About My Commercial Building Surveyor

We're a team of experienced building surveyors dedicated to helping commercial property owners, landlords, tenants and investors make confident, informed decisions. With 15+ years of experience and hundreds of surveys completed across the UK, we know what good looks like — and we deliver it every time.

Commercial building surveyor reviewing architectural floor plans on a desktop computer in a professional UK office
Founded 2009 — 15+ Years of Commercial Surveying
Our Story

Built on Expertise, Driven by Integrity

My Commercial Building Surveyor was founded in 2009 with a simple mission: to give commercial property owners, landlords and tenants the expert, independent advice they deserve — without the jargon, the delays, or the eye-watering fees of the large surveying corporates.

Our founder, Jonathan Hargreaves, spent the first decade of his career at one of the UK's largest surveying firms, overseeing commercial building surveys on everything from Grade II listed warehouses to modern out-of-town retail parks. What he kept seeing was clients who felt bamboozled — handed lengthy, impenetrable reports and left to make enormous financial decisions on their own.

He set out to change that. At My Commercial Building Surveyor, every report is written in plain English, every surveyor is available to talk clients through their findings, and every recommendation is practical, costed and prioritised. The result? A firm that commercial property professionals across the UK trust and return to, year after year.

Today, our team of five surveyors covers the length and breadth of the UK — from Glasgow to Guildford — delivering commercial building surveys, dilapidations reports, schedules of condition, measured surveys and technical due diligence to a growing portfolio of clients in retail, industrial, office, leisure and mixed-use property.

Explore Our Services
What We Stand For

Our Values as Commercial Building Surveyors

These aren't just words on a wall. They're the principles that guide every survey we undertake and every report we deliver.

Integrity First

We will always tell you what we find — even when it's not what you hoped to hear. Our independence means our advice is always in your best interest, not shaped by who's paying on the other side of the deal.

Professional Excellence

Every member of our team holds active professional accreditation and undergoes continuous professional development. We don't just meet the minimum standard — we aim well above it on every survey we complete.

Client-Centred Service

You're not a transaction to us. You're a client making one of the most significant financial decisions of your career. That's why we assign a named surveyor to every instruction and make ourselves available throughout the whole process.

Clarity & Speed

Reports in plain English, delivered within 5 working days. We know that commercial property transactions don't wait. Neither do we. Our plain-English reports give you actionable information fast.

Nationwide Reach

Commercial property doesn't sit still — and neither do we. Our surveyors cover England, Scotland and Wales, taking on instructions across all commercial property types, from high street retail units to industrial estates and mixed-use developments.

Continuous Improvement

The built environment is always evolving — new construction methods, new materials, new regulations. We invest in the latest surveying technology and professional development so that our advice is always up to date and technically sound.

Meet the Team

The Surveyors Behind Every Report

Our team brings together decades of combined experience in commercial building surveying, dilapidations, schedule of condition, measured surveys and technical due diligence. Here's who you'll be working with.

Jonathan Hargreaves, Founder and Lead Commercial Building Surveyor, standing confidently in a modern UK commercial building reception

Jonathan Hargreaves

Founder & Lead Surveyor

Jonathan founded My Commercial Building Surveyor in 2009 after 10 years at one of the UK's top surveying practices. He has personally overseen more than 600 commercial building surveys on properties ranging from small retail units to large industrial complexes. Jonathan is known for his meticulous eye for detail and his ability to explain complex structural issues in straightforward terms.

"I started this firm because I believed commercial property owners deserved better. A survey should empower you, not confuse you."

Commercial Surveys Dilapidations Technical Due Diligence
Rebecca Thornton, Senior Commercial Building Surveyor, smiling and holding a tablet in a UK commercial lobby

Rebecca Thornton

Senior Surveyor

Rebecca joined the practice in 2013, bringing with her a wealth of experience in commercial dilapidations and schedule of condition work for major retail and office tenants. Her background includes six years in-house at a national commercial property management company, giving her an invaluable perspective on the landlord–tenant relationship from both sides of the fence.

Rebecca is particularly skilled in lease-end negotiations and has helped dozens of tenants significantly reduce dilapidations claims. She covers the Midlands, North West and Yorkshire regions.

Schedule of Condition Dilapidations Retail & Office
Marcus Patel, experienced Commercial Building Surveyor with silver hair, standing in a modern UK commercial building reception

Marcus Patel

Commercial Surveyor

With over 20 years of experience, Marcus is our specialist in planned preventative maintenance programmes and large-portfolio management. He has worked on commercial property portfolios for pension funds, property investment companies and local authorities — giving him an unrivalled understanding of long-term property strategy and life-cycle cost planning.

Marcus also leads our technical due diligence work for commercial real estate acquisitions, having been involved in property transactions with a combined value exceeding £500 million.

PPM Planning Portfolio Management Due Diligence
Our Journey

15 Years of Commercial Building Surveying Excellence

2009

The Beginning

Jonathan Hargreaves establishes My Commercial Building Surveyor with a focus on providing independent, expert commercial building survey services to small and medium-sized property investors across London and the South East.

2012

Expanding the Team

Growing demand leads to the appointment of two additional surveyors, expanding our service offering to include dilapidations surveys, schedule of condition reports and measured surveys. We extend our coverage to the Midlands.

2015

Nationwide Reach

A major portfolio management contract with a national commercial property fund takes us UK-wide. We now cover England, Scotland and Wales, and our team grows to five dedicated surveyors.

2018

Technology Investment

We invest in the latest laser scanning and CAD technology, transforming the speed and accuracy of our measured survey service. We also launch our planned preventative maintenance offer for large commercial property portfolios.

2021

Technical Due Diligence Growth

Our technical due diligence service sees rapid growth as commercial property investors increasingly recognise the value of expert building assessments in the transaction process. We complete our 500th commercial survey.

2024

Continued Excellence

We celebrate 15 years of commercial building surveying with a 98% client satisfaction rating and a growing reputation as one of the UK's most trusted independent commercial surveying practices. Our work continues to help clients across every sector of the commercial property market.

Case Study

How We Saved a Client £120,000 on a Commercial Property Purchase

Modern multi-storey commercial glass office building — the type of commercial property inspected during a full commercial building survey

Location: Leeds City Centre

Property: 3-storey Victorian office conversion

Listed price: £1.1 million

The Situation

A commercial property investor instructed us to carry out a full commercial building survey on a Victorian office conversion in Leeds before exchanging contracts. The property had been recently refurbished and presented well on inspection day.

What We Found

Our surveyor's detailed inspection revealed several serious defects that weren't visible to the naked eye:

  • Significant damp penetration through the rear elevation, masked by recent internal redecoration
  • Roof structure showing early signs of rot in several principal rafters
  • Non-compliant electrical installation requiring full rewire to bring to current standards
  • Inadequate structural support to a first-floor extension added without building regulations approval

The Outcome

Armed with our detailed report and cost assessments, our client renegotiated the purchase price by £120,000 and secured a contractual commitment from the vendor to address the structural issues before completion. The survey fee paid for itself more than 30 times over.

"Jonathan's survey was the best £1,200 I've ever spent in property. The detail and clarity of the report gave us everything we needed to renegotiate properly and protect our position."

Ready to Work With Our Team?

Whether you need a commercial building survey, a dilapidations report, a schedule of condition or a planned preventative maintenance plan, our team is ready to help. Get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote — we typically respond within 2 working hours.

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