The short answer
You can appoint your own surveyor — but in most straightforward cases there is no clear benefit in doing so. The Act lets both owners share a single impartial “agreed surveyor”, who must act fairly to both sides, not just the person who appointed them. Adding a second surveyor usually means more cost and more delay without improving your protection. If the surveyor who served the notice is competent and comes across well, that should not be overlooked simply because someone has suggested appointing a second surveyor “because it’s free”.
Why it matters
The “it’s free” argument is weaker than it sounds. Although the building owner usually pays the reasonable fees, two surveyors is slower, dearer overall, and can make a simple matter more adversarial — none of which is in your interest. An agreed surveyor is under exactly the same statutory duty to be impartial and to protect your property as a surveyor you appoint yourself, so a second appointment rarely buys you anything extra on a routine job.
That said, the decision is yours, and there are cases where appointing your own makes sense: complex, high-risk or deep works; a genuine reason to doubt the serving surveyor’s competence or independence; or a relationship that is already difficult. The sensible approach is to judge the serving surveyor on how they actually come across — clear, fair, responsive — and, if you are satisfied, agree to use them. If you are not, appoint your own. Coburns recommends a single agreed surveyor wherever it is appropriate.
What to do now
- Judge the serving surveyor on how they come across — competence, fairness, responsiveness.
- If you are satisfied, agreeing to a single surveyor is usually the better choice.
- Don’t appoint a second surveyor just because the building owner pays — that alone is not a benefit to you.
- Appoint your own where the works are complex or you have genuine doubts about the serving surveyor.
Common mistakes
- Appointing a second surveyor reflexively because “it’s free”.
- Overlooking a perfectly good serving surveyor on someone else’s advice.
- Assuming an agreed surveyor is somehow “on the other side” — they must be impartial.
When to call Coburns
If you are weighing up whether to appoint your own surveyor, we will give you a straight view of whether it is worth it in your case.