Certificate in Building Surveying Practice

Overview

As one of the largest areas in surveying practice, building surveying covers a wide range of professional roles. You will be asked to provide a variety of services related to the maintenance and care of buildings, and will work in areas such as building design, refurbishment or alteration, as well as other construction and property matters.

As such, grasping crucial knowledge of construction technology, contracts and building pathology is vital in order to demonstrate your ability in building surveying practice. In our course, you will learn the core principles of practice related to contract administration, construction and environmental services, design and specification, inspection and legal and regulatory compliance.

Training in these key areas will furnish you with important knowledge and techniques for this multi-disciplined industry and will give you a practical skill set with which to implement key building surveying techniques.

Method of study

The course is designed to be flexible around your existing commitments and is structured to be completed within 8 months. The schedule allows 6 months to complete the modules and 2 months to complete your exam and any outstanding work. As guidance, you should aim to complete one module per month to stay on track.

Each module takes 10–15 hours and includes eLearning, reading, a case study, and a quiz. You also have access to consolidation sessions, where a tutor will guide you through the module, case study, and any challenging elements of the learning.

What support do you recieve?

During the course, you will have access to a course discussion forum. If you have any technical questions about the subject, don’t hesitate to post for support from our tutors.

Should you encounter any difficulties with the course materials, whether it is a technical or content-related issue, please contact the eLearning team: trainingpd@rics.org.

Tutor

Danny Medcalf FRICS

Danny has over 30 years of first class experience in a broad range of property, construction and management roles. In addition to his previous experience as a senior manager within a large national property holdings company, Danny also works in private practice. Danny is an RICS APC Chairman/Assessor for both Building Surveying and Project Management panels. Danny also lectures at Loughborough and Nottingham Trent Universities covering a wide range of property, construction and project management themes.

Learning outcomes

• Evaluate the different stages and process of design and construction works from inception to completion.
• Recognise the functional requirements and performance of building materials and components, including typical defects, causes of failure, likely results, and appropriate remedial measures.
• Identify the roles and responsibilities of the contract administrator and implement necessary procedures.
• Establish relevant requirements and techniques for carrying out property inspections.
• Recognise the legal/regulatory requirements for surveying, including regulations and guidance for health and safety.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the consequences of fire in a building.
• Interpret how fire is modified by the enclosure and how the impact may be controlled.
• Apply fire safety principles to practical situations so as to minimise the risk.

Please be aware that this is a professional training course designed to provide you with the practical knowledge you need to succeed in your career. It is not an accreditation and does not lead directly to RICS membership. If you are interested in becoming RICS qualified, please visit this page to find out more.