Does a house survey check the boiler and utilities?

When buying an older property in particular, the state of the utilities is a real concern. How up to date is the electrical system? Does the gas installation conform to current safety requirements? Will the water pipework be a problem? A chartered surveyor will assess all of these as part of a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report or RICS Level 3 building survey, though the scope of what they can inspect has specific limits.

Your RICS surveyor will locate and visually examine all accessible parts of the gas system. Because gas leaks carry a serious risk of fire or explosion, the surveyor will only observe: they are not qualified to examine appliances or test the system and will not remove gas fittings or dismantle any components.

The examination will cover gas heaters and the boiler, gas-related fittings including chimney maintenance, pipework and ducting and the flue outlet for the boiler. If the property is a rental, the surveyor will also review any gas safety certification to confirm landlord compliance requirements are in order.

If there are concerns about the gas system, the surveyor will recommend that a Gas Safe-registered engineer carries out a more detailed assessment before you proceed.

A chartered surveyor will look at the condition of the electrics throughout the property, including an overview of the consumer unit, its age and condition, any visible wiring and static electrical equipment such as showers and light fittings.

If the electrics are clearly in an unsatisfactory or dangerous state of repair, or in immediate need of modernisation, this will be highlighted in the report. The surveyor will also examine any electrical installation condition reports and certification that has been signed off by a qualified electrician.

As with gas, the surveyor will not dismantle any equipment or wiring. They will flag any shortcomings observed and may recommend that a qualified electrician carries out a more detailed inspection of specific concerns.

Problems with the water system tend to be more visible than those with gas or electrics, as the evidence of any issues shows up in the fabric of the building.

The surveyor will look for evidence of leaking, assess the quality and age of pipework, check the water tank where the supply is not direct from the mains, confirm the location and accessibility of the stopcock and assess the shower facilities. They will also look for signs of past or current leaks such as stained or peeling wall coverings, damp patches, mould and rot in the surrounding materials.

With all utilities, the surveyor's findings will be presented in the report using a traffic light rating system. Green indicates no action required, amber flags an issue that does not need immediate resolution and red identifies something that needs urgent attention. This gives you a clear picture of where the serious concerns are and helps you decide on next steps, whether that is negotiating on price, requesting remedial work or bringing in specialists for further assessment.

You can find out more about what each survey level costs and what is covered on our survey cost page.

At Surveyor Local, we work exclusively with RICS-accredited chartered surveyors across England and Wales. Next-day bookings are usually available and your appointed surveyor will arrange access directly with the estate agent and seller.

Call our friendly team on  or get a survey quote online.