Survey and conveyancing quote comparison

Compare quotations that cover the same service

A short headline price can conceal a different level of work. The survey and conveyancing quote comparison helps you put written quotations into a common table while keeping scope and exclusions visible. Choose either survey or conveyancing for a comparison; a survey checks different things from the legal work in a property transaction.

Give each provider a name and describe the service you are actually comparing. For a survey, record the quoted level and whether a valuation or additional investigation is included. For conveyancing, describe the sale or purchase and any property features affecting the quote. The tool does not decide that two services are equivalent just because both rows have a total.

How the payable total is worked out

The calculator starts with the entered professional fee. If the quote excludes VAT, it applies the VAT percentage you enter to that fee. If the price is VAT-inclusive or the provider is marked not registered, it does not add VAT again. Confirm the treatment from the quotation instead of assuming a particular rate or status.

Disbursements are added unless you tick that they are already included in the fee. Other quoted extras are entered as VAT-inclusive amounts and are added once. This design means the disbursement input should be the final amount to add, with any applicable tax already accounted for in the written quote; the tool does not independently calculate tax on each third-party item.

The output lists provider, scope, total entered and your terms note. It does not automatically choose a winner, judge professional quality or verify whether an excluded service is needed. A missing line in the quote should become a question for the provider, not a confidently entered zero.

Worked example: normalising two legal quotes

For a hypothetical conveyancing quote, Provider A states a £1,000 professional fee excluding VAT, with an entered VAT rate of 20%. Disbursements are £300 and are not included, while quoted VAT-inclusive extras are £60. The result is £1,000 × 1.20 + £300 + £60 = £1,560.

Provider B quotes £1,450 inclusive of VAT and already including the relevant disbursements, plus £80 of extras. Tick that disbursements are included so they are not added a second time. The total is £1,530. B is £30 lower on the entered figures, but the scopes, exclusions and abortive-transaction terms still need comparison. These invented quotes are calculation examples, not market offers.

Typical cost context and its limits

As a broad starting point, MoneyHelper’s buying and moving costs guide gives a homebuyer survey range of £400–£1,500 and describes legal fees around £2,000 including VAT. This source was checked on 29 October 2026. These general figures are not a quote for your home, transaction or service level, and they should not replace the written prices used above.

Property age, condition, complexity, tenure, location and service scope can affect what work is required. The survey appropriate for a particular property is a different question from the cheapest fee. In Scotland, check how the Home Report relates to the information you have and any further advice or work you need; do not assume the same starting documents apply everywhere.

Questions that improve the comparison

Ask what the price includes, which circumstances trigger extras, what happens if the transaction stops and when payment is due. Clarify searches, transfers, lender-related work and property-specific supplements where relevant. If you commission more than one service, keep separate comparisons and budget lines.

Once a quote is understood, enter the selected amount in the moving budget. Track the appointment or legal milestone in the property chain planner and keep the original quotation, scope and acceptance terms with your own documents.

How to use this tool

1. Choose one service category. Compare surveys with surveys or conveyancing with conveyancing. Write a clear scope for every row so a lower total does not hide a materially different service.

1. Normalise the amounts. Copy the professional fee and VAT treatment, then check whether disbursements are included. Enter extras with their applicable VAT already included as the form requests.

1. Resolve exclusions. Read the totals beside scope and cancellation terms. Ask the provider about unpriced or conditional work before treating the result as the amount you will actually pay.

Frequently asked questions

Does the calculator apply VAT to every line?

No. It applies your entered rate to the professional fee when marked VAT-exclusive. Disbursements and extras are added as entered, so use their final quoted payable amounts.

Can I compare different survey levels?

You can record them, but they remain different scopes of work. A lower price for a less extensive service does not establish equivalent coverage or suitability for the property.

What if disbursements are already included?

Tick the included box. The calculator then excludes the separate disbursement figure from the addition, preventing it being counted twice while preserving your understanding of the quote.