REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS. NO STAKE IN THE REPAIR.

For insurers, warranty providers and legal advisers.

Independent damp and defect causation surveys. Jonathan Durndell MRICS. Site inspection typically within 5 working days — urgent instructions prioritised. Report within 3 working days of inspection.

I never sell or carry out remedial works, so your claim or case decision rests on evidence with no commercial interest behind it.

What we investigate

  • Escape of water and leaks

  • Drainage and below-ground pipework failures

  • Disputed damp and mould claims

  • Condensation v. penetrating v. rising damp determinations

  • New-build and warranty defect investigations

  • Flood and water-damage causation

  • Pre-repudiation second opinions

What you receive

A concise, evidence-led report answering the questions the claim turns on: what caused it, whether the cause is sudden or long-standing, and the remedial scope the evidence justifies. Photographs, moisture and thermal-imaging data where relevant. Written to be read by a claims handler in minutes and to stand up to scrutiny afterwards. No padding, no upsell.

Why instruct an independent surveyor

Independence cuts both ways. Sometimes the evidence justifies a smaller scope than the contractor quoted; sometimes it identifies an insured cause that was being missed. Either way, the file holds.

Repeat instructions

Set fee schedule available for panels and repeat instructing clients, with agreed response times and a consistent report format. Email jonathan@durndell.co.uk to request the schedule.

Common questions

How quickly can you get to site?

Typically within 5 working days of instruction; urgent instructions prioritised. Report follows within 3 working days of inspection.

What does a survey cost?

Residential from £950. Commercial and complex instructions quoted on scope within one working day.

Do you carry out the repairs?

No, and that is deliberate. We diagnose only, so the report is independent of any repair contract — and diagnosing the cause, not the symptom, means the claim closes once.

What area do you cover?

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire. Instructions outside this area by arrangement.

INSTRUCT WITH A PHONE CALL OR AN EMAIL

Send the address and a line on the claim — fee and inspection date confirmed, usually the same working day.