Survey of surveys: dampness

Research is being carried out into the performance of surveyors undertaking a Homebuyer Report. The background to that research was published in Hollis, M. and Bright, K. (1999), Structural Survey, Vol. 17 No. 2. This paper is a sub‐set of that work and deals with the public perception of survey standards relating to dampness, the duties of the surveyor, and the knowledge requirement for a surveyor working in 1999. It looks at the observation and the reporting of dampness within a sample of ten survey reports completed within a period of two weeks on the same house. The research concludes that there is an unexpectedly high level of reporting that falls below an acceptable standard. Recommendations are made for the improvement of standards, an assessment of the skills required and the requirements for the education process for surveyors.