Using Technology in 2026 Building Surveys Without Breaching RICS and CPR Expectations: Photos, Video Walkthroughs and Site Data
Fewer than one in five building surveyors reported using drone footage as standard practice five years ago. In 2026, that figure has shifted dramatically, and with it comes a new layer of professional responsibility. Using technology in 2026 building surveys without breaching RICS and CPR expectations around photos, video walkthroughs and site data is no […]
Building Surveyor Guide to Drone Inspections in Party Wall Matters: 2026 RICS Tech Standards
Fewer than one in three party wall surveyors in the UK had direct experience using drone technology in their practice as recently as 2022 — yet by 2026, drone-assisted inspection has become a defining competency in RICS-regulated party wall work. The shift is not merely technological. It reflects a fundamental change in how surveyors gather […]
How RICS’ new Responsible Use of AI standard will reshape building surveys and valuation reports
From 9 March 2026, every RICS member and RICS-regulated firm worldwide became subject to the first global mandatory professional standard on artificial intelligence in surveying. The question of how RICS' new Responsible Use of AI standard will reshape building surveys and valuation reports is no longer theoretical — it is a live compliance obligation that […]
Six Key Surveying Trends for 2026: Accelerating Digital Transformation
By 2026, the global geospatial and surveying market is projected to surpass $14 billion, driven almost entirely by the rapid adoption of digital tools that would have seemed futuristic just a decade ago. The profession is not simply evolving — it is being fundamentally rebuilt from the ground up. Understanding the Six Key Surveying Trends […]
RICS Home Survey Standard 3rd Edition 2026: Critical Updates for Building Surveyors and Valuation Accuracy
Only one in five UK homebuyers commissions a survey before completing a property purchase — a stubbornly low figure that has frustrated regulators and industry bodies for years [9]. Against this backdrop, the RICS Home Survey Standard 3rd Edition 2026: Critical Updates for Building Surveyors and Valuation Accuracy arrives as the most significant overhaul of […]
AI Ethics in Expert Witness Reports: RICS 2026 Standards for Admissible Building Pathology Evidence
Two court cases collapsed in 2025 because AI-generated expert reports cited legal precedents that did not exist. Dame Victoria Sharp, President of the King's Bench Division of the High Court, publicly flagged these failures on 6 June 2025 as a direct warning to the surveying and legal professions [1]. For building pathology experts, the message […]
AI in Surveying Practice: RICS Professional Standard Implementation Guide for 2026
On 9 March 2026, a deadline passed that every RICS member and regulated firm worldwide was required to meet: full mandatory compliance with the world's first professional standard governing the responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying. No grace period. No opt-out. Just a clear, enforceable expectation that AI tools used in surveying services must […]
