B.C Surveying Hertfordshire Ltd

Independent building surveying in Hertfordshire

B.C Surveying Hertfordshire Ltd is an RICS-regulated surveying firm working across Hertfordshire and neighbouring areas. Its work covers residential and commercial property surveying as well as party wall services. The practice presents itself as a small operation rather than a large firm with a team of surveyors: inspections and reports are handled personally by Billy Clarke MCIOB AssocRICS, who holds RICS member number 6956685.

Clarke describes 23 years of experience in residential construction and also owns and operates a residential construction company. According to the firm, that ongoing involvement in building work informs how defects are identified, explained and matched to repair methods. The surveying practice and the construction company are stated to be kept entirely separate, and survey reports are presented as independent professional advice for the client.

Survey products for different property types

The core offer is built around the RICS home survey formats. The RICS Level 3 Building Survey, formerly called a full structural survey, is positioned as the most detailed inspection for older, larger, altered or unusual homes, and its reports include repair costs and additional repair advice. The RICS Home Survey Level 2 is aimed at conventional homes in reasonable condition and provides condition ratings with clear, practical advice. A sample Level 3 report is available on request.

Party wall, land and specialist investigations

Beyond the standard home surveys, the firm lists a set of more targeted services:

• Party wall surveying, covering notices, schedules of condition and awards under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 for building owners and neighbours.
• Land surveying, including boundary, site and plot surveys, Land Registry compliant plans and setting out.
• Specific defect surveys, focused on cracking, damp, movement or roof problems, with practical repair advice.
• Drone roof and chimney surveys, providing close-up images without scaffolding or disruption.
• CCTV drainage surveys.
• Reinstatement cost assessments.
• Measured building surveys and topographical surveys.

How the construction background is applied

The firm explains that many building defects only make sense once the way a property was put together is understood. Clarke states that practical construction experience helps him recognise signs of movement, damp, timber decay, roof failure and poor-quality alterations, explain why a defect has occurred rather than only that it exists, and recommend proportionate repair methods instead of generic advice. The same background is used to flag problems in past work such as extensions, loft conversions and removed chimney breasts, to set out the likely consequences of leaving a defect untreated and its urgency, and to brief contractors so that comparable quotations can be obtained.

What instructing the firm involves

The practice states that clients deal directly with Billy Clarke throughout: he carries out the inspection himself, writes the report in plain English and makes time for a post-report call to talk through the findings and answer questions. The firm reports being rated 5 stars on Google and 4.5 stars on Trustpilot, according to the information available when this profile was written.

Coverage

The practice works across Hertfordshire and lists dedicated coverage for St Albans, Watford, Rickmansworth, Hemel Hempstead, Barnet, Harrow, High Wycombe and Oxford.