Service 05 of 07 — Building Surveying Services Building Surveying
Technical due diligence, dilapidations, contract administration and reinstatement — the detailed knowledge that de-risks the built asset. Delivered through specialist partners and managed by October Projects.
Overview
Every building has a history. We read it before it costs you
The condition of a building, the obligations attached to it and the cost of putting it right are rarely visible from the surface. Structural movement, concealed water ingress, deferred maintenance, outstanding dilapidations liability — each of these can transform a sound investment into an expensive problem. The time to find them is before you commit, not after.
October Projects provides building surveying through trusted specialist partners, with October Projects managing every instruction and acting as your single point of contact. Our partners survey buildings thoroughly and report honestly, and we make sure their findings are translated into clear practical and financial advice — giving clients the information to negotiate, remediate or walk away on informed terms.
We act across all property types: commercial, residential, industrial, mixed-use and heritage. Our partner chartered building surveyors have administered construction contracts, negotiated dilapidations settlements and assessed reinstatement costs for clients ranging from individual landowners to institutional fund managers, and the approach is the same in every case — detailed, independent and built on evidence.
Scope of Services
What we do
Delivered through our specialist partners, our building surveying service covers acquisition, occupation, alteration and disposal — at every point where the condition of a building affects a financial or legal position.
Technical Due Diligence
Pre-acquisition building surveys and technical due diligence reports — assessing structural condition, building fabric, services, compliance and outstanding liability to give purchasers a complete picture of what they are buying before exchange.
Dilapidations
Acting for landlords and tenants in dilapidations claims — preparing and serving schedules of dilapidations, assessing and challenging claims, advising on the diminution cap and negotiating settlements that reflect the true legal liability rather than inflated opening positions.
Contract Administration
Administering JCT building contracts on refurbishment and fit-out projects — issuing instructions, certifying interim payments, assessing variations, managing extensions of time and bringing the contract to a clean, properly certified practical completion.
Building Pathology & Defect Analysis
Investigating building defects — damp and water ingress, structural movement, façade deterioration, roof failures, foundation issues — with photographic evidence, diagnostic testing and a clear specification of remedial works and their cost implications.
Reinstatement Cost Assessments
Insurance reinstatement cost assessments for all property types — calculated to the correct rebuild cost standard, regularly reviewed against construction inflation, and defensible to insurers and loss adjusters in the event of a claim.
Party Wall & Neighbourly Matters
Acting as building owner’s or adjoining owner’s surveyor under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — serving notices, preparing and agreeing party wall awards, undertaking schedule of condition surveys and managing the neighbourly consent process for complex urban projects.
Our Approach
How we survey, report and advise
Instruction & Scope Definition
Every instruction begins with a clear scope discussion. We establish what the client needs to know, what access is available, what records exist and what the output will be used for — whether that’s a board decision, a legal negotiation or an insurance submission. The survey is calibrated to the decision it informs.
Site Survey & Investigation
A thorough physical inspection of the building — fabric, structure, services, roof, substructure, drainage and external envelope — supplemented by photographic record, diagnostic testing where required and review of any available as-built drawings, warranties and compliance certificates. We look for what isn’t visible as methodically as what’s.
Reporting & Cost Advice
Our reports are written to be read and acted on — clear findings, prioritised defects, cost implications and a practical recommendation for each issue. We distinguish between immediate expenditure, planned maintenance and long-term risk, so the client has a cost-ranked picture of the liability they are taking on or negotiating about.
Specification & Tender
Where remedial or refurbishment works are required, we prepare the specification, obtain competitive tenders from suitable contractors and provide a recommendation for appointment. The specification is written to produce a true like-for-like comparison between tenders and prevent the ambiguity that generates contractor claims.
Contract Administration & Monitoring
As contract administrator, we manage the works on site — issuing instructions, certifying valuations, assessing variations, monitoring programme and quality, and managing the contractor’s obligations under the contract. The client receives clear monthly reporting and is never exposed to a payment obligation they have not understood and approved.
Practical Completion & Close-out
We inspect works at practical completion, agree and administer the snagging schedule, manage the defects liability period and certify the making good of defects — ensuring the building is handed over in the condition the contract requires. A clean practical completion certificate isn’t a formality; it fixes the legal position at the point it matters most.
Why October Projects
What sets our building surveying consultancy apart
Technical depth across all property types
Our partner surveyors have inspected buildings ranging from Victorian warehouse conversions to contemporary curtain-wall commercial towers and listed historic structures. That breadth of exposure means we recognise what others miss — the tell-tale signs of concealed defects that only become apparent to those who have seen them fail before.
Reports that are honest about risk
A building survey that tells a client what they want to hear isn’t a building survey. We report what we find, quantify the cost of what we find, and give a clear opinion on whether the transaction or project proceeds on acceptable terms. The client may disagree with our conclusion; they will never be surprised by a problem we knew about.
Dilapidations built on evidence
Dilapidations claims are legal disputes decided on the evidence of what a lease requires and what condition a property is in. Our schedules and negotiating positions are built from the lease obligations, the photographic record and the applicable legal principles — not from what one party hopes to recover or avoid paying.
See the sectors we work in and meet the team who will manage your project.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does a building surveyor do?
Building surveyors assess the condition of buildings and advise on their repair, maintenance, alteration and legal obligations, covering surveys, dilapidations, defects and the contract administration of refurbishment works.
How is building surveying delivered?
Through our trusted specialist partners, managed by October Projects, so you have a single point of contact and consistent reporting throughout.
What is a dilapidations claim?
At the end of a lease, a landlord may claim for repairs the tenant was required to carry out. We help landlords and tenants prepare, review and negotiate schedules of dilapidations, so claims are fair and properly evidenced.
Do I need a survey before buying or leasing a commercial property?
It’s strongly recommended. A survey identifies defects, repair liabilities and likely costs before you commit, giving you the information to negotiate or plan ahead.
Can you help with party wall matters?
Yes. Through our specialist partners, we can advise on party wall notices and awards, helping projects proceed smoothly while protecting neighbouring relationships.
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Tell us about
your building.
We’ll bring the technical knowledge, the honest assessment and the commercial advice. Get in touch to discuss your instruction.