Building Surveyor

Typical Salary

£22,000 To £70,000

Typical Hours

38 to 40 a week

between 8am and 6pm away from home

How To Become a Building Surveyor

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
a graduate training scheme

College / University

You'll usually need a degree or professional qualification approved by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in a subject like:

surveying
construction
civil engineering
building engineering

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

Apprenticeship

You may be able to do a chartered surveyor degree apprenticeship.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

If you have a relevant foundation degree or higher national diploma and are working, for example as a surveying technician, you may be able to do further qualifications on the job.

Other Routes

You could get a postgraduate qualification through a graduate trainee scheme with a company, or through distance learning with the University College of Estate Management.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of building and construction
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
customer service skills
the ability to use your initiative
knowledge of English language
analytical thinking skills
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
thinking and reasoning skills
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties might include:

surveying properties, identifying structural faults and making recommendations for repairs
assessing damage for insurance purposes
establishing who’s responsible for building repair costs
advising clients on issues like property boundary disputes
acting as a client’s supporter or acting as an expert witness during legal proceedings
checking properties to make sure they meet building regulations, and fire safety and accessibility standards
dealing with planning applications and with improvement or conservation grants

Working Environment

You could work on a construction site, at a client's home or in an office.

Your working environment may be at height, outdoors in all weathers and you may spend nights away from home.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Registration

you can register with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors to become a chartered surveyor through the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) scheme

Further information

You can find out more about careers in surveying through the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and The Chartered Institute of Building.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.