Surveyors in Spain: who does a property survey and what it covers

Who are the surveyors in Spain?

In the UK you would call a RICS surveyor. In Spain the job is done by building professionals who are also allowed to sign off works and licences:

• Arquitecto técnico / aparejador: a building engineer specialising in construction, materials and defects. The usual choice for a pre-purchase inspection. Each belongs to a regional professional college (Colegio de Aparejadores y Arquitectos Técnicos), coordinated nationally by the CGATE.
• Arquitecto: an architect. Needed when you plan major works or a new build, and useful on complex or historic buildings.
• Ingeniero técnico agrícola or topógrafo: for farms and land, boundaries and surveys of plot area.

Membership of a college means the person is qualified and carries professional liability insurance. Ask for their college number. Some British chartered surveyors practise in Spain too; they can be very good at defects, but only a Spanish-qualified professional can sign planning documents.

What a building survey in Spain covers

There's no standard format like the RICS HomeBuyer Report, so agree the scope in writing. A good building survey in Spain typically looks at:

• Structure: cracks, movement, subsidence, beams, and any signs of weak foundations on clay soils.
• Damp: rising damp, leaks, condensation. Common in coastal flats and old stone houses.
• Roof and terraces: waterproofing is the most frequent defect in Spanish homes.
• Services: electrics (old installations may need a new certificate), plumbing, drainage and septic tanks.
• Pools: leaks and structure.
• What was built vs what is licensed: extensions, closed-in terraces or extra rooms not on the plans or the catastro. This is a legal risk as well as a building one.
• Common parts in a flat: facade, roof, lifts, and any building inspection the council requires for older blocks.

Optional extras include damp meters, thermal cameras, drain cameras and a measured survey. For a country house, add a boundary check against the catastro map.

Property survey vs tasación

A tasación can flag an unlicensed extension (the valuer may exclude it from the value), but it won't tell you the roof leaks. If you're borrowing, see our Spanish mortgage guide.

Questions to ask a surveyor before you hire them

• Are you a member of a professional college, and what is your number? You can check with the regional college.
• Do you have professional liability insurance? College members normally do. Ask for the insurer's name.
• Who do you work for? Avoid anyone recommended only by the selling agent, or who is doing other work for the seller.
• What exactly will the report cover? Get the list of items and tests in the quote, so you can compare like with like.
• Will you check the building against the plans and the catastro? Unlicensed extensions are one of the most expensive surprises in Spain.
• Will you give repair cost estimates? A defect without a price is hard to negotiate with.
• How soon will I get the report, and in what language? Deposit deadlines are short. A report in Spanish only is little use if you can't read it.

Be there during the inspection if you can. Seeing the problems explained on site is often clearer than any report, and you can ask about renovation ideas at the same time.

Common defects found in Spanish homes

Surveyors report the same problems again and again. On the coast: failed waterproofing on flat roofs and terraces, corroded steel in concrete near the sea, and condensation in closed-up holiday flats. Inland: cracks from clay soils that swell and shrink, old wiring, and damp in stone walls. In country houses: septic tanks that don't meet current rules, private water supplies, and rooms or porches added without a licence. Knowing these helps you read a report and decide which defects are routine and which are deal-breakers.

Typical costs

There are no official fee scales for surveys in Spain; prices are set by the market. As a rough guide, and labelled as typical market figures only:

A report in English, travel to rural areas and tests add to the price. Compare that with the cost of redoing a roof terrace or fixing damp. Add it to your budget next to the other costs of buying property in Spain.

New builds: surveys and legal guarantees

New homes carry guarantees under the building law (LOE): builders and other agents are liable for structural defects for ten years, habitability defects for three, and finishing defects for one. The ten-year cover must be backed by insurance for homes. A snagging inspection before you accept the keys is still worthwhile: it's easier to get defects fixed before you pay the final amount than after.

When to get a survey

Book it after your offer is accepted and before you sign the arras contract. If the seller won't wait, write in a condition that the deposit is returned if the survey finds serious defects. Surveys matter most for homes over 20–30 years old, rural properties, homes with extensions, and anything you plan to renovate. See where it fits in our buying guide and our list of pitfalls when buying in Spain.

For the legal side, you can enter the address or referencia catastral in our free property check and we'll reply by email.