RICS Level 3 Building Survey St Davids

A Level 3 survey is the deepest visual inspection we provide. Our surveyors examine all accessible parts of the property, including the roof space, floors, walls, ceilings, joinery, drainage-related visible areas and the main services where they can be seen safely. In St Davids, that often means paying close attention to older masonry, slate roofs, timber frames, lime-based finishes and later alterations around original townhouses near Cathedral Close or on the lanes off Nun Street.

The report does more than list defects. It explains what the construction appears to be, how the materials are performing, which issues need urgent attention, and which repairs can wait. If a home in SA62 6 shows signs of movement, damp staining, slipped slate, failed pointing or timber decay, our surveyors explain the likely cause, what that means for the property’s future condition, and what type of specialist follow-up may be needed next. A buyer can then see the difference between a cosmetic issue and a problem that may spread.

This survey does not involve destructive opening up. We do not lift carpets, open up sealed fabric, carry out drainage CCTV, or test electrics, gas, heating or appliances. Those are specialist tasks for later, if the survey findings point that way. In a place like St Davids, where the Conservation Area and Article 4(2) Directions can affect external changes, the difference between a repair, a like-for-like replacement and a planning-sensitive alteration can matter just as much as the cost of the work itself.

• Roof structure and slate coverings
• Chimneys, flashings and rainwater goods
• Walls, floors, timbers and visible joinery
• Signs of damp, movement and poor alterations

St Davids has a building stock that rewards a cautious eye. Traditional homes often use native Pennant stone with Cambrian Slate roof tiles, while the Church of St David uses squared, coursed, roughly tooled grey Devon limestone with Bath and Portland stone dressings and slate roofs. In that sort of fabric, failed pointing, weathered slate, slipped flashings and hidden moisture ingress are not unusual, especially where exposed coastal weather reaches the masonry.

The Conservation Area was designated in 1977 and extended in 1995, and that brings planning controls into the picture. Article 4(2) Directions can affect front elevations facing highways and open spaces, so even modest changes can trigger questions about materials, finishes or replacement details. The most modern listed building in the town is the Round House on Quickwell Hill, built in 1965, which shows how wide the listed stock runs in St Davids, from medieval and Georgian work through to later modernist design.

There is also a strong contrast between old and new around the town. Maes Y Felin Phase Two in St Davids includes 11 two-bedroom bungalows, while the wider Maes-Y-Felin scheme reached 58 homes and was nearing completion in 2025. Those newer homes are a different proposition from the older properties around Cathedral Yard, where the 39 Steps of broad slate sit beside historic stonework. Our surveyors look for the faults that often show up in this setting, from damp around solid walls to timber decay, roof wear and movement where later extensions meet an older shell.

• Slipped or exhausted Cambrian slates
• Decayed timber at windows, fascia boards and eaves
• Penetrating damp on exposed elevations
• Cracks at extension junctions and old openings