Guidance notes
Guidance notes provide advice to practitioners on all aspects of the profession. Where procedures are recommended for specific professional tasks, these documents are intended to embody 'best practice'.
All practitioners must inform themselves of new and updated guidance notes within a reasonable time of their promulgation in order to remain professionally competent. When an allegation of professional negligence is made against a surveyor, the court is likely to take into account any relevant guidance notes published by RICS in deciding whether or not the surveyor acted with reasonable competence.
RICS members can freely download PDF versions of our guidance notes. Hard copies of all RICS professional guidance publications can be bought from the RICS Shop.
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Project management
Guidance note 22 Apr 2013
Provides practical guidance to those involved in the commissioning or procurement of project management services, as well as RICS members undertaking the role of project manager in relation to building works contracts.
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Building materials & defects
Guidance note 01 Oct 2011
Written as a starting point in the subject, this note provides guidance on the dangers of asbestos to health and business, protecting professional indemnity (PI) insurance, complying with legislation, and implementing an effective management plan.
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Auctioneering
Guidance note 02 Feb 2009
Through exploring some of the principal issues, this note provides guidance to members who intend to conduct public auctions of plant and machinery, whether live on site or online.
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Auctioneering
Guidance note 01 Mar 2013
A best practice guide for the auction practitioner, this publication also offers guidance on what buyers and sellers can expect from their auctioneer.
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Building surveying
Guidance note 30 Aug 2016
Provides an accessible introduction to level 2 BIM, highlighting the important implications and considerations for building surveyors.
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Project management
Guidance note 11 Aug 2015
This guidance note should be used as a source of reference for quantity surveyors (QS) or cost managers when BIM has been implemented in the life cycle of a project.
It offers an awareness of BIM and provides readers with recommendations for good practice when producing measurement outputs.
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Geomatics
Guidance note 18 Mar 2014
The physical extent of property ownership and rights of use are basic attributes of land and buildings and are capable of being evaluated by property professionals. Uncertainty of the extent of ownership and its associated rights affects the physical use and rights to repair, maintain, gain access to and obtain value of the land.
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Building surveying
Guidance note 01 May 2008
A form to use with the RICS Standard form of consultant's appointment and RICS Short form of consultant's appointment.
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Building surveying
Guidance note 01 Jan 2008
A form to use with the RICS Scotland Standard form of consultant's appointment and RICS Scotland Short form of consultant's appointment.
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Building surveying
Guidance note 17 Nov 2010
Written to apply to England and Wales, though with relevance elsewhere, this note provides guidance for surveyors on conducting commercial and industrial property surveys.
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Valuation
Guidance note 17 Dec 2010
Written in relation to property in England and Wales, this note offers detailed guidance on the capital and rental valuation of public houses, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
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Project management
Guidance note 01 May 2008
A construction design and management (CDM) form to use with the RICS Standard form of consultant's appointment and RICS Short form of consultant's appointment.
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Project management
Guidance note 01 May 2008
A construction design and management (CDM) form to use with the RICS Scotland Standard form of consultant's appointment and RICS Scotland Short form of consultant's appointment.
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Commercial property
Guidance note 07 Oct 2011
This guidance note details best practice in the management of commercial property, with particular emphasis on how the person(s) in control of a building should manage, communicate and control income and expenditure.
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Commercial property
Guidance note 27 Mar 2015
This guidance note covers commercial multi-let property where there is a service charge. It deals with the handover of financial and supplier information between owners and/ or managers.
Superseding the previous information paper of the same name (published in 2011), this guidance note is aimed at property owners and managers and their legal advisers. Its intention is to set out a series of procedures which will apply during any handover period in order to improve the quality of service to the industry’s customers.
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Dispute resolution
Guidance note 07 Jul 2016
The purpose of this guidance note is to provide residential surveyors and valuers with information to assist in handling complaints and direct them towards more detailed guidance from RICS.
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Dispute resolution
Guidance note 04 May 2016
Covers the appointment of surveyors as arbitrators, independent experts, mediators, adjudicators, and other dispute resolvers.
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Environment
Guidance note 07 Apr 2010
Intended to assist surveyors of all levels of expertise, this note provides guidance on advising clients as to how environmental and sustainability issues impact upon all aspects of land, property and construction.
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Building surveying
Guidance note 15 Apr 2011
This note offers practical guidance for members in England and Wales who undertake the role of contract administrator.
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Quantity surveying & construction
Guidance note 02 Mar 2015
This guidance note sets out the principles of cost reporting from the perspective of the quantity surveyor to the client during construction. This guidance note explains the purpose of cost reporting, the factors affecting outturn cost and explores the different formats and types of cost report.
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Right to light
Guidance note 18 Oct 2012
Focuses on the daylight, sunlight and shading encountered in the design, planning and environmental impact assessment of developments.
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Building surveying
Guidance note 17 Jun 2013
Provides professional practitioners with best practice guidance relevant to the tasks and processes of design and specification for small to medium-size construction projects.
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Project management
Guidance note 12 Aug 2009
Covering the stages of a project from inception to commencement on site, this note offers best practice guidance for property professionals involved in development management of construction projects.
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Commercial property
Guidance note 01 Sep 2016
This guidance note seeks to advise members on the factors they should take into consideration when producing Schedules of Dilapidations, Quantified Demands, Responses, Scott Schedules and Diminution Valuations for reference to or use by the client, the other party to the lease, third parties and tribunals.
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Dilapidations
Guidance note 13 Jan 2011
Provides practical guidance to RICS members on the skills and approach required when instructed in connection with dilapidations matters in Scotland.