How to become a building surveyor

When it comes to the construction industry, few roles are more important than that of the surveyor. Read our guide to learn about this vital role, including what they do, and the qualifications needed to become one.

Why should you think about becoming a building surveyor?

If you’ve ever worked in or around the construction and building trade, you know nothing can be done without surveying. Whether it’s for buildings or the site you’re working on, a building surveyor is a crucial member of any project.

Naturally, this means that skilled building surveyors are always in demand across the country. This in turn can make it a very profitable career path for those interested in the work.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, read on to learn more about becoming a building surveyor.

What is a building surveyor?

Primarily, a building surveyor is a professional tradesperson tasked with the designing, planning, construction, maintenance, and repair of buildings.

On top of this, they may also offer advice and supervision for clients looking to start their own building projects. They’re even involved with the home valuation process during the buying and selling of properties.

In other words, a building surveyor is the individual responsible for kickstarting building projects or home sales. Without them, work can’t go ahead, and properties can’t be valued, making them an essential part of the trade industry.

What does a building surveyor do?

As you may have guessed, the main role of a building surveyor is rather varied. Their main job is to examine a property or its plans to ensure its functionality. They’ll then check to make sure it meets current environmental, safety, and legal standards.

Once done, they can provide a valuation of the property alongside repair recommendations if necessary.

However, this is just one facet of building surveying. In other cases, a surveyor might design an entirely new building from scratch or alter an existing one.

They also play a key role in the land development industry, in some cases helping to design advanced city layouts.

Finally, a building surveyor is often needed in order to obtain the necessary permits and licenses for construction projects. After this is done, they may then stay on to handle the project’s budget and timeline for completion.

What does a building surveyor’s day look like?

Now that we know what a building surveyor does, let’s take a look at the average surveyor’s day.

This will provide a breakdown of what we discussed above and provide an insight into how detailed their work is:

• Examining existing plans for flaws, defects, and potential improvements

• Designing entirely new plans for a current or future project

• Checking property boundaries for errors

• Examining a property’s location for environmental risks

• Assessing the structural stability of a property

• Investigating the water and plumbing connections of a building

• Analysing the energy usage of a home or business

• Checking for special home features, such as insulation

• Writing reports on their building assessment findings

• Valuing properties based on their findings

• Making suggestions for potential property improvements

• Budgeting for current and future building projects

• Setting out feasible timelines for current and future building projects

• Acting as a witness in related legal proceedings

As you can see, the work you could be doing from day to day could be extremely different.

Not only that, but the environment you might be working in could change as well. From homes and businesses to shopping centres and factories, very few days are ever really the same.

What skills are needed to become a building surveyor?

As with any trade, there are various skills that can lend themselves well to a career as a building surveyor.

Below are several of the main ones you should think of building on as you move towards such a career:

• Knowledge of building and construction

• Attention to detail

• Initiative

• Analytical thinking

• Patience and calm

• Public safety and security knowledge

• Reasoning skills

• Persistence

• People skills

• Leadership skills

• Computer competency

What qualifications do you need when becoming a building surveyor?

Unlike the majority of trades, in order to become a qualified building surveyor, you’ll likely need to go to university. Building surveyors need to learn a variety of hard skills in order to be successful. And many of these are only taught in specific university courses.

So, when looking at university qualifications, consider doing a degree in any of the following areas:

• Surveying

• Construction

• Civil engineering

• Building engineering

You also want to be sure any course you do is accredited by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). They’re the industry leaders in terms of qualifications and are a surefire way to prove your competency.

Of course, if university isn’t for you, then it is still possible to become a surveyor through various apprenticeships. In fact, RICS offers its own apprenticeship scheme and is an excellent way to enter the industry.

Do you need qualifications to become a building surveyor?

While there are no legal requirements to have qualifications to become a building surveyor, you won’t get far without them. Given the nature of the work, you’ll likely struggle to make any headway without the right training.

On top of this, customers may very well avoid using your services in favour of those with visible accreditations. Simply put, customers don’t trust tradespeople without any qualifications, so you’ll be doing yourself no favours by avoiding certification.

How to get more experience as a building surveyor

Once you’re trained as a building surveyor, your next step will be to get more experience in the role. This can be done by getting involved with larger projects for hands-on experience or learning from more experienced surveyors.

You could also look towards taking more advanced courses in areas of surveying you’re unfamiliar with. After all, it never hurts to have additional certifications and expertise in your area of work.

Where should you apply for building surveyor roles?

Building surveyor roles are available from a variety of sources, with many appearing on online job sites. You’ll also likely become familiar with businesses and companies while training. And many of these might have open surveyor positions on their site.

Finally, you can find new work through networking at relevant events or simply by starting your own surveying company. This will let you sign up for online directories like Checkatrade, putting you in front of a wider customer base.

Get more building surveyor work with Checkatrade

Hopefully, you should now have a much better idea about how to become a building surveyor. And if you’ve leapt straight into starting your own business, then Checkatrade can help.

We offer our members access to the biggest online directory in the UK, including their own business page. We also offer a range of benefits and discounts to help your business get started.

Get in touch today to learn more about joining up. And don’t forget to visit our trade blog for more articles like this one.

Building surveyor FAQs

How much do building surveyors earn?

Due to the skills needed to be successful in this career, building surveyors can earn a substantial salary. This is especially true if you choose to start your own business.

To see just how much you can earn in this trade, read our piece on building surveyor salaries.