar, can push moisture into the fabric and speed up decay. That is the sort of detail a buyer needs before exchange, especially where a house has already had several owners and several repairs.

This survey is visual only. We do not lift carpets, open up walls, cut into floors, carry out drainage CCTV or test the electrics and gas. Those are separate specialist jobs when the inspection points that way. If our surveyor sees movement, major damp, a suspect boiler installation or drainage problems, the report will say so and point you towards the right follow-up. The standard is set by the RICS Home Survey Standard, so the structure of the report is familiar and the recommendations are clear.

• Visible roofs, lofts and chimney stacks
• External walls, stonework and pointing
• Floors, ceilings and joinery
• Signs of damp, movement and decay

Bath itself is defined by Bath Stone, lime mortar and long runs of solid masonry, so defects often come back to moisture management. Cement render over breathable walls, hard repointing, failed gutters and poor ventilation can all trap water in the fabric. In a Georgian terrace or crescent, that can show up as staining, blown plaster, decayed timber ends or stone spalling around the opening details. A surveyor has to read the wall as a system, not just the patch in front of them.

The wider authority area is more mixed. BA3 settlements such as Midsomer Norton and Radstock bring later terraces, post-war estates and homes that have been extended in stages, so our surveyors often look for cracks where additions meet the original house, roof junction failures and signs of movement around altered openings. In clay-rich pockets, shrink-swell can move shallow foundations, especially where large trees sit close to the property. That is one reason buyers in these streets often ask for a Level 3 rather than a shorter report.

Flood risk also matters here. The River Avon runs through Bath, and low-lying parts of the city can see fluvial flooding, while heavy rain can overwhelm drainage in built-up streets. Cellars, lightwells and basements need careful reading, because damp marks may point to historic water ingress rather than a fresh leak. The A4 corridor and older urban streets can also hide patchy drainage runs, which is why a visual survey may lead to a drainage CCTV recommendation if something does not add up.

Conservation controls add another layer. Bath's World Heritage setting and the large number of listed buildings mean owners often need like-for-like repairs, and that can affect cost, materials and timescales. A survey needs to tell you not just that a fault exists, but how the property should be repaired without making the building worse. In parts of North East Somerset with old coal mining, especially around the Somerset Coalfield, mining subsidence can still matter to a buyer doing due diligence. The report should connect the defect to the local ground and the local build, not treat it as a generic housing problem.