Asset surveys involve on-site inspections of equipment, building fabric, and infrastructure to gather detailed data. For facilities management (FM) teams, these surveys create a foundation of reliable information to plan maintenance, budgets, and compliance tasks. Conducting a thorough asset survey yields a clear asset register and actionable insights – essential for informed decision-making in 2025 and beyond.

Asset Surveying in the UK: Definition and Scope

In simple terms, an asset survey (sometimes called asset surveying in the UK) is a systematic audit of all the physical assets in a facility or estate. It records buildings and assets into a single, structured register, capturing detailed information such as each asset’s condition, maintenance history, repair schedules, quantities, and even potential hazards. In other words, an asset survey is about facilities asset data – gathering the facts and figures on everything from HVAC systems and electrical panels to lifts, boilers, and building fabric elements. The end result is typically the asset register, a comprehensive inventory that forms the backbone of proactive maintenance and compliance management.

Importantly, an asset survey isn’t just a paper exercise. It translates into the tasks and plans required to keep all those assets safe, efficient, and compliant. By capturing this information, organisations gain visibility of what they own and operate. They can better protect their assets and guard against capital risk by anticipating issues before they escalate. For FM professionals who may be unsure when or why to commission such a survey, understanding this scope is the first step. It’s not about creating more bureaucracy – it’s about enabling smarter decisions with solid data.

Why Commission an Asset Survey? (When “Good Enough” Isn’t Enough)

If you’re managing a property or portfolio and haven’t done an asset survey in recent memory, you’re not alone – but you could be running blind. Recent industry research in the UK found that only 9% of FM professionals believe their asset registers are fully accurate and up to date. In practice, this means the vast majority are working with partial or outdated information. Many organisations still rely on old fragmented systems to track critical asset details. This gap matters because without a current picture of your assets, you’re likely missing opportunities and courting risks. Here are some of the key reasons an asset survey is worth the effort in 2025:

• Compliance and Risk Management: Regulations and safety standards are tightening. For example, statutory compliance audits (for fire safety systems, electrical testing, lifts, etc.) and regular H&S site inspections are mandatory in many sectors. An asset survey will highlight all compliance requirements linked to your assets, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. In fact, the UK government now explicitly requires regular condition audits of assets in public sector facilities. Knowing the condition of each asset helps build a strong business case when applying for repair or upgrade funding. Post-Grenfell building safety reforms also emphasise having a “golden thread” of up-to-date building information to keep occupants safe – a complete asset register and maintenance history is a crucial part of that. Simply put, an asset survey keeps you on the right side of FM compliance surveys and safety obligations, reducing legal and operational risks.

• Cost Control and Maintenance Efficiency: Maintenance is often the single largest controllable cost in facilities management – it can represent around 40% of total FM costs on average. Asset surveys help shift maintenance from reactive firefighting to planned efficiency. By knowing the age, condition, and criticality of each piece of equipment, you can prioritise preventive maintenance and avoid expensive surprises. Studies have shown that moving toward predictive and planned maintenance can decrease maintenance costs by ~12% and extend asset lifespans by 20%. Fewer unexpected breakdowns mean less downtime and disruption to your operations. In a time when cost savings are still considered a primary driver for FM decisions, having solid asset data to optimise your maintenance strategy is a smart move.

• Lifecycle Forecasting and Capital Planning: Every boiler, chiller, generator or roof has a finite lifespan. An asset survey provides the data needed for asset lifecycle management – knowing roughly where each asset is in its life cycle and planning for replacements or major refurbishments. This lifecycle forecasting aspect is invaluable for budgeting and strategic planning. Rather than being blindsided by a critical failure, you can forecast capital expenditures 5, 10, even 30 years in advance. Indeed, the public sector is moving toward mandating this long-term view: the Government’s FM Strategy calls for every building to have a costed five-year maintenance plan and a 30-year lifecycle replacement profile for major assets. Even if you’re in the private sector, adopting this mindset can help justify budgets to senior management by showing a clear, data-driven plan for asset renewal and avoiding the accumulation of backlog maintenance.

• Performance and Reliability: Asset surveys drive higher reliability and performance in your facilities. They identify assets in poor condition or nearing capacity, so you can address issues before failure. They also ensure maintenance tasks are done at the right intervals. For example, aligning your maintenance schedule with SFG20 compliance – the industry standard for building maintenance specifications – is much easier when you have a full asset list and service requirements documented. (SFG20 provides maintenance schedules for over 70 asset types and was designed to ensure safe, legal and competent upkeep.) With an asset survey, your maintenance team or provider can check each required task against the asset register and SFG20 guidelines, giving confidence that you’re meeting both legal obligations and best practices. The result is less reactive scrambling and more “right-first-time” fixes, which keeps your buildings running smoothly.

