Terms of service

These terms cover (1) your use of this website and (2) the general basis on whichMills Building Consultancy provides surveying and consultancy services. Every professional instruction is also governed by written terms of engagement issued before work begins — where these general terms and specific terms of engagement differ, the terms of engagement prevail.

1. About the practice

Mills Building Consultancy is an independent building surveying and consultancy practice operated by Jarelle Mills MCIOB AssocRICS (Mills Building Consultancy), based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The practice is regulated by RICS and operates under the RICS Rules of Conduct. Home Surveys are delivered in accordance with the RICS Home Survey Standard. Professional indemnity insurance is maintained with details supplied in the engagement terms.

2. Website use

• Website content, including knowledge base articles, is provided for general information only. It is not professional advice about any specific property, and no professional relationship is created by reading it.
• While reasonable care is taken to keep content accurate and current, no warranty is given that it is complete, correct or up to date, and building regulation, industry standards and best practice change over time.
• Decisions about a specific property should be based on a professional inspection of that property, not on general articles.
• Content on this site is © Mills Building Consultancy and may not be reproduced commercially without permission. Sharing links to articles is welcome.

3. Engagements and instructions

• All quotes are provided without obligation and remain open for 30 days unless stated otherwise.
• No instruction is accepted until written terms of engagement have been issued and agreed. Those terms define the scope, fee, timescales, limitations and complaint routes for the specific instruction.
• Fees are quoted per instruction — pricing varies with property size, age, complexity and location.
• Where you are a consumer, you may have a statutory 14-day cancellation right for contracts concluded at a distance; the terms of engagement explain this, including the effect of asking for work to begin within the cancellation period.

4. Nature and limits of the services

• Surveys and inspections are visual and non-invasive unless specifically agreed otherwise. They report on what could reasonably be seen at the time of inspection, in the conditions prevailing on the day.
• Reports are professional opinions based on the evidence available. They are not guarantees of condition, and they do not cover concealed defects that could not reasonably have been identified within the agreed scope.
• The practice does not provide structural engineering calculations or design, architectural design, or gas, electrical or plumbing installation, testing or repair. Where such input is needed, the report will recommend the appropriate specialist.
• The practice does not carry on FCA-regulated activities. In particular, insurance claims consultancy is limited to independent expert appraisal, technical evidence and advice: the practice does not notify claims to insurers, complete claim forms, negotiate claim settlements on a client's behalf, act as a loss assessor, or provide regulated claims management services.
• Drone operations are conducted within CAA Open Category rules under the practice's Operator ID and Flyer ID, subject to airspace and weather constraints; a flight cannot be guaranteed at every site.
• Reports are prepared for the named client and the stated purpose only, and may not be relied upon by third parties without written agreement.

5. Your responsibilities

• Providing accurate information about the property and arranging lawful access for inspection.
• Making the property reasonably accessible — reports can only cover what access permitted.
• Paying fees in accordance with the agreed terms of engagement.

6. Liability

• Liability in respect of any instruction is as set out in the terms of engagement for that instruction, and is backed by professional indemnity insurance.
• Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
• In respect of website use, the practice is not liable for loss arising from reliance on general website content in place of a professional inspection.

7. Complaints

A formal complaints handling procedure is published on this site and available on request, in line with RICS requirements — see the complaints procedure. It includes access to independent redress if a complaint cannot be resolved directly.

8. General

• These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction.
• If any provision of these terms is found unenforceable, the remainder continue in force.
• These terms may be updated from time to time; the version published at the date of your website use or enquiry applies.

Questions about these terms can be sent to hello@millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk.