Full Building Surveys

GEOFFREY HUNT BUILDING SURVEYING SERVICES
STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR FULL BUILDING SURVEYS.

Please contact us so that we can tailor our reports to your specific requirements.

1. Our Duty of care to you

   The company confirms that in the performance of its duties under the appointment documents it will exercise and continue to exercise the reasonable skill and Judgement expected of a professional company in undertaking such work.

   Indemnity Insurance and risk management.

   Our insurers are HCC Diversified Financial Products Ltd
   Our Cover is currently £250,000 any one claim.
   We always aim to keep our policies in line with our risk and we do this as economically as we can to keep costs to the client down, however if you wish to confirm any aspect of our risk management cover or contractual links and warranties relevant to your project please contact Mr Rob Park at The Professional Indemnity Group, The Granary, Manor Farm, Sandy Lane, Gloucestershire. BS35 4AT tel 01454 633406. Quoting our company name and insurance certificate No PI05D522199.

2. Inspections

   Based on an inspection as defined below, the Surveyor, who will be a Chartered Surveyor, will advise the Client by means of a written report as to his opinion of the visible condition and state of repair of the subject.

   1. Accessibility and Voids The Surveyor will inspect as much of the surface area of the structure as is practicable but will not inspect those areas which are covered, unexposed or not reasonably accessible unless the client gives express permission to open up and be responsible for the re instatement costs. On the day of inspection means of access to locked rooms must be made available. Any returns to site caused by rooms being locked and not available will be charged at the day rate.
   2. Floors The Surveyor will lift accessible sample loose floorboards and trap doors, if any, which are not covered by ply or hardboard, fitted carpets or other fixed floor coverings. The Surveyor will not attempt to raise fixed floorboards without permission.
   3. Roofs The Surveyor will inspect the roof spaces if there are available hatches. The Surveyor will have a ladder of sufficient height to gain access to a roof hatch or to a single storey roof, not more than 3.0 m (10' 0") above the floor or adjacent ground. It might therefore not be possible to inspect roofs above this level; in such cases, pitched roofs will be inspected by binoculars. The Surveyor will follow the guidance given in Surveying Safely issued by the RICS in April 1991, which incorporates the guidance given in Guidance Note G531 on the safe use of ladders and step ladders issued by the Health and Safety Executive.
   4. Working from Heights, The surveyor will only inspect subjects above 2m from the ground with suitable access equipment which will be charged to the client. The ground conditions and access to the building must be adequate for the access equipment.
   5. Areas not inspected The Surveyor will identify any areas that could not be inspected and advise on the consequences of such lack of information and will advise how opening up should be conducted. He will advise on possible or probable defects based on evidence from what he has been able to see.
      Unless expressly agreed the survey will specifically exclude all covered, concealed, unexposed or buried elements of construction such as foundations, footings, lintels, drain runs, services and supporting steels.

3. Deleterious and Hazardous Materials

   Unless otherwise expressly stated in the report or the briefing details, the Surveyor will assume that no deleterious or hazardous materials or techniques have been used in the construction of the property. If deleterious materials already exist or are conclusively discovered to exist then no liability will be accepted by the company for their existence and that our obligation is only to notify our client of any reasonable evidence likely to indicate their existence. In such cases, specific enquiries should be made or tests carried out by a specialist.

4. Contamination

   The Surveyor will not comment upon the existence of contamination since this can only be established by appropriate specialists. Where, from his local knowledge or the inspection, he considers that contamination might be a problem he should advise as to the importance of obtaining a report from an appropriate specialist.

5. Cost or remedial repairs

   The surveyor will give an estimate of the value of the remedial works based on elemental rates. The valuation will only relate to the items expressly set out in the details of the cost breakdown. Unless expressly requested the cost will not include professional fees or legal expenses incurred. The client is advised that the figure relates to an approximate value and will not have been subject to market testing such as tendering. The cost breakdown will not constitute and works schedule or a specification.

6. Fees and Expenses

   Our quoted fee will be based on the schedule of rates at the time of engagement and on the information given at the time the request for a quotation was made. Where the subject to be inspected, or the project is substantially different either in size or value to that quoted or further investigation into follow up lines of investigations beyond the initial cause for the survey are evident then we reserve the right to charge an additional fee on a pro rata basis. Further work arising may be subject to new terms, conditions and negotiated rates.

   Travelling expenses, additional hard copy report publishing and photographs are not included in labour rates. Our fees are quoted inclusive of VAT at the prevailing rate. Additional visits to a property at your request will be charged at the standard hourly rate.

   Where payment is due against invoice our standard terms of payment are within 14 days of invoice, payments not received within 42 days of invoice will attract an administrative surcharge of 15%. Where payment is due prior to release of report, the report will not be issued until payment in full has been received. In instances where an advance summary report has been requested this also will not be issued until payment in full has been received.

7. Restriction on Disclosure

   Any report issued on the subject property will be addressed to our clients or the individual who commissioned the survey and will be confidential. Any liability arising out of the reports contents will be specifically limited to our client. The report should not be relied upon by third parties without our express written consent. If consent is given we reserve the right to request the proviso that the report be broadcast or published in full or qualified as an abstract. The documents relating to the project may be used in respect of any post completion activity undertaken by the client, the beneficiary or their assignees but no liability shall attach to the consultant for such use.

   It is not our policy to make any verbal report as to our findings prior to the sending of our written report. Clients should await our full written report prior to entering into any agreements regarding the subject. Our client must not rely upon any summary report which may be provided at your request. Reports can be made available in large print if required at no additional cost.

   The construction, validity and performance of this Agreement shall be governed by English law and the parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. Nothing in these terms is intended to confer any rights to any third party under the provisions of the Contracts (rights of third parties) act 1999.

8. Complaints procedure

   We try very hard to ensure that problems do not arise. In accordance with RICS requirements we have a Complaints Handling procedure. Should you wish to make a complaint you should in the first instance contact the practice Director who will make a copy of the Complaints Procedure available to you. We would request to use the RICS as the primary adjudication facilitating body in any dispute resolution process.

   On Behalf of the Company.

   Geoff Hunt
   Hemley,
   Leys Lane
   Frome
   BA11 2JT

9. Fees for surveys

   The fee structure below is the frame work from which we charge. These are for easily accessible properties where the price is indicative of size. There may be factors which may not be included here and quotes provided are subject to change if the survey falls outside the parameters of the framework. You will be advised of any changes to a quote before we proceed. If we have to return to the property because of circumstances beyond our control we will charge the standard hourly rate.

   Range	Basic fee
   £100,000
   £200,000	£410
   £300,000	£430
   £400,000	£464
   £500,000	£550
   £600,000	£661
   £700,000	£743
   £800,000	£827
   £900,000	£892
   £1,000,000	£950

   Other Factors
   Per bedroom	£10
   For every 2 years of age	£1 Eg 60 years old £30
   Travel	From £0 to £30 upto 75miles There after £40p per mile
   Extra hard copies of reports	£15
   Photo record disk	£25
   Additional instruction / Standard Rate	£55/ hr
   Environmental Certificate	£45
   Flood Risk Report	£45