Chartered Surveyors

What is a Chartered Building Surveyor?

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is the only professional institution for chartered surveyors. It is based in Parliament Square, London SW1. 

The RICS is a global organisation, founded in the UK. It has offices in major cities around the world.

Chartered Surveyors have a very strict code of conduct, regulated by the RICS. 

There are THREE grades of Building Surveyors in the RICS:

  • AssocRICS                  This is the lowest grade. These members are not "Chartered". It is the                                               entry-level grade.
  • MRICS                         The general membership grade of Chartered Surveyors. Members have to                                       have a minimum of 5 years relevant experience plus a RICS accredited                                             degree.  
  • FRICS                           F = Fellow of the RICS. This is the highest grade of membership, open                                             only to very experienced Chartered Surveyors who fit into one of the                                                 following categories: Champion, Expert, Influencer or Role Model. A Fellow                                       has to make a significant contribution to the profession, be a major                                                   achiever and have extensive experience in their chosen field.

There are other specialist chartered surveyors in the RICS such a Quantity Surveyors, Land Surveyors, Estate Surveyors, Registered Valuers, etc.  

The descriptive title "Building Surveyor" is not protected in law so anyone can call themselves a building surveyor. However, Chartered Surveyor is a protected title. Any person using this descriptive MUST be a full member of the RICS.

We recommend that clients search the RICS website (www.rics.org) and look for "Is my surveyor qualified". This will tell them if the surveyor is a member of the RICS, what grade they are and when they qualified, so you can see how many years of experience they have had since qualifying. Expect to pay more for a chartered surveyor with the highest grade of membership and with extensive experience.