Surveying & Consultancy Services
From pre-purchase due diligence to full project specifying and development appraisals — James provides the full range of building surveying and construction consultancy services.
Level 2 & Level 3 Building Surveys
RICS-standard Level 2 Homebuyer Reports and comprehensive Level 3 Building Surveys — among the most detailed in the North East. Level 3 recommended for older, extended, altered, listed or non-standard properties.
RICS reporting standardPre-Purchase Condition Reports
Detailed assessments identifying defects, risks and maintenance requirements before you commit — giving you clarity on condition, estimated repair costs, and real negotiating power.
Buyer protectionDefect Rectification Assessments
Expert diagnosis of damp, structural movement, roof failures, timber decay and more — with fully specified remediation advice and contractor management support.
Measured Surveys, Floor Plans & Title Plans
Accurate to-scale measured floor plans, boundary plans and title plans using LiDAR scanning technology — meeting RICS and HM Land Registry compliance requirements for sales, remortgages and planning submissions.
LiDAR · RICS compliantBuild Cost Assessments & Viability Studies
Accurate cost planning for construction and renovation projects, including site preliminaries. Development appraisals for specialist one-off homes and commercial-to-residential conversions — supporting investors and developers.
Developer & investor focusedProject Specifying & Construction Management
Specification writing, contractor procurement and project management for bespoke renovation projects, listed buildings, barn conversions and new build homes. James has delivered multi-million pound projects across London and the North East.
500+ projects deliveredListed Building Services
Design, planning application preparation and client liaison for listed building projects. James has an established specialism across numerous listed building renovations and conversions in London and the North East.
Heritage specialistCAD Design & Planning Applications
Pre-planning building services, CAD design, planning application preparation and building regulations documentation — from concept through to consent, with full client liaison throughout.
Pre-planning & designDrone Surveys & Defect Photography
Drone-assisted inspection of roofs, chimneys, high-level masonry and other inaccessible elements — providing detailed photographic evidence to support survey reports and defect assessments.
Drone & LiDAR capabilityA Surveyor's Eye. A Builder's Hands.
Most building surveyors are trained to identify defects. James does that — and then goes significantly further. Identifying a defect is only one part of a complex jigsaw. Understanding how to correct it, how to specify the repair, how to manage the contractor carrying it out, and what it will actually cost — these are entirely separate skills that come from 30 years working as a managing contractor and construction manager.
"The survey that tells you there's damp is useful. The survey that tells you exactly what's causing it, what it will cost to fix, and how to specify the contractor to do it correctly — that's what protects your investment."
James has project-managed, cost-planned and delivered over 500 construction projects throughout his career — every one of which required full costing including site preliminaries, contractor coordination and defect accountability. That accumulated knowledge is brought to every survey he produces.
His dual qualifications are specific and complementary: AssocRICS builds the surveying discipline and professional framework; MCIOB Chartership reflects the depth of construction management expertise — with a specific specialism in residential construction, defect rectification and property design.
MCIOB — Chartered Construction Manager
Awarded following 500+ construction projects spanning listed buildings, new builds, school works, barn conversions, commercial conversions and high-specification residential renovations. Gives James the technical depth to understand defects from the inside out — how they form, what fixes them, and what it costs.
AssocRICS — Associate Building Surveyor
Awarded following a BA (Hons) at Southampton University, over 15 years working in the construction industry, and a subsequent postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) in Building Surveying at Northumbria University. Provides the professional framework, RICS reporting standards and impartial advisory discipline that underpins every survey James produces.
LiDAR Scanning & RICS/Land Registry Compliance
Accurate measured floor plans, to-scale boundary and title plans produced using state-of-the-art LiDAR scanning technology — meeting RICS and HM Land Registry compliance requirements for property transactions.
Not Sure Which Service You Need?
Book a free 15-minute call and James will tell you which survey or service fits your situation — with no obligation.