Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why do I need your service?
Business Rates are notoriously complicated and we have the skills and expertise to help identify how to reduce your business rates charges.

Why should you trust SMB Surveyors?
We are members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and conform to their Code of Conduct. The RICS has a complaints procedure in place should you be unhappy with our work.  

How much does it cost?
Our fee is usually based on a percentage of the savings made, which is only payable once the money is repaid by the Billing Authority into your account.  We do not charge upfront for our service and won't charge if we don't believe any savings are available.  If we are not successful in finding savings, we don't charge a fee.

How long does it take?
Our audit work can be completed in 4-6 weeks, whilst our appeal work can take between 6 to 12 months to complete, being largely dependent on the particular officer from the Valuation Office Agency who is dealing with the case.  We strive to maintain a good working relationship with many of the officers which can speed up settlement.

Could my business rates go up?
We review the valuation of your property to determine whether it has been fairly assessed.  If we believe there is a chance that your rates could go up, we would not continue the claim, unless you were aware of the risks and happy to proceed.  For your peace of mind we have Professional Indemnity Insurance cover of £1,000,000 in place which, we are pleased to say, has never been used.

I already have an agent, why should I use you?
The work we do covers some specialist areas, and we often succeed where others have failed. We have a success rate of over 90%.

How do I instruct you?
Usually by signing a no win no fee agreement that we will supply.  At the same time it helps to provide us with a copy of your latest bill and the salient terms of your lease.  For certain services we will require to meet and inspect your premises, but this can be confirmed at the time of instruction.  

​Please call us on 0117 3700624 or email us [email protected] to find out more about our services.