What’s the Difference Between Surveyors and Chartered Surveyors?

The History of Surveying

The term ‘surveyor’ has been around for around 600 years, so it’s definitely not one of the newer recorded professions! But as you can imagine, the meaning of the word has morphed and changed over the years, especially as the needs of society have grown and developed.

The broadest meaning of the word is ‘someone who oversees something’, which is still at the core of surveying today but the ‘something’ has changed. In the past, during the construction of churches, abbeys and cathedrals, educated monks were charged with overseeing theirconstruction. This is also where the term ‘Clerk of Works’ originally came from. Moving ahead in time. there was a need to map battlements in the 16th century, which was done under the Surveyor General, before the more modern iteration of the word, which was born through the Industrial Revolution and the Great Fire of London in 1666. This particular event led to significant changes in regulation, construction technology and monitoring during the creation of new buildings, and the need for professionals to do this.

From 1792, modern surveyors can trace our roots back to the creation of the Surveyors Club, which was born out of the Industrial Revolution. The revolution dramatically increased the amount of homes and infrastructure in the UK, and the Surveyors Club needed to grow to match it. 76 years later they changed their name to The Institute of Surveyors, and not long after they were granted a Royal Charter in 1881. This formed what’s now known as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (or RICS for short) that we know today.

Surveyor or Chartered Surveyor – What’s the Difference?

Through all of that, the term surveyor has been a fairly common use by people in the industry. But in 1881 that all changed. Now there were two types of surveyor – a standard surveyor, and a Chartered Surveyor. The main difference is that ‘surveyor’ isn’t a protected term. Anyone can call themselves a surveyor and go about their job, with no oversight or governance on what they’re doing.

But the title of Chartered Surveyor can only be used by people who have earned their membership to the RICS, which requires specific education, training and assessments. A professional surveyor who has gone through this process will have the MRICS, FRICS or AssocRICS qualification. All this ensures the big difference – quality, integrity and trust in the profession, core values all chartered surveyor hold and promote.

Becoming a Chartered Surveyor isn’t a quick process. It takes a long time because it ensures that the people holding the title have the relevant experience, expertise and knowledge to undertake the role of a Chartered Surveyor. It also means they are bound by the professional and ethical standards required of them by the RICS. This is what gives clients and members of the public confidence that they will act with integrity and professionalism.

It doesn’t stop there either. We’re expected to constantly learn and improve. We’re required to complete at least 20 hours of Continual Professional Development each year as a condition of our membership, which allows surveyors to grow, become more proficient, and keep pace with the ever–changing and expanding industry we work in.

Will any Chartered Surveyor do?

If you’re looking to hire a surveyor, then this is probably a question you’re asking. And the short answer is – it depends.

One of the biggest differences between Chartered Surveyors is their areas of specialisation. In the past a surveyor was a surveyor – they offered the same services no matter which company you went to, and they would cover a wide area of expertise. But like many professions, technological developments and increased demands meant that Chartered Surveyors had to focus on particular aspects and services within disciplines, which means every Chartered Surveyor is a bit different. Now, you have specialised Quantity, Land, Rural, General Practice or Building Surveyors (that’s us!) who are all focused on different types of service, but will overlap on the common core aspects of surveying and professional standards. Even this is changing all the time, with building surveyors only being recognised as a dedicated servicefor the last 50 years! But taking up this specialism has allowed us to focus on the core of building pathology, defect diagnosis, the construction of new buildings and the refurbishment and improvement of existing ones.

While someone who has earned the title of Chartered Surveyor will be a competent, safe pair of hands for you, you’re always going to get better results by working with a Chartered Surveyor who specialises in what you need. Our industry is one of collaboration – working together and supporting each other to raise the standards of the services we deliver, which does mean most Chartered Surveyors will be able to point you to the right person for the job. Being able to draw on experience and expertise is a valuable asset, and one that gets better results for our clients.

At Harrison Clarke we are Chartered Building Surveyors, which means we’re best placed to provide assistance in a wide range of property requirements. We have the training and skills to fully understand and interpret all types buildings, along with the surrounding laws and regulations, so that we can ensure you end up in the best position. Whether this related to your home, your business or your investments. If you have any questions, or would like to know how we could help you, please just get in touch with our friendly team on 02381 55 00 51, and we would be delighted to assist you.

For more expert advice on surveying and property matters, check out our range of informative videos on our website or YouTube channel. Harrison Clark Chartered Surveyors is here to guide you every step of the way!

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