One of the biggest problems within the Heritage building sector is the lack of suitably experienced building surveyors capable of assessing old buildings, be they listed or not. All too often we hear of surveyors recommending injection damp proofing (which instantly shows they know nothing of the reasons damp is present in the first place), and failing to understand or report problems with timber frames. Usually they understand very little about the characteristics of traditional building materials (one surveyor recently questioned the use of lime mortar, saying it wasnt strong enough.... he ran for cover when we reminded him that half of the houses in London are built with it!).

We offer a full Building Survey and Project Management service. We undertake a site survey and assessment, produce a detailed condition report and recommendations, and can create a work specification and schedule if required. This highlights problems found, and can rank them in order of importance - which helps greatly with budgeting current and future maintenance. If required, this can then be modified to create Listed Building Consent specification and justification. Liaison with conservation officers and planners, CDM specification, and full costing and financial control are included if required. This allows us to provide a turnkey solution to projects with values ranging from a few thousand to over a million pounds.

Surveys of private homes usually cost from £300 to £500, depending on the detail required in the report, and the complexity of problems found. We charge based on a daily rate, plus expenses at cost. Report writing and liaison with the various Government departments involved is charged at our daily rate. If we are subsequently chosen to undertake work on the property, we will offset some of the survey costs against work done.

Our architect, who is conservation trained, works closely with our project manager to produce all the required drawings and paperwork for Listed Building Consents - so frequently required in our work. It is vitally important when undertaking work on listed buildings that the architect involved is familiar with, and fully understands all aspects of conservation and restoration practise - Roger will often find solutions where in some cases, years of planning applications have failed to produce results.

• Inspection and reporting of damp related problems in old buildings
• Condition reporting of plasterworks, internal and external, renders
• Inspection of timber frames and panel condition and repair
• Condition reporting of stonework and brickwork
• Borascope investigations in blind cavity situations, ie Ceilings, Partitions etc.
• Analysis of plasters and renders

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Examples of work undertaken to date include:

• The Old Rectory - Corley
• Arbury Hall - Nuneaton
• Hartlebury Castle - Worcestershire
• St Catherine's Church - Tugford, Shropshire
• Numerous buildings formerly part of the Calthorpe Estate, Edgbaston
• Malvern Girls College, Malvern
• Wycliffe College School House, Stroud
• The Old Rectory, Stockton on Teme
• Grendon Court, Hereford
• Hurst Hill Methodist Church, Bilston
• Falkland House, Hightington, Worcester
• St Michaels and All Angels, Walsall
• St James and St. Bartholomew, Leek
• Aston Hall, Aston on Clun
• St Marys' Church, Brierley Hill
• Monks Estate, Chaddesley Corbett
• Grade 2 listed private cottage - Ridgacre Road, Quinton
• Various period and listed cottages and houses in the Midlands