Pre-purchase surveys
From £15 per foot
Minimum survey charge: £300
Guide pricing for GRP, wood, steel and aluminium construction. Final quotations depend on vessel size, age, construction, location, access and the scope required.
Other surveying services
- Insurance / condition surveys — price on request
- Hull & structural inspections — price on request
- Specific defect or damage inspections — price on request
- Repair & engineering assessments — price on request
- Repair estimates can be arranged where required
An informal chat first
All prices are guide prices and are subject to a pre-arranged informal chat with Jon. We will discuss the boat, its location, construction and the survey required. A final price will be agreed before any survey work begins.
Based in Bristol and Minehead, so surveys on home ground carry little or no travel charge — see areas covered. UK and international surveys are available; travel, accommodation where needed, lifting, haul-out, dry-dock, marina and boatyard charges are additional.
What is not included in the survey fee
These are set by the boatyard or a third party and are payable separately, normally directly to them. Being clear about them up front means no surprises.
- Lifting out, holding ashore and relaunching — typically £150–£500 in the UK depending on the yard and the vessel's tonnage
- Pressure-washing the hull — typically £40–£120, and best done immediately after lifting while growth is still soft
- Travel and, where an overnight stay is unavoidable, accommodation — quoted honestly by distance; little or none for Bristol and West Somerset
- Dry-dock, marina and boatyard charges
- A separate engine survey by a marine engineer, if internal engine health matters to you — typically £250–£600
- Sea trial attendance, where the vendor permits one
- Rig climbing or masthead inspection, which needs the rig out or a climb
There is a full breakdown of what a UK survey actually costs all-in, with worked examples by vessel size, in how much does a boat survey cost in the UK?