It’s the building surveyor’s job to “care for” new and old buildings, ensuring that they are structurally sound. This will include being involved in the design, maintenance, alteration, repair and refurbishment of existing buildings.
If you take a pride in our architectural heritage, and enjoy variety in your job, this could be the ideal role for you. Become a building surveyor and you'll be carrying out structural surveys, doing legal work, preparing plans and specifications and advising people on energy saving, conservation issues and the preservation of old buildings.
To succeed, you’ll need a thorough knowledge of the entire building process as well as a comprehensive understanding of environmental and planning procedures.
If you'd like to find out more on what it takes to make it as a building surveyor, visit www.rics.org.uk or www.ciob.org.uk.
There are no specific requirements to begin training as a building surveyor, although most entrants do have A Levels / Higher Grades.
To become a qualified building surveyor, you will need to hold a BTEC or HND/HNC, and to achieve this you will need 4 GCSE passes (A-C) / Standard Grades (1-3).
There are two main ways to train as a building surveyor. One is through the Chartered Institute of Buildings (CIOB), to join which you will need an honours degree and 2 years experience in a building related field or pass the CIOB examination.
The second is through the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and involves studying for a qualification accredited by RICS, followed by completion of their Assessment of Professional Competence. In both cases, you will be working towards NVQ/SVQ Level 4.
Graduate building surveyors can expect to earn around £14,000, a chartered surveyor about £24,000 and a partner about £43,000. As always, salaries in London are higher. For further information about salaries refer to professional institutions and industry press.
