Services

Matthew Sears, Building Surveying and Design is pleased to offer the following services. Our area of work is centered around our offices in Dorking, Surrey, and extends into London, Sussex, Kent, and Hampshire.

We work regularly with Mole Valley District, Reigate & Banstead Borough, Guildford Borough, Waverley Borough, Elmbridge Borough, Epsom and Ewell Borough, Horsham District, and Crawley Borough Councils.

Please contact us to discuss your requirements.


Example architectural drawings
Example architectural drawings
Example architectural drawings
External view of a single-storey extension
Roof light over single-storey extension
New kitchen installation
Roof strengthening works
Porch and two-storey extension
Raking out cracks from building movement
Completed chimney repairs
Basement conversion
Works to repair a roof verge
Completed repairs to chimneys

Architectural Drawings

From sketches of projects, to full working drawings of extensions, new buildings and remodelling: we can provide quality drawings to put your ideas and dreams onto the screen:

  • Feasibility studies and estimates of building costs.
  • New buildings of all types.
  • Extensions and alterations.
  • Loft conversions
  • Barn conversions.
  • Maintenance and refurbishment of all building types.
  • Restoration and extension of period properties, including Listed buildings.

Planning & Building Regulations

If it needs permission, whether under Town and Country Planning, Listed Building, or Building Regulations, we can submit and negotiate your applications to guide you through the legislation process:

  • Town & Country Planning applications, including Listed Building and Conservation Area Consent applications.
  • Building Regulations applications and Building Notices, in partnership with Southern Building Control Partnership.
  • Advice on, and submission of Town & Country Planning Appeals.
  • Certificate of Lawful Existing Use applications.
  • Advice on Health and Safety Regulations, including acting as Principal Designer under the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015.

Party Wall etc. Act 1996

If you're building close to a boundary, or if a neighbour is intending to work close to your boundary, we can provide a full service as Building/Adjoining Owners' Surveyor or as Agreed Surveyor:

  • Serving notice to build on a line of junction or to work on a party structure.
  • Serving notice of adjacent excavation within three metres or six metres.
  • Acting as Building Owner's Surveyor to agree a Party Wall Award for your building project.
  • Acting as Adjoining Owner's Surveyor to agree a Party Wall Award for your neighbour's building project.
  • Acting as Agreed Surveyor, to prepare an Award for your, or your neighbour's, building project.
  • Preparing a condition survey of the Adjoining Owner's property, prior to building works starting, and checking it off after completion.

Building Surveys

Whether you need a Building Survey of a new house, a Condition Survey of an property you already own, or a specific building defect put right, we can give you a prompt, professional survey and report:

  • House Purchase Reports and Building Surveys of all property types.
  • Condition surveys of existing property portfolio stocks.
  • Measured surveys of land and buildings.
  • Diagnosis of building defects including subsidence and dampness, and specification of remedial works.

Specification and Tender

To make sure your builders' quotes are as comparable as possible, we can put together a specification for your project, with the finishings, fixtures and fittings you have selected, to help you compare the prices you receive:

  • Specification of building or repair works.
  • Advice on suppliers for kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, etc.
  • Seeking competitive tenders from local builders suited to the project.
  • Analysis of tenders received.

Contract Administration

Once you have your price and your builder, we can administer the contract on site, using industry standard contracts, to give you peace of mind:

  • Regular site inspections of work in progress.
  • Site meetings with clients, builders, Building Control, Planning, and other consultants as necessary during the works.
  • Valuation of work completed, so you only pay for the work that's been done.
  • Valuation of variations and changes of instruction, to avoid overpaying for "extras".
  • Pre-handover snagging of works.
  • Inspection of contract defects at the end of the Rectification Period (usually twelve months from completion).
  • Monitoring of work in progress for mortgagees, on behalf of mortgage lenders.
  • Or, if you prefer, ad-hoc visits to site as needed.

Insurance and Legal Matters

If something goes wrong with your property, we can help:

  • Calculation of building replacement values for insurance purposes.
  • Negotiation of insurance claims for fire, storm and structural damage etc., and co-ordination of reinstatement work.
  • Providing services as Expert Witness in court, on construction and property disputes.


Please contact us to discuss your requirements.