A practical guide / Surveyors
How can quantity and building surveyors use AI?
Use AI to build source logs, draft report sections from checked notes and track scope changes. Choose a task that suits the job: a cost summary for quantity surveying, or a condition report section for building surveying.
The plans below link each statement to the records behind it. They include headings for both kinds of work. RICS’s AI standard sets rules for uses that have a material effect on surveying services. The final section links to that standard.
Use the report promptCarry sources and scope through to the issued report.
Create a source log before drafting the report
Give each source a reference, date, revision, place and purpose. For quantity surveying, include the relevant drawing, take-off sheet, quote or cost record. For building surveying, use site notes, photos, documents given and noted access limits.
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Ask the assistant to group sources by report section and flag unclear links. Use the log to build the pack for each section. Note what each source supports. A photo might show where staining is visible. A site note records what the surveyor saw there.
Use the right headings for the brief
For a building report draft, try element, observation, place, source, noted limit, surveyor’s view and next step. Supply the view from your checked notes. RICS’s home survey resources distinguish survey scopes and report levels for residential work. Match the draft to the service you have agreed.
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For a cost summary, use cost heading, current figure, change from the last issue, source and decision needed. RICS’s NRM guidance sets measurement rules for cost work. Where NRM applies, keep the item references and units from your cost records. Carry those through each draft of the summary.
Read the source: RICS: home surveys and inspection scopes; RICS: New Rules of Measurement
Track scope changes as a separate record
Create a change entry with request ID, previous scope, revised scope, date, affected document, cost position and decision owner. Ask AI to prepare a change summary from the versions you supply. Keep the source request attached to the entry.
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For cost work, use the change summary to prepare questions about the revised figure. For building surveys, use it to confirm a change in the agreed service or a request for more checks. Record acceptance and any change to the report due. That gives the next surveyor a clear handover.
Worked example
Draft a roof section from checked observations
Example with made-up details: “Rear roof slope viewed from garden; displaced tile near right verge; photo R06; roof void not accessed.” The surveyor has also given a view and a recommendation for further checks.
The draft should state the viewing position, the observed tile and the access limit. It should carry the surveyor’s view into a separate paragraph and link the recommendation to the surveyor’s note. A suitable opening is: “From the garden, a displaced tile was visible near the right verge of the rear roof slope.” Keep the limit beside that observation so the report reflects the site visit.
Illustrative example.
Source pack
Record dates, revisions and limitations.
Report draft
Use headings matched to the instruction.
Change record
Trace the revised scope and response.
Try a practical task
Prepare a report section with a source trail
Add a sample brief and checked notes, then select the report type you need.
Try this in your AI app
ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
CodexUsing Gemini? The button copies the prompt. Paste it into the new chat.
Assist with drafting a surveying report section. First state whether the given brief concerns quantity surveying or building condition work. Use the agreed scope and report headings in the brief.
For condition work, separate observation, access limit, surveyor’s view and recommended action. For cost work, separate the current figure, the recorded change and the explanation given by the surveyor. Keep units, dates and document revisions.
Attach a source link to every factual draft statement. List unsupported points as questions. After the section, prepare a scope change note only if the material contains a changed brief. Use only the surveyor’s supplied diagnosis, valuation and cost assumptions.
Make revisions easier to hand over
Use a section register showing author, draft date, source pack and current version. When a note changes, ask for a summary of affected paragraphs and references. Let the responsible surveyor decide which sections need updating.
Keep an explicit route from the client question to the source and the issued response. If the client requests further checks, record its scope and the report date. For an initial exercise, choose a report you have already issued and compare one draft section with the source pack. Focus on whether a colleague can trace the wording without extra explanation.
Apply RICS oversight to material AI use
RICS’s responsible AI standard took effect on 9 March 2026. It covers AI uses that have a material effect on surveying services and addresses data controls, reliability and client communication. Check the standard against the use you propose and record the firm’s decision.
Use approved systems for client details and verify source links before issue. The responsible surveyor retains the judgement about condition, value, cost and the scope of advice. Agree any extra service through the normal appointment process. A draft should reflect the site visit and records available, with limits carried through to the final wording.
Read the source: RICS: responsible use of AI in surveying practice
Questions about this task
Should quantity and building surveyors use the same prompt?
Keep a shared source log if helpful, but use headings suited to the brief. Cost summaries and condition reporting need different inputs and decisions.
What should we do with a new drawing revision?
Add it to the source log, flag the affected scope and ask the responsible surveyor which report sections or cost records need revision.