Damp Surveys

A damp survey is a focused diagnostic inspection carried out by a qualified surveyor to answer four questions: is there damp present, where is the moisture coming from, why is it happening, and what is the most proportionate way to put it right?

Unlike a free “damp report” offered by a treatment company, an independent RICS damp survey is not a sales tool. It looks at your building as a whole – ventilation, drainage, ground levels, materials, occupancy patterns and previous repairs – before recommending any work. In many cases the right answer is improved maintenance or ventilation rather than chemical injection or replastering.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recommends that anyone investigating damp instructs an AssocRICS, MRICS or FRICS building surveyor with experience in building pathology. That independence matters: a surveyor who also sells damp-proof courses or chemical injections has an obvious commercial incentive to recommend them.

Our reports are based on what we observe at the property – not on what a treatment company would like us to find. We follow RICS guidance and relevant British Standards (including BS 6576 for chemical damp-proof courses and BS 7913 for the conservation of historic buildings), and we are happy to be quoted to your solicitor, lender or insurer.

A free damp report is essentially a quote. The person carrying it out is usually employed by, or paid commission by, the company that will do the treatment work – so there is a strong incentive to find a problem that needs treating. An independent RICS damp survey has no such conflict of interest. We are paid for our professional opinion, not for any work that may follow, and our reports often recommend cheaper, less invasive remedies (such as improving ventilation or repointing) before considering chemical treatment.

Costs vary with the size and complexity of the property, but as a guide most residential damp surveys in the South East will be upwards of £300 plus VAT. Heritage, listed or larger properties, and surveys requiring more diagnostic work, can cost more. We’ll always give you a fixed-fee quote in writing before you commit.

Most damp surveys take around two to three hours on site for a typical home. Larger or more complex properties can take longer. The written report is normally with you within five to seven working days, sooner if your timescales are tight – just let us know.

Our damp surveys are non-invasive in the vast majority of cases. We rely on visual inspection, calibrated moisture meters and thermal imaging. Occasionally, where the diagnosis genuinely requires it, we may take a small plaster sample for salts analysis. We’ll always discuss this with you on site before doing anything.

Possibly – but possibly not. True rising damp is much less common than is often claimed, and the symptoms (tide marks, salt deposits, damp at low level) can also be caused by a bridged DPC, raised external ground levels, leaking pipework or condensation. Before you commit to injection treatments and replastering, it’s worth getting an independent diagnosis. In a meaningful proportion of cases, a much smaller and cheaper repair will solve the problem.

A damp survey can be commissioned on its own, or as a follow-up to a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report or Level 3 Building Survey where damp has been flagged for further investigation. Those two surveys don’t usually include the in-depth moisture profiling that a dedicated damp survey involves. We can also include damp diagnosis as part of a wider defect inspection if you’re also concerned about cracking, movement or timber decay – just let us know when you get in touch.

No – and that is deliberate. As an independent RICS-regulated firm we don’t sell, install or commission damp-proofing treatments. That allows us to give you genuinely impartial advice. Where remedial work is needed, our report will set out the scope so that you can obtain competitive quotes from suitable contractors.

A clear summary of findings, annotated photographs, moisture readings (with context), the most likely cause of any damp identified, an assessment of urgency, a proportionate scope of recommended works and indicative cost guidance. We write our reports in plain English so you can use them when speaking to contractors, lenders, insurers or solicitors.

Landlords have legal obligations to keep rental homes free from serious hazards, including damp and mould, under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and more recent reforms. If a tenant has reported damp or mould, an independent damp survey gives you a defensible, evidence-based record of the cause and the works required – useful both for the works themselves and for demonstrating that you have taken reasonable steps.

We understand transactions move quickly. We aim to attend pre-purchase damp inspections within seven to ten working days of instruction wherever possible, and we can usually issue a short-form summary by email ahead of the full report if you need something to share with your solicitor or vendor.

Mould should be taken seriously, particularly for young children, older adults and anyone with asthma or a weakened immune system. As a general rule, avoid disturbing extensive mould without appropriate precautions, keep affected rooms well ventilated and seek professional advice. A damp survey will identify why the mould is occurring; treating the visible mould without addressing the underlying moisture source rarely works for long.

Call us on 01273 031646 or use our contact form. Tell us a bit about the property, what you’ve noticed and any deadlines you’re working to, and we’ll come back to you with a fixed-fee quote and the earliest available date.

We carry out damp surveys across Brighton & Hove, Lewes, Uckfield, Worthing, Eastbourne, Hastings and the wider East and West Sussex area, as well as parts of Surrey, Kent and South London. If you’re unsure whether you’re inside our area, please get in touch and we’ll let you know.