Damp Survey Preparation Checklist
A damp survey costs £280–£450 and two to four hours — preparation is how you extract full value. Access, history, observations, questions: fifteen ticks the night before.
How should I prepare for a damp survey? Four things multiply a survey's value: access (wall bases cleared of furniture, subfloor hatches and loft openings unlocked and reachable, cellar open), history (when it started, what moves it, photos over time, past reports and guarantees gathered), observations (your notes on smells, seasons, weather correlation — you know the building's behaviour better than any half-day visit), and questions ready (mechanism, severity, what's NOT needed, costs, sequence). A surveyor who can reach everything and read your timeline establishes in one visit what obstructed access spreads across two.
Use the checklist
Run through the night before the survey. Ticks save on this device; print a copy if others are preparing the property.
Access
History to gather
Your observations
Questions to ask on the day
Related services and guides
Damp Surveys
The service this tool points toward — diagnosis-first, independent qualified providers.
View the serviceMould Surveys
The service this tool points toward — diagnosis-first, independent qualified providers.
View the serviceDamp Survey Preparation Checklist FAQs
Materially: a surveyor who can reach wall bases, voids and the loft — and read your timeline — establishes mechanism with evidence instead of hedged assumptions. Obstructed access is the commonest reason reports carry 'could not be inspected' caveats.
No — evidence is information. Leave everything visible: mould patterns, tide marks, salt deposits and staining are exactly what pattern-reading works from. Clean after diagnosis, not before.
Tell the surveyor when booking — they'll advise what matters most for your symptoms and work around the rest. Priority is the affected walls and any subfloor access.
Mechanism per presentation with evidence, severity and urgency, itemised costed recommendations (including any 'no action needed'), timber findings, and photos. The Damp Surveys Explained guide details what good looks like.
Want a professional answer, not just an estimate?
Call today or book a survey — the right independent qualified specialist, matched to your property.