A "free damp survey" is a common offer — and it's free because the company makes its money from whatever work it recommends afterward. That's not a neutral diagnosis; it's a sales visit with a moisture meter.
The conflict of interest
If the same person who diagnoses your damp also profits from fixing it, there's a built-in incentive to find a problem — and to recommend the fix that firm happens to sell, whether or not it's the most appropriate one for your building.
What independence actually buys you
- A diagnosis with no financial interest in the outcome.
- A report you can take to any contractor for like-for-like quotes, rather than a single quote from the firm that diagnosed it.
- Evidence that stands up if there's a dispute — with an agent, a seller, or an insurer.
Questions worth asking any surveyor
- Do you also carry out remedial work, or quote for it?
- Is the survey genuinely free, or is the cost built into a future quote?
- What qualifications do you hold, and can I see them?
A paid, independent diagnosis costs more upfront than a "free" survey — but it's the only version where the answer isn't shaped by what there is to sell.