Guidance

Commissioning a condition survey for school and college buildings

How schools, colleges or their responsible bodies should commission a condition survey and what surveyors should include in the report.

From:
Department for Education
Published
25 February 2026

Applies to England

Documents

Condition surveys for school and college buildings: guidance for responsible bodies

HTML

Standard condition survey template

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 64.9 KB

Details

Condition surveys help schools, colleges and their responsible bodies understand the physical state of their buildings and estate. They help make decisions about:

  • maintenance
  • investment
  • long‑term estate planning

This guidance explains:

  • what a condition survey and report should include
  • how often to commission surveys
  • what a standard condition survey covers
  • how to prepare an effective client brief
  • what to expect from survey outputs and cost estimates

Updates to this page

Published 25 February 2026

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