Desktop or on-site?
For a straightforward property with reliable records, a desktop reinstatement cost assessment may be suitable; for a listed, altered, non-standard or otherwise complex building, the published provider guidance favours an inspection.[2][4][5] 
An RCA establishes the hypothetical like-for-like cost of replacing and reconstructing a property from scratch. The RICS definition includes demolition, site clearance and professional fees, with reconstruction complying with modern building regulations while broadly retaining the existing exterior and standard of interior fit-out.[3]
- Consider desktop where accurate records establish the property’s dimensions, construction, condition, alterations and unusual features.[2]
- Consider on-site where physical details could materially affect the calculation. RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com recommends inspection for complex properties, while BTG Eddisons offers site work for listed and specialist buildings.[2][4]
- For commercial premises, consider on-site where separate buildings, plant, machinery or contents need to be recorded. BTG Eddisons assesses each building separately and prepares relevant schedules during its visit.[4]
Blackacre says desktop assessments cannot account fully for site conditions and fall outside the RICS professional standard.[5] That is the vendor’s reading; the RICS standard itself describes how information should be collected, processed, calculated and submitted, so ask any desktop provider which parts of it the report follows.[1]
Named UK services compared
RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com desktop
Assessment method: A remote assessment using client-supplied property details and documents with data, formulas, technology and assessor expertise. Inputs may include location, size, construction, condition, unusual features and plans.[2]
Property or geographic fit: The provider presents this as a lower-cost option where the property is sufficiently straightforward not to require an inspection.[2]
Service limitations: The provider recommends an on-site assessment for complex properties. Ask for a sample report and its terms on permitted users and liability.[2]
RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com on-site
Assessment method: A physical property visit supported by professional staff, technology and cost data. The provider states that it is regulated by RICS.[2]
Property or geographic fit: The provider recommends this route for complex properties.[2]
Service limitations: Confirm the inspection scope, report date, reliance rights and liability terms in the quotation.[2]
BTG Eddisons
Assessment method: A qualified surveyor visits every building, assesses each separately and prepares schedules for the buildings and principal plant, machinery or contents. Office research uses BCIS data and information from manufacturers, agents and other specialist sources.[4]
Property or geographic fit: The service covers individual commercial buildings and portfolios, including factories, offices, educational premises, listed buildings and specialist structures. Its scope can extend to plant, machinery and contents.[4]
Service limitations: Unique structures may require external industry experts, which can affect timing and cost.[4]
Barnes & Barnes
Assessment method: A detailed property inspection by RICS-registered or chartered surveyors.[6]
Property or geographic fit: An independent site-assessment service for residential property owners in London.[6]
Service limitations: Coverage is limited to London, including Central, South East, South West and North London.[6]
Blackacre Surveyors
Assessment method: The vendor page describes document review followed by an inspection, measurement of Gross Internal Floor Area and a BCIS-based calculation adjusted for construction, location and specification.[5]
Property or geographic fit: The page presents the service for residential, commercial and listed properties across London, Surrey and Sussex, particularly pre-war, altered, high-value and non-standard buildings.[5]
Service limitations: Access and complexity affect the work, while some buildings may require existing measured-survey information or 3D laser scanning. These are vendor-described methods; confirm the actual inspection and contract scope.[5]
What the published scopes include
- RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com: Its assessment considers factors including location, size, construction, condition, materials, regulations, inflation and unusual features.[2]
- BTG Eddisons: The calculation includes demolition, professional fees, statutory-authority fees and relevant legislation. Building-by-building reporting is intended to help brokers analyse values at risk and estimated maximum losses.[4]
- Barnes & Barnes: Its stated rebuild calculation covers demolition, clearance, materials, labour and professional fees. Ask whether plant, contents and a reinstatement period are included.[6]
- Blackacre Surveyors: Its page describes a rounded recommended declared value, property description, inclusions and exclusions, a recommended reinstatement period and confirmation that the figure is unrelated to market value.[5]
Ask each provider to mark the following as included, excluded or property-dependent:
- demolition and site clearance;
- professional and statutory-authority fees;
- VAT treatment and external works;
- separate buildings;
- plant, machinery and contents;
- assumptions and exclusions;
- the reinstatement period; and
- the recommended declared value.
Request a sample report and make the agreed deliverables part of the written quotation or terms of engagement.
Can you compare prices?
Prices cannot be compared reliably from published material: RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com, BTG Eddisons and Barnes & Barnes require a quotation.[2][4][6]
Blackacre publishes indicative fee ranges, but a dated property-specific quotation is still required. The figures describe that vendor’s webpage; they do not establish typical prices across the UK.[5]
For a like-for-like comparison, give each provider the same property information and ask for a written price covering the same assessment method, calculation scope, report deliverables, intended users and reliance permissions.
Check report reliance and contract terms
The provider pages reviewed do not set out reliance or liability terms, so ask for these points before appointing a provider:
- Parties and purpose: Identify the commissioning client, property owner and intended recipients, including any insurer, lender, broker or managing agent. State whether the report is for insurance, mortgage or lease purposes.
- Sharing and reliance: Confirm who may receive and rely on the report. If another party needs reliance, ask whether this can be assigned or provided through a separate letter and at what cost.
- Asset scope: For portfolios, confirm whether the report gives a figure for each building. Establish whether plant, machinery and contents are included in the assessed value or appear only in supporting schedules.
- Professional indemnity and liability: Request the cover limit, relevant exclusions, liability caps and third-party disclaimers.
- Timing and payment: Confirm inspection and report dates, quotation validity, VAT and expenses, payment milestones and charges for additional work.
- Changes and problems: Obtain the cancellation, rescheduling and refund terms, along with the complaints process and arrangements for correcting factual errors.
How to compare assessment proposals
- Describe the property. List each building’s use, construction, age, listed status, alterations, unusual features and separate structures. Identify any plant, machinery or contents to be assessed and provide available plans or other relevant documents.[2][4][5]
- Choose the evidence route. Ask whether the necessary characteristics can be established from photographs, plans and records. Complex or non-standard buildings and commercial assets may justify inspection and specialist input.[2][4][5]
- Issue one scope. Require every provider to confirm what it will inspect or assume, the inclusions and exclusions, the reinstatement period and whether the report will recommend a declared value.[5]
- Check credentials and method. Ask who will undertake the work, which professional standard will be followed and how the figure will be calculated. The relevant RICS document, Reinstatement Cost Assessment of Buildings (3rd edition), was first published in 2018 as a guidance note and reissued in June 2024 as a professional standard; RICS says the regulatory requirements remain the same and no material changes were made.[1] Ask the provider to confirm it follows this professional standard.
- Compare risk before price. Assess the method, property fit, omissions, reliance rights and contractual protection before comparing quotations.
Use the declared value for its stated purpose
Reinstatement cost is not market value. Market value reflects factors such as land, location and demand, while reinstatement cost concerns the expense of rebuilding.[5][6]
Check that the report itemises the assessed rebuilding costs for every building and asset commissioned, and review the stated assumptions, inclusions and exclusions. BTG Eddisons and Blackacre explain that where a Condition of Average or Average Clause applies, underinsurance may lead to a claim being reduced proportionally, leaving the policyholder to meet the shortfall.[4][5] References
