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Timber Survey Cost in Wiltshire: What You Will Pay
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Timber Survey Cost in Wiltshire: What You Will Pay

11 min read

Timber Survey Cost in Wiltshire: What You Will Pay

Surveyor inspecting exposed timber joist

A dedicated damp and timber survey in the UK typically costs between about £200 and £600, depending mainly on the size of the property. That is a national guide, not a Wiltshire quote, and we do not publish a fixed price for our own surveys because the time needed depends on the building. This guide explains what drives the figure, how it compares with a RICS house survey, and what you should receive for your money.

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TL;DR

  • Checkatrade’s cost guide puts typical damp surveys at roughly £200 for a 2-bed flat, £400 for a 3-bed terrace and £600 for a 4-bed detached house. Combined damp and timber surveys often fall in the £200 to £600 range.
  • Property size, access, age, the number of problem areas and travel distance all move the price. Emergency or same-day visits can add a fee.
  • A RICS Level 2 or 3 survey is not a timber report. If it flags rot or woodworm, you will normally be told to get a specialist investigation.
  • A good report has photographs, moisture readings, a stated cause and a defined scope of work. Be cautious of a “free survey” that exists only to sell treatment.
  • We survey across Wiltshire. Book a damp and timber survey or call 01202 287134.

Table of Contents

What a timber survey costs in Wiltshire

No reliable public price list exists for Wiltshire specifically, so the national figures are the honest starting point. The Checkatrade damp survey guide describes these ballpark averages, which scale with property size:

Property Typical damp survey cost
2-bed flat About £200
3-bed terraced house About £400
4-bed detached house About £600

The same guide says combined damp and timber surveys often sit within £200 to £600, and that location and emergency same-day service (around £50 extra) can affect the final quote. Treat these as a range to sense-check quotes against, not as a promise. Wiltshire runs from Swindon and Chippenham to Salisbury and Marlborough, and housing stock varies hugely: Victorian terraces, thatched cottages, Georgian townhouses, 1930s semis and new-build estates all take different amounts of time to inspect.

We do not publish a price for surveys on our site, and we will not quote a number here that we cannot stand behind. What we can tell you is how we arrive at a figure: after you describe the property and what you can see, we agree what the survey needs to cover before anyone visits.

What a timber survey costs in Wiltshire — overview diagram

What changes the price

A survey is paid for in time, access and documentation. These are the factors that move a quote up or down.

  1. Size and layout. More rooms, floors and outbuildings mean more moisture readings and more inspection time.
  2. Age and construction. Solid-wall, timber-framed and mixed-material buildings are harder to read than a modern cavity-wall house. Older roof structures and suspended timber floors take longer to inspect.
  3. Access. Loft spaces, sub-floor voids and cellars need to be reachable. Stored belongings, sealed hatches or fitted floors add time.
  4. Scope. A damp-only inspection, a timber-only inspection and a combined report are different jobs. A report for a single room costs less than one for the whole house.
  5. Reporting depth. Photographs, annotated sketches and a written scope of works take time to produce, and they are what make the report useful later.
  6. Urgency and distance. Same-day visits and long journeys can add cost.

If you are comparing quotes, make sure each one covers the same scope. A cheap quote for “a damp check” is not comparable with a whole-house timber and damp report.

How this differs from a RICS house survey

Many Wiltshire buyers assume the survey they commissioned for the purchase covers rot and woodworm. It usually does not, at least not in the depth you need.

RICS Home Survey prices are higher than specialist damp reports, but they cover the whole condition of the property. According to Compare My Move’s 2026 figures, a RICS Level 2 survey averages £499 (typically £465 to £685), and a Level 3 Building Survey averages £656 (typically £574 to £894), rising above £1,500 for large or complex properties. Both vary by value, age and location.

RICS survey averages and price ranges

The key difference is purpose. RICS explains that these surveys give a broad overview and flag issues. When a surveyor sees significant damp or rot, the usual advice is a follow-up from a damp and timber specialist who can carry out a targeted investigation.

In practice:

  • Buying a house: get the RICS survey first, then commission a specialist timber and damp report if it raises a concern.
  • Already own the property and can see a problem: go straight to a specialist survey. A general survey will not tell you what to treat.
  • Selling or refinancing: a documented specialist report gives a buyer or lender something concrete to read.

What happens during a timber survey

The Property Care Association’s code of practice on controlling dampness says inspections should take a “whole house” approach and that visual observations, inside and out, must be detailed in the report. Considerations include the location and topography, the construction of the building and its maintenance history. That matches how we work.

A typical visit follows these steps:

  1. Your account. We ask what you have seen, where and when: musty smells, soft skirting, crumbling plaster, small holes with dust, or mould that returns.
  2. External inspection. We check gutters, downpipes, ground levels, pointing, render, airbricks and anything that lets water reach the structure.
  3. Internal inspection. We look at walls, floors, ceilings, joinery and the roof space, noting visible symptoms and readings.
  4. Moisture and timber assessment. Meters help, but a reading alone can mislead. Salts in plaster can give false positives on electrical meters, so we interpret readings alongside what we can see. For timber, we separate active decay or infestation from old, inactive damage. Our guides on tracking timber moisture content and on whether old woodworm holes are still active explain why a single spot check is not enough.
  5. Cause. The aim is to find the source of the moisture: a defect, a ventilation fault or a maintenance lapse. The PCA’s guidance is clear that spotting damp is not the same as diagnosing it.
  6. Written findings. You receive the findings, the evidence and a defined scope of work.

