A condition rating is not a formatting label to add after the paragraph has been written. It communicates the inspecting surveyor’s assessment of the element and the urgency attached to the defects or further investigation described.
When report drafting is outsourced, the cleanest workflow is for the surveyor to make that decision visible in the instruction. The writer can then align the narrative, recommendation and report structure with the supplied assessment without trying to derive a rating from a photograph or a familiar phrase.
Start with the RICS meaning of each rating
The official RICS description of the Level 2 service explains the condition-rating categories for the main building elements, garage and certain outside elements. The categories distinguish defects requiring urgent attention from those requiring non-urgent repair or normal maintenance, as well as elements where no current repair is needed and elements not inspected.
The separate RICS Level 2 report template presents ratings by urgency and explains that, where an element contains several parts, the part with the worst condition rating is described first. A practice using that format needs its instruction and draft to preserve that relationship.
Brief the assessment, not just the number
“E1: CR3” gives the writer a destination but very little reasoning. A more useful instruction identifies the rated element or sub-element, the observed defect, why it carries that urgency, and the action the surveyor wants the client to take.
| Field | What the surveyor supplies | How it helps the draft |
|---|---|---|
| Element and location | The report section and the affected part, elevation or area. | Prevents a rating or recommendation being attached to the wrong component. |
| Condition rating | The rating selected by the inspecting surveyor. | Sets the intended urgency for the element. |
| Reason | The observed defect, relevant limitation or concern supporting the assessment. | Allows the narrative to explain rather than merely display the rating. |
| Action | The intended repair, investigation, maintenance or legal enquiry. | Keeps the recommendation tied to the surveyor’s decision. |
| Timing | Whether action is urgent, before exchange or part of normal maintenance, as applicable. | Helps the advice remain consistent with the rating and report format. |
| Connected sections | Any overall-opinion, risk or further-investigation wording affected. | Reduces contradictions elsewhere in the report. |
This is a suggested production record, not an alternative rating system or an RICS-prescribed form.
Do not ask the writer to rate from a photograph
A photograph may support the location and visible condition of a defect, but it does not reproduce the whole inspection. It may omit scale, movement, moisture readings, access restrictions, related internal signs or the context that shaped the surveyor’s assessment.
The writer can flag that the rating is missing or appears inconsistent with the supplied instruction. They should not convert the visual severity of one image into a professional decision. Where the pack is unclear, the point belongs on the drafting query log for the inspecting surveyor to resolve.
Keep multiple parts of an element visible
An element may contain components in different conditions. If the main roof covering requires urgent attention while a secondary covering needs routine repair, the narrative should identify both and make clear which issue drives the displayed rating. A single generic paragraph can obscure that distinction.
Ask the drafter to lead with the part carrying the highest urgency where the reporting format requires it, then describe the remaining parts proportionately. The surveyor should check that the summary and detailed section still refer to the same element and assessment.
Test the rating against the advice
A mismatch can arise even when the number has been copied correctly. The text may describe serious urgency while the recommendation reads as routine maintenance, or the paragraph may call for action before exchange without explaining why. The review should consider the rating, defect description, implications, recommendation and timing together.
The same check applies after amendments. If new evidence changes the surveyor’s assessment, review the element paragraph, summary, overall opinion, risks and further-investigation sections rather than changing only the coloured rating box.
Separate production checks from professional review
A drafter can check that a rating appears in the right field, matches the supplied instruction and is carried consistently into connected wording. Those are valuable production checks. They do not determine whether the surveyor’s assessment is appropriate for the inspected property.
Before issue, the inspecting surveyor should review every condition-rated element against the inspection record and the applicable report format. Confirm that the rating reflects the intended professional judgement, the reason is clear, the advice is proportionate and any linked summary wording agrees. Our Level 2 report review checklist covers the wider pre-issue review.
Build the boundary into your outsourcing workflow
The Survey Edit provides outsourced RICS Level 2 report drafting support from the surveyor’s notes, photographs, template and instructions. We can organise the supplied assessment into clear report wording and raise queries where information is incomplete. The inspecting surveyor retains the condition-rating decisions and reviews, amends, approves and issues the final report.
To discuss how ratings and supporting instructions could be included in your first handover, send The Survey Edit an enquiry.
You inspect. We write.