Surveying is one of the most varied professions in the built environment. Surveyors value property and land, manage construction costs, look after buildings, measure and map sites, advise on development and make sure buildings are safe. This guide covers the main routes in and how to become a chartered surveyor.
Choose your discipline
Most surveyors specialise early. The main disciplines are:
- Building surveying: surveys of the condition of buildings, defects, dilapidations, party walls and refurbishment projects.
- Quantity surveying and cost management: the costs and contracts of construction projects, for consultancies, contractors and clients.
- Commercial property and valuation: buying, selling, letting and valuing commercial property, and rent reviews and lease renewals.
- Residential surveying: home surveys and mortgage valuations.
- Rural surveying and land agency: estates, farms, land and compulsory purchase.
- Land surveying and geomatics: measuring and mapping land and buildings, using laser scanners, GPS and drones.
- Building control: checking that building work meets the Building Regulations, for councils and approved inspectors.
- Project management, property and asset management and facilities management.
You can move between related disciplines, particularly early on, and many surveyors do.
Route 1: an RICS-accredited degree
The most common route is a degree accredited by RICS (the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) in a subject such as building surveying, quantity surveying, real estate or land management. Graduates then join an employer as a graduate or trainee surveyor and work towards chartership.
If your first degree is in another subject, an RICS-accredited conversion master's degree, usually one year full time or two years part time, takes you onto the same route. Many employers will pay for it while you work.
Route 2: an apprenticeship
Apprenticeships are a growing route in, at practices, contractors, councils and housing associations. The Chartered Surveyor degree apprenticeship combines paid work with an accredited degree, with the employer paying the fees, and leads to chartership. The Surveying Technician apprenticeship is a shorter route that can lead to AssocRICS (Associate membership of RICS), and on to full chartership later.
Becoming chartered: the APC
To become a chartered surveyor (MRICS) you pass the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence, the APC. You choose a pathway that matches your work, such as Building Surveying, Quantity Surveying and Construction, Commercial Real Estate or Valuation, and record your experience against the competencies for that pathway, with the support of a supervisor and a counsellor at your employer.
Graduates with an accredited degree usually spend around two years building their experience before the final assessment. Surveyors with longer experience can take a shorter route. The final assessment includes a written case study and an interview with a panel of chartered surveyors.
Chartership is usually the single biggest step up in a surveyor's pay: see our surveying salary guide.
Building control: registration
In England, building control surveyors now need to be registered as Registered Building Inspectors with the Building Safety Regulator, at the class that matches the work they do. Councils and approved inspectors support trainees through the qualifications and competence assessments needed. Many building control surveyors also hold RICS or CABE membership.
Other professional bodies
RICS is the main professional body for surveyors, but not the only one. Depending on your work you may also look at CIOB (the Chartered Institute of Building), CABE (the Chartered Association of Building Engineers) or CICES for land surveying and geomatics.
What employers look for
- An accredited degree, or a willingness to work towards one.
- For many roles, a full driving licence: surveyors spend a lot of time on site and visiting property.
- Good written English: reports are a large part of most surveying jobs.
- For senior roles, chartership (MRICS) and experience leading projects or clients.
Find your first role
Browse graduate and trainee surveyor jobs, or get new surveying jobs by email every Monday with the SURVEYINGJOBS.COM Weekly.