Introduction

Every local authority has considerable investment in real estate – land, property and buildings – which has to be managed by the chartered surveyor. When you see wheelchair access being called for in a public building or planning permission being sought for the erection of a supermarket on public land, the surveyor will be at the heart of the matter. There is a specialist surveyor to cover each of the following functions:

building
quantity
land measurement
valuation
planning and development
technical surveys to support the chartered surveyor

The first of these, building surveyors, are responsible for maintenance, repair and improvement of all property owned by the council and the post can be found in every type of authority except county councils. They are part of the Building Consultancy Service.

Work Environment

Surveyors spend some time on outdoor sites and attending external meetings but mostly work in an office writing reports, dealing with administration and preparing plans. The standard working week is 37 hours which does not usually require anti-social shifts. Protective clothing is provided for site visits.

Daily Activities

Building surveyors work in a team monitoring and maintaining council property. Some will specialise in administration of public health regulations, by-laws and improvement grants. They work to the head of building consultancy services and under the guidance of the principal surveyor to ensure an effective and economic service for the citizens of the local area. This will entail giving advice about, and enforcing building regulations and associated legislation within a framework of customer satisfaction. The use of computer based software is a major part of the work. Building surveyors have full responsibility for:

• assessing and determining building submissions in accordance with the regulations
• inspecting building work and taking action in respect of: dangerous structures; demolitions; licensing; scaffolding and hoarding; fire/energy, or other public safety issues; access for disabled people; monitoring of planning conditions – and any infringement can means preparing documentation for legal proceedings and attending court
• marketing and promoting the service
• writing detailed, accurate records and reports
• implementing new initiatives designed to improve quality of service
• participating in staff development appraisals
• training new recruits to building surveyor or technician jobs
• being on hand to provide any ‘out of office hours’ service dealing with dangerous
• structures and other major emergencies.

Skills & Interests

To do this job well you must have/be:

• a dynamic person who is well organised and able to manage own time and workloads and meet deadlines
• good interpersonal skills, be able to work on own initiative
• communication and customer skills
• able to work under pressure
• good keyboard skills
• a working knowledge of the building regulations and associated legislation
• a working knowledge of databases
• enthusiastic, self motivated, flexible, polite and helpful towards customers
• a proactive approach to the development of new techniques
• able to work harmoniously in a team.

Entry Requirements

Minimum entry requirements are a BTEC/SQA HNC/D in a relevant subject such as property, the built environment or construction.

Or, you should hold or be working towards either a construction related BSc degree or recognised building control qualification.

You should have at least one year’s experience of working within a building control office and be confident in the use of Microsoft office applications and preferably have a working knowledge of Uniform 2000.

Some colleges offer Apprenticeships in Building Surveying.

Estimated salary range

Up to £27,300 possibly rising to £29,000+ in some areas and depending on qualifications and experience.

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

Surveyors are widely employed throughout local government and there are many opportunities for specialisation in other branches of the job, particularly in larger authorities. You can step up the grades within the post with further qualification and experience The next step up is District Building Surveyor. Professional training leads towards corporate membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Other posts to look towards are Surveying Technician, Architect and Architectural Technologist.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Building Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) www.rics.org.uk

British Institute of Architectural Technologists www.biat.org.uk

Construction Skills www.citb.co.uk

Apprenticeship information www.apprenticeships.org.uk

You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library – under BC.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Building Surveyor vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers – The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in – ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.