Building Surveys
Professional building surveys across Central Scotland delivered by experienced RICS Surveyors
Independent Professional Advice
Bespoke Building Surveys
Whether you already own a property or are considering purchasing one, our Building Survey provides a bespoke assessment designed around your specific requirements. Unlike standard survey products, this service can be customised to focus on the areas of a building that concern you most, providing clear and practical advice on its condition along with recommendations for maintenance and repair. This allows you to gain a better understanding of the property's condition and make informed decisions with confidence.
Our Building Survey is particularly well suited to shared properties, such as tenements, where owners and prospective purchasers may only require an assessment of the exterior building fabric and common elements. This can include the condition of chimneys, roofs, gutters, masonry, and other external features which may require ongoing maintenance or future repairs. By concentrating on the areas most relevant to your needs, the survey provides a cost-effective and targeted solution without compromising on the quality of advice provided.
Specialists in Traditional Buildings
We have extensive experience surveying traditional buildings constructed before 1919 of permeable materials such as natural stone and lime mortars. These properties often contain unique architectural features and may be listed buildings or located within conservation areas.
Traditional buildings require a specialist understanding of historic construction methods and materials. Our surveys draw upon years of practical experience to provide informed recommendations on appropriate maintenance, repair, and conservation, helping to preserve the character and integrity of your property whilst avoiding unsuitable modern interventions.
Building Defect Surveys
For more localised problems, we offer a Building Defect Survey, which focuses on the investigation of a specific known issue affecting a property. This may include problems such as water ingress, dampness, defective gutters and downpipes, roof defects, cracked or unstable masonry, or other building defects that require a more detailed assessment. The survey is designed to identify the cause of the problem, assess its extent, and provide practical recommendations for repair or further investigation where necessary.
Where the suspected defect is concealed within the building fabric, we may recommend that the area of concern is opened up before the inspection to allow a thorough assessment and accurate diagnosis. This helps ensure that any recommendations are based on a clear understanding of the underlying defect rather than its visible symptoms alone.
Tenement Building Surveys
Inspecting city centre tenements and other multi-storey buildings presents unique challenges due to their height, location, and restricted access. Traditional inspection methods often require scaffolding, mobile elevated work platforms, or road closures, which can be costly and disruptive. In response to these challenges, we utilise drone technology as a standard part of our inspection approach, providing safe and efficient access to high-level and difficult to reach areas.
Our tenement building surveys provide a detailed assessment of key building elements, including roofs, chimneys, masonry, rainwater goods, windows, and communal areas. We deliver clear reports with photographic evidence and practical recommendations, helping factors, housing associations, property managers, and owners make informed decisions on maintenance, repair priorities, and the long term management of their buildings.
Expert Services
Traditional Building Experts
Our expertise is built on years of experience in the conservation and repair of traditional buildings, supported by specialist knowledge of stone masonry, lime mortars, and historic construction.
Regulated by RICS
As a RICS regulated practice, we uphold the highest professional standards, providing clients with confidence in the quality, integrity, and reliability of our surveying services.
Drone Inspections
Our drone inspections provide safe, efficient access to difficult to reach areas, delivering high quality imagery that supports accurate condition assessments and informed maintenance decisions.
Whether you require a comprehensive building survey, a targeted defect investigation, or a drone inspection of difficult to access areas, we provide independent professional advice tailored to your property's needs. Our aim is to help you make informed decisions, understand potential liabilities, and protect the long-term condition of your building.
Enhanced Surveying
Drone Inspections
Our drone inspection service provides a safe, efficient, and cost effective way to assess the condition of buildings. Using high resolution aerial imagery, we can inspect chimneys, roofs, gutters, masonry, timber elements, and other hard to reach areas, identifying defects and maintenance issues quickly and accurately.
Suitable for residential, commercial, industrial, and public sector properties, drone inspections minimise disruption while providing detailed visual information that may otherwise require extensive access arrangements. The imagery collected creates a clear record of a building's condition, helping owners and property managers make informed decisions, prioritise repairs, and plan maintenance more effectively.
Conservation Masonry Experts
Our surveys are carried out by a stonemasonry expert with many years of practical experience in the conservation, repair, and restoration of historic buildings. This hands on background provides a level of insight that goes beyond a conventional visual inspection, allowing us to accurately assess the condition of stonework, identify the causes of deterioration, and recommend appropriate repair solutions.
As specialists with an in depth understanding of building stone, traditional masonry construction, and the preparation and use of lime mortars, we are able to provide informed and confident appraisals of historic fabric. Our experience working directly with traditional materials enables us to distinguish between defects that require intervention and those that form part of a building's natural ageing process. This expertise helps ensure that repair recommendations are practical, proportionate, and sympathetic to the character and significance of the building.
“I would recommend this service to anyone buying an older/ listed property"
Frequently Asked Questions
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A building survey is a detailed inspection of a property's condition, construction and defects. Surveys can be tailored to a client's specific requirements, whether assessing the overall condition of a building or investigating a particular issue or area of concern.
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The cost of a building survey depends on the size, age and complexity of the property, together with the scope of the inspection. Please contact us to discuss your requirements and obtain a tailored quotation.
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A building survey may be appropriate when investigating defects, planning repairs, assessing a property's condition, undertaking refurbishment works, purchasing a building that requires specialist investigation, or where concerns exist regarding its construction or maintenance.
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Yes. Surveys can be tailored to investigate particular issues such as dampness, water ingress, masonry defects, timber deterioration, roof problems and other building defects.
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The inspection will assess visible signs of dampness and associated deterioration to determine the most likely cause. Where necessary, recommendations for further investigation or remedial works will be provided.
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Yes. We have extensive experience inspecting traditional buildings and understand the materials, construction methods and defects commonly associated with older properties.
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Yes. We undertake surveys of traditional and modern tenement properties, including inspections of common building elements such as chimney stacks, roofs, gutters, external walls, stairs and shared areas where access is available.
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Yes. Reports include practical advice regarding repairs, maintenance priorities and any further investigations considered necessary.
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The duration of the inspection depends on the size and complexity of the property and the scope of the survey. Smaller defect investigations may take a few hours, while larger or more detailed inspections may require a full day or more.
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You will receive a written report detailing the condition of the building, the defects identified, their likely causes where appropriate, and recommendations for repair, maintenance or further investigation.
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Reports are typically issued within a few working days of the inspection, although timescales may vary depending on the scope of the instruction.
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Yes. We are happy to discuss the report findings and answer any questions you may have following receipt of the report.