In April 2025 RICS issued new editions of its Standard Form and Short Form of Consultant’s Appointment for England and Wales, with explanatory notes. For clients, the forms are worth understanding, because they decide exactly what a surveyor has agreed to do.
Three forms
- Standard Form. For larger or more complex projects, with fuller provisions.
- Short Form. For smaller projects, in a shorter and simpler form.
- Short Form for Designated Services. For specific services such as dilapidations, technical due diligence, reinstatement cost assessments and neighbourly matters including party walls.
The service schedules
Each form is used with a schedule of services published by RICS: for example Building Surveyor Services, Contract Administration Services, Dilapidations Services and Neighbourly Matters Services. The services ticked in the schedule are the basic services included in the fee. Anything not ticked is an additional service if it is needed later.
Why it matters
Most disputes between clients and consultants come down to what was included. A clear appointment, with the right schedule and the right boxes ticked, avoids that. It also makes clear the difference between roles that sound similar. For example, RICS “Project Manager Services” is a specific, narrow role, while Building Surveyor Services covers the end to end management of a smaller project, from design and specification through tender and contract administration.
How we use it
When we confirm an instruction, we name the RICS form and service schedule it falls under, so you can see what is included before work starts. See our services, starting with Contract Administration.