If we find something outside our remit, such as a structural concern, we say so and refer you to the right specialist rather than stretching what we do.

What a good report contains

You are paying for the document as much as the visit. The PCA’s code of practice on wood-destroying insects and fungi sets out essential information for all written reports, including the property address, the company details and the date of inspection. Beyond the basics, look for:

  • Photographs tied to specific rooms or timbers.
  • Moisture readings, with a note of how and where they were taken.
  • A plain statement of what is wrong (wet rot, dry rot, woodworm, or none) and why you can say so.
  • The likely cause, not just the symptom.
  • A scope of works, listing what needs doing, what does not, and in what order.
  • The terms of any guarantee that will follow treatment.

The point is justification. A report should show clearly why treatment is or is not needed. If it cannot, you cannot judge a quote. For a sense of how property inspection reports are structured elsewhere, this landlord-focused guide to condition report practice shows the same principle: record findings with evidence, then link each to a recommended repair. It is written for the Australian rental market, so the legal details do not apply in England.

Our perspective: survey first, treatment second

We have worked in this field for over 35 years, and the pattern is consistent. The most expensive timber and damp work is usually the work done twice. A treatment applied without finding the cause fails, and the homeowner pays again.

That is why we start with diagnosis based on what is visible, produce documented findings, and only then define a scope. You should not be asked to approve treatment before you have seen the evidence. We use original photography from the property so you can see what we saw, and we give written guarantees on our workmanship.

We also tell you when something is not ours to fix. If a defect needs a structural engineer or a roofer, we will say so and recommend you speak to one. A survey that concludes “no treatment needed” is a good outcome, and it is a result we are happy to put in writing.

On price, our view is simple: a survey fee is small next to the cost of replacing floor joists, a staircase or a roof timber. Comparing quotes is fair. Compare the scope, the evidence and the guarantee, not just the number.

— Quay

Questions to ask before you book

  1. Which accreditations do you hold? Checkatrade’s guide advises looking for qualifications such as CRDS (Certified Remedial Damp Surveyor) or CSRT (Certified Surveyor in Remedial Treatment).
  2. What is included? Ask whether it covers damp, timber, or both, and whether lofts, sub-floors and outbuildings are included.
  3. Do I get a written report with photographs? A verbal summary is not enough to compare quotes.
  4. Is the survey separate from any treatment? You should understand what you pay for the inspection and what any follow-on work would involve.
  5. What will be guaranteed, and in writing? Ask for the terms before work starts.
  6. Will you refer me elsewhere if the problem is not yours to fix?

Is a timber survey worth paying for?

RICS makes the broader point that a survey, though an added cost, helps owners avoid misdiagnosed or guesswork repairs and protects the property’s long-term value. For timber, this is especially true. Dry rot can spread behind plaster and under floors without obvious surface signs. Woodworm can look worse than it is, or be quietly active. In either case, the cost of finding out is small compared with replacing structural timber.

A survey is most worthwhile when:

  • You are buying and a general survey flagged damp, rot or woodworm.
  • You can see soft or crumbling timber, fungal growth, fresh bore dust or a persistent musty smell.
  • You have been quoted for treatment elsewhere and want evidence before agreeing.
  • You are a landlord or property manager who needs documented findings on file.

You may also want to start with our woodworm signs checklist or our comparison of wet rot and dry rot to understand what you are looking at. Reading is not a substitute for an inspection, but it helps you describe the problem accurately.

Survey and treatment across Wiltshire

We cover Wiltshire, including Swindon and Salisbury, alongside Dorset and Hampshire. Our Wiltshire damp proofing page sets out what we cover locally. If a survey confirms a problem, the follow-on work may include woodworm, wet rot or dry rot treatment, damp-proof course injection or ventilation, or re-plastering and reinstatement. None of it is assumed before the survey. Our timber survey page explains the inspection in more detail.

Ready to book?

Tell us what you can see. We will arrange an inspection, give you written findings and a defined scope, and explain every line before any work is agreed. Book a damp and timber survey or call 01202 287134.

FAQ

How much does a timber survey cost in Wiltshire?

National guides suggest a combined damp and timber survey commonly falls between £200 and £600, scaling with property size. Wiltshire prices depend on the building, its access and the report depth. We agree the scope with you first so the quote reflects the actual job.

How long does it take to get a damp and timber report?

The inspection itself usually takes a few hours for a typical house, longer for large or complex buildings. Turnaround for the written report depends on the findings and the evidence to be compiled. Ask for a date when you book.

Is a RICS Level 2 or 3 survey enough to check for rot?

No. RICS surveys give a broad condition overview and flag concerns. If they find signs of rot or damp, the surveyor will usually recommend a specialist investigation, which is where a dedicated timber report comes in.

Is a free survey trustworthy?

It can be, but check what you are getting. Ask whether the findings are written, photographed and evidence-based, and whether the inspection is separate from the sales process. A report should justify treatment, not assume it.

Sources

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