The Different Responsibilities of a Building Surveyor

Building surveyors assess the state of buildings and ensure they are safe to use. They are called upon to check public buildings, commercial properties, and domestic buildings. They examine the buildings and determine if there is a need for improvement or alterations. They are usually part of the construction team and advise builders and architects on maintenance procedures and safety protocols to be followed. In their role as safety analysts, building surveyors carry out structural inspections and internal inspections of plumbing and electrical work to ensure that they all meet safety regulations.

Quality Controllers

Building surveyors work as quality controllers of buildings and ensure that housing and living environments are acceptable and meet certain standards. They check that the buildings are energy efficient and conform to environmental standards. They are often called upon to help with planning permission applications and to get maintenance agreements and demolition licenses. Building surveying is usually undertaken to check the physical condition of a building, such as if there are any defects or issues and the potential for future problems.

When a building surveyor checks out a property, he will look at the roof, walls, partitions, ceilings, woodwork, and staircases, amongst others. They will check out guttering, doors, joinery, chimney stacks, and other features too. They will examine the services such as heating, gas, oil, and electricity, as well as check boundary walls, decking, fences, outbuildings, and the grounds.  Building surveyors are expected to make impartial assessments of the buildings they survey.

Site Investigations to Check Out the Land

Site investigations are needed to determine how the properties of rock and soil will respond to planned development. Site investigation will help to plan the foundation and substructure design. This will also help to determine potential risks to humans and the environment by contamination or in other ways. The underlying geology and hydro-geological properties are investigated along with susceptibility to groundwater flow and levels. The presence of methane and other gases that could be harmful to the planned development is also checked. The four stages in site investigations include the planning stage, a desk study, a walkover survey or site reconnaissance, and the main investigation and reporting.