What Does a Building Surveyor Do?
When you hear the term “building surveyor,” you might immediately think of property inspections during a home purchase. But building surveying covers far more than residential surveys. It’s a broad profession and the responsibilities vary greatly between residential and commercial sectors.
In this article, we’ll explain what a building surveyor does – and why working with a commercial building surveyor like Ivy Lees offers specialist advantages for businesses, landlords, tenants and developers.
The role of a building surveyor
At its core, a building surveyor’s role is to assess the condition, structure and integrity of buildings. They provide expert advice on a wide range of property matters, including:
Identifying defects and structural issues
Advising on maintenance and repair
Managing building works and refurbishments
Ensuring compliance with regulations and health and safety standards
Supporting property transactions through inspections and reports
The type of property and client needs dictate the exact service provided.
Residential vs commercial building surveyors
While residential surveyors focus on houses and flats, commercial building surveyors work with offices, retail spaces, warehouses, industrial units and mixed-use developments. Here’s a quick comparison:
Residential Surveyor
Property Type – Homes and flats
Focus – Buyer protection
Services – Homebuyer reports, building surveys
Clients – Homeowners, buyers
Commercial Surveyor
Property Type – Offices, retail, warehouses, industrial units
Focus – Investment risk, lease liability, asset performance
Services – Pre-acquisition reports, dilapidations, PPM, project monitoring
Clients – Landlords, tenants, developers, investors
What does a commercial building surveyor do?
In commercial settings, surveying is rarely about a simple purchase. It’s about managing risk, protecting assets, planning maintenance and understanding lease liabilities.
At Ivy Lees, our commercial services include:
Pre-lease and pre-acquisition surveys: Helping tenants and buyers understand property risks before they commit.
Dilapidations advice: Supporting tenants and landlords with end-of-lease repair obligations.
Defect diagnosis: Identifying and addressing specific problems like roof leaks, structural movement, or cladding failures.
Planned preventative maintenance (PPM): Forecasting future repair needs and costs for better asset management.
Technical due diligence: Reviewing the condition and compliance status of properties during transactions.
Unlike a residential surveyor, a commercial building surveyor must understand the physical aspects of various buildings such as offices, warehouses and retail premises, and understand the legal, financial and operational implications of the respective sectors.
Need commercial surveying advice?
If you’re managing, acquiring, leasing or developing commercial property, Ivy Lees can help you make informed decisions with confidence.
We are an independent, Manchester-based commercial building consultancy, focused solely on the needs of businesses, landlords, tenants and developers across the North of England.
At Ivy Lees, you won’t find generic, one-size-fits-all reports. We tailor our advice to your specific situation – whether that’s negotiating lease terms, budgeting for repairs or safeguarding your investment.
Email us at hello@ivylees.co.uk or message us viaLinkedIn. We’re based in central Manchester, so always available for face-to-face visits too!