Building Surveying

Building Surveying is the professional discipline concerned with the technical inspection, assessment, and management of buildings. Building surveyors advise clients on the condition of properties, plan and oversee maintenance and repair programmes, manage refurbishment and renovation projects, and ensure that buildings meet legal, regulatory, and safety requirements. It is a practical, problem-solving profession that requires detailed technical knowledge of construction, materials, and building pathology alongside the project management and client communication skills that professional practice demands.

At Edinburgh Napier University, this four-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year with work placement opportunities and a year abroad, giving you structured professional experience and an international dimension before graduation. You will study building construction and technology, structural principles, building pathology and defects diagnosis, contract law and procurement, property legislation, and the practical skills of surveying and reporting. The Edinburgh context places you in a city with a rich architectural heritage and a dynamic built environment sector, and the university's professional networks support access to industry placements.

Building Surveying graduates typically pursue the professional qualification route of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, most commonly in the building surveying pathway. Achieving chartered status opens the full range of professional opportunities in the built environment sector. Private practice surveying firms, local authorities, housing associations, property management companies, contractors, and government agencies all employ building surveyors.

The range of work is genuinely varied, encompassing residential and commercial property, heritage buildings, and new construction. The sandwich year and year abroad give graduates both practical experience and an international perspective. Postgraduate study in building surveying, construction law, or project management is available for those who want to specialise further.