Terms and Conditions

1.1 Service Agreement

By booking any certification or verification service with Building Group Surveys ("we", "us", "our"), you ("the client", "you") agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. These terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Building Group Surveys Ltd.

1.2 Service Scope

Our services include but are not limited to:

• RICS Level 1, 2, and 3 Building Surveys
• Gas Safety Certificates (CP12)
• Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR)
• Emergency Lighting Test Certificates
• Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)
• Commercial Building Surveys
• Specialist structural and dampness surveys
• Emergency lighting logbook services

1.3 Professional Standards

All surveys and certifications are conducted by qualified professionals in accordance with relevant industry standards including RICS guidelines, Gas Safe regulations, and NICEIC standards where applicable.

2.1 Payment Required Before Service

All certifications and surveys must be paid in full before the service is booked and conducted. No survey or certification work will commence until payment has been received and cleared.

2.2 Payment Methods

We accept the following payment methods:

• Stripe Payment Processing: Credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets
• Bank Transfer: Direct bank transfers (BACS)
• PayPal: Secure PayPal payments
• Apple Pay / Google Pay: Mobile payment options

2.3 Pricing & VAT

All prices are quoted excluding VAT unless otherwise stated. VAT at the current rate (20%) will be added to all invoices. Prices are fixed at the time of booking and will not change once payment is confirmed.

2.4 Booking Confirmation

Once payment is received:

1. You will receive an immediate payment confirmation email
2. Our team will contact you within 2 hours (during business hours) to arrange the survey/certification date
3. A booking confirmation with surveyor details will be sent 24 hours before the appointment

3.1 Survey Standards

All building surveys are conducted in accordance with RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) standards and guidelines. Our surveyors are qualified and insured professionals.

3.2 Safety Certifications

Safety certifications including Gas Safety Certificates, EICR reports, and Emergency Lighting certificates are conducted by qualified engineers registered with appropriate bodies:

• Gas Safe: All gas work conducted by Gas Safe registered engineers
• NICEIC/NAPIT: Electrical work by qualified electrical engineers
• Emergency Lighting: BS 5266 compliant testing and certification

3.3 Report Delivery

Survey reports and certificates will be delivered within the following timeframes:

• Level 1 & 2 Surveys: Within 24 hours
• Level 3 Building Surveys: Within 48 hours
• Safety Certificates: Same day or within 24 hours
• Commercial Surveys: Within 48-72 hours depending on complexity

3.4 Certificate Validity

Certificates have the following validity periods:

• Gas Safety Certificates: 12 months
• EICR Certificates: 5 years (residential) / 1 year (commercial)
• Emergency Lighting: 12 months
• EPC Certificates: 10 years

4.1 Refund Policy

Refunds are generally not available once a survey or certification has been completed. However, refunds may be considered in the following circumstances:

• Service Not Provided: If we fail to provide the booked service through our fault
• Professional Error: If a significant error in our service is identified and cannot be rectified
• Cancellation by Us: If we need to cancel the service for reasons beyond your control

4.2 Cancellation Policy

Client Cancellations:

• More than 48 hours notice: Full refund minus 10% administration fee
• 24-48 hours notice: 50% refund
• Less than 24 hours notice: No refund
• No access on the day: No refund

4.3 Service Complaints Process

If you have any complaints about our service quality, survey accuracy, or any other service-related issues:

1. Contact Us Immediately: Visit our Contact Us page or email complaints@buildinggroupsurveys.com
2. Provide Details: Include your booking reference, date of service, and specific complaint details
3. Investigation: We will investigate all complaints within 5 working days
4. Resolution: We will propose a resolution within 10 working days

4.4 Dispute Resolution

If you are not satisfied with our complaint resolution, you may:

• Refer the matter to RICS for survey-related complaints
• Contact the relevant professional body for certification disputes
• Seek independent mediation through trading standards

5.1 Professional Indemnity Insurance

Building Group Surveys maintains comprehensive professional indemnity insurance:

• Coverage Amount: £2,000,000 per claim
• Insurer: Authorised UK insurance provider
• Coverage: Professional negligence, errors, and omissions

5.2 Public Liability Insurance

We maintain public liability insurance of £2,000,000 covering property damage and personal injury during our site visits.

5.3 Limitation of Liability

Our liability is limited to:

• The value of the service fee paid
• Direct losses arising from proven negligence
• Claims made within 6 years of the service date

5.4 Exclusions

We are not liable for:

• Consequential or indirect losses
• Loss of profits or business opportunities
• Defects that develop after the survey date
• Areas of property not accessible during the survey
• Issues outside the scope of the specific service booked

6.1 Data Collection

We collect and process personal data in accordance with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. Data collected includes:

• Contact information (name, email, phone)
• Property address and details
• Payment information (processed securely via Stripe)
• Survey findings and reports

6.2 Data Usage

Your data is used for:

• Providing the requested survey or certification service
• Processing payments and maintaining financial records
• Communicating about your service
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Improving our services (anonymised data only)

6.3 Data Retention

We retain data for:

• Survey reports: 15 years (professional requirements)
• Safety certificates: 10 years (regulatory requirements)
• Financial records: 7 years (HMRC requirements)
• Contact information: Until you request deletion

6.4 Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Rectify inaccurate data
• Request data deletion (subject to legal obligations)
• Data portability
• Object to processing

6.5 Contact for Data Matters

For data protection queries, contact: privacy@buildinggroupsurveys.com

7.1 Governing Law

These terms are governed by English and Welsh law and any disputes will be subject to the jurisdiction of the English courts.

7.2 Changes to Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated to existing clients. Continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of updated terms.

7.3 Severability

If any part of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force.

7.4 Entire Agreement

These terms, together with our privacy policy and any specific service agreements, constitute the entire agreement between us.

7.5 Company Information

Building Group Surveys Ltd
Company Registration: [Company Number]
Registered Address: [Full Address]
VAT Number: [VAT Number]
Professional Memberships: RICS, Gas Safe, NICEIC