How to write a building surveyor CV (with examples)

Updated 6 March 2023

A building surveyor is a construction professional who advises clients on how to design, maintain and repair buildings to ensure public safety. They could help clients to organise and publish construction project tender documents, lead building surveys to identify structural flaws or ensure sustainable construction. To compete with rival candidates for building surveyor jobs, produce a CV that highlights your skills, work experience and education to show recruiters why you're well-suited to this career. In this article, we explain how to write a building surveyor CV before providing a CV template and two sample CVs for building surveyors.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

How to write a building surveyor CV

Here is a five-step guide on how to write a building surveyor CV:

1. Select a CV format

Before you start writing the CV, select a CV format that emphasises your strongest professional qualities. As a fully-qualified surveyor, use the reverse-chronological CV format as this method prioritises experience over skills or education. You might then show recruiters that you've previously achieved career development and understand this role's responsibilities. You can also follow these formatting tips when writing your CV:

limit all page margins to one inch
use left-aligned text
use size 14-16 font for headers and size 11-12 font for CV content
use the same font throughout your CV
select a professional-looking font, such as Helvetica, Times New Roman or Calibri
limit the CV to a maximum of three pages

2. Write a professional summary

The next step that you might take is to write a tow or three-line professional summary. Use this paragraph to explain why you hope to become a building surveyor before summarising work experiences, skills, education or professional achievements. State the name of the employer and job title directly in this paragraph to show recruiters that you're interested in joining that organisation. In the summary's last sentence, explain how you may leverage past growth to succeed as a building surveyor.

3. Summarise past experiences in building surveying

List past job items in reverse-chronological order, placing the most recent role at the top of this section. You can list five bullet points for the first job, with each item outlining your main responsibilities and professional accomplishments. Prioritise construction jobs when listing positions as they're directly relevant to a career in building surveying. For example, if you've previously worked as a construction labourer, detail duties that you performed that relate to your current career path, such as mitigating on-site safety hazards. For earlier roles, list only three bullet points.

If you have limited experience in building surveying, you could also list earlier roles in other industries and explain how you developed useful skills.

4. List building surveying skills

You may list at least five relevant soft or technical skills, each separated by a vertical bar. Explain these skills' relevance to building surveyor jobs, even if you gained them while working in another industry. For example, if you previously worked as a sales assistant, you might have built up strong communication skills by serving customers and helping them to find specific items. You may transfer these skills to building surveyor duties, such as offering instructions on building design or advice on building safety regulations.

5. List surveying qualifications

In this CV's last section, list building surveying qualifications that you either have or for which you're currently studying. For academic degrees, list your degree's subject and programme of study plus the awarding institution's name and location. For professional certifications, detail the certificate's name, host organisation and year of completion. Examples of useful qualifications include a Diploma in Building Surveying Practice and BSc in Building Surveying.

CV template for building surveyors

Here is a CV template that you may follow when applying for building surveyor jobs:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City]

Professional Summary
[Two to three sentences that highlight your years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as a professional].

Experience
[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
[job duty]
[job duty]
[job duty]
[job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [County]

(strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
[job duty]
[job duty]

Education
[Degree and subject] | [Name of school or university]
[City]
[Certification name], [Host organisation] - [Year completed]

Sample CVs for building surveyors

Here are two sample CVs for building surveyors:

Historical building surveyor CV

Historical building surveyors specialise in maintaining or repairing historical buildings, such as cathedrals or merchant houses. They can advise on repairs that protect the building's structural integrity and preserve its original architectural appearance. Here is a sample CV for building surveyors that assess historical buildings:

Andrew Rogers, MSc Listed Building Conservation
07987 654 321 | andrew.rogers78@digimail.com | Leicester, Leicestershire

Professional summary
A hardworking and organised surveyor who's passionate about protecting our common cultural heritage, I'm applying for the Historical Building Surveyor role advertised by the National Heritage Institute. Thanks to my experiences at university, I appreciate surveyors' responsibility to respect the original aesthetic and structure of historical buildings when leading maintenance projects. Having also spent the last four years working as a junior building surveyor, I now wish to use my technical skills to protect historical buildings against decay and misuse.

Experience
Junior Building Surveyor | October 2018–Current
Andrews Surveyors Ltd. | Leicester

plan building surveying projects and identify costings, reducing yearly resource wastage by an average of £3750
plan building repairs that provide value for money and respect the building's architectural style
ensure that all buildings adhere to government health and safety regulations
propose strategies to improve buildings' energy efficiency and environmental impact
advise on building projects' scope and timeframes

Skills
Negotiating permission for repairs or alterations | Creative repairs that preserve architectural style | Testing materials for repairs | Creating accurate building plans | Understanding British law on listed buildings

Education
MSc Listed Building Conservation | University of East Midlands
Leicester, Leicestershire
BA History | University of North-East England
Newcastle, Tyne and Wear

Residential property surveyor CV

A residential property surveyor specialises in designing, maintaining and repairing houses and apartments to ensure that residents live in a safe environment. They may help buyers or sellers identify structural problems with properties to avoid post-sale legal disputes. Here is an example CV for residential property surveyors:

Jane Stephenson, BSc Land and Property Surveying
07123 456 789 | jane_stephenson23@email.uk | Oxford

Professional summary
A home surveying expert with good communication and detail-oriented skills, I'm applying for the Residential Property Surveyor job advertised by Williams Residential Surveyors Ltd. In the last four years, I've established experience in organising tendering documents, writing feasibility reports for building projects and inspecting buildings for structural problems. This year, I've also secured a specialist certification in residential surveying, developing more niche surveying skills as a result.

Experience
Building Surveyor | September 2018–Current
Alexander & Johnson Surveyors| Oxford

oversee building maintenance and repair projects from planning to execution, reducing average repair completion times by 15%
inspect commercial buildings for safety problems and propose cost-effective repairs
enforce site safety regulations
negotiate dilapidations with property owners
advise on sustainable construction

Sales Assistant | November 2016–April 2018
UK Foods Ltd. | Brighton

helped visitors to complete all stages of their shopping journeys, increasing customer satisfaction rates by 19%
served customers at checkout
answered customers' enquiries about products' locations or availability

Skills
House valuations | Identifying safety risks | Providing expert advice to house buyers | Enforcing health and safety regulations | Writing sustainability reports

Education
BSc Land and Property Surveying | University of South-East England
Brighton
Diploma in Residential Building Surveying, Institute of Residential Professionals - 2022

The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.