• Informed Decision Making: Ultimately, having detailed facilities asset data at your fingertips improves almost every decision in FM. Need to re-tender an FM contract? An asset survey ensures you can give bidders an accurate asset list, so they price the contract correctly (no hidden extras later). Planning energy efficiency upgrades or a net-zero roadmap? You’ll want to know the specs and condition of your HVAC and lighting assets first. Justifying a business case for new investment? Up-to-date data can show, for instance, how an old chiller’s inefficiency is costing extra thousands per year, strengthening your argument. In 2025, data-driven FM isn’t a buzzword – it’s becoming the norm. And an asset survey is often the first building block of that data-driven approach.

What Does an Asset Survey Include? (Key Components)

Every facility is different, but a comprehensive asset survey will typically cover a broad range of mechanical, electrical and fabric assets, as well as associated checks. If you engage professionals to carry out asset surveying UK-wide, you’ll find a fairly standard approach that includes the following components:

• Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Surveys: This is the core of most asset surveys – a detailed audit of all mechanical and electrical systems. It’s essentially a mechanical and electrical audit of your plant and equipment: HVAC units, boilers, pumps, chillers, electrical switchgear, distribution boards, lighting, generators, UPS systems, etc. Each asset is identified (often barcoded or tagged), its make/model/serial recorded, and its condition assessed. The surveyor will note any obvious defects, maintenance requirements, and remaining useful life. M&E surveys ensure you have a full picture of the hard services assets that keep your building functional.

• Building Fabric and Structural Elements: An asset survey isn’t only about machinery. It should also catalogue the building fabric – roofs, windows, doors, façades, interior finishes, and structural elements – especially those that have maintenance or inspection schedules of their own. For example, flat roof sections might be logged with their age and condition, fire doors and passive fire protection features noted for compliance checks, and so on. Building fabric data is important for planning refurbishments and ensuring H&S site inspections cover all relevant items (like checking that safety signage, barriers, and structures are sound).

• Compliance Audits and Health & Safety Checks: A good asset survey will fold in a review of statutory compliance audits related to assets. This means checking that for each asset, any legally required inspection or certification is up to date. Are the lifts and escalators certified (in line with LOLER and PUWER regulations)? Has the fixed electrical installation had its 5-year test (EICR)? Are fire alarms and extinguishers inspected? Is the boiler due for a gas safety check? By cross-referencing assets against their compliance schedule, the survey report can highlight any gaps. In addition, general FM compliance surveys – like Legionella risk assessments for water systems, or safety glazing checks – can be noted during the survey. Essentially, the process creates a one-stop register that not only lists assets but flags their compliance status (last inspection date, next due, etc.). This is invaluable for managers to stay on top of health and safety inspections and avoid the risk of something being missed.

• Maintenance Schedule & SFG20 Alignment: Alongside identifying assets, the survey often reviews existing maintenance regimes. Surveyors might compare your current planned maintenance tasks with industry best practice (such as SFG20 maintenance schedules). If an asset that should be on a PPM (Planned Preventative Maintenance) regime isn’t, that will be pointed out. Conversely, if something is being over-serviced, that inefficiency can be corrected. The goal is to ensure maintenance plans are optimised: every asset has a schedule that keeps it compliant and reliable, but you’re not wasting resources. Ensuring SFG20 compliance in your maintenance plan means you’re following a standard that “covers all aspects of building maintenance… regularly updated to reflect the latest legislation”. An asset survey provides the raw data (what assets you have, their condition and needs) to either develop a new optimised maintenance plan or validate that your existing plan is fit for purpose.

• Asset Data Capture and Register Creation: Finally, a critical deliverable of an asset survey is the asset register creation itself. Surveyors will typically compile all the collected building data capture into a structured format – nowadays often a database or Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system import. This register includes asset descriptions, locations, conditions, photos, and unique IDs. If you have multiple sites, each site’s assets are clearly catalogued. The value here is not just in having a big list, but in having a usable tool for FM. A well-structured asset register lets you slice and dice the data (e.g. filter “show me all AC units older than 15 years” or “list all assets due statutory test in next 3 months”). It forms the basis for ongoing maintenance management, budgeting, and lifecycle analysis. Good survey providers – and FM data services specialists – will ensure the data is delivered in a format you can work with and update over time. After all, an asset register is only as good as its upkeep; it should be a living document that FM teams keep updating as assets are replaced or new ones added.

Compliance, Technology and Expectations

Why does all this matter in 2025 specifically? Because the facilities management landscape is evolving quickly, and the expectations on data and compliance have never been higher. Several trends and changes underscore the importance of asset surveys right now:

• Stricter Compliance Standards: We’ve touched on regulatory drivers, but it’s worth emphasising how much more stringent things have become. The UK Government’s Facilities Management Strategy 2025 has laid down clear goals around asset management. For example, it mandates that every building under government stewardship must have a comprehensive condition survey and a costed five-year maintenance plan, along with that 30-year lifecycle profile for major assets. It also requires every site to maintain an up-to-date asset register that meets a new Government FM data standard. While this is for the public sector, it likely foreshadows broader industry best practice. Clients and stakeholders in private companies are increasingly aware of these standards, and they may expect similar rigour from their FM teams or service providers. In short, demonstrating that you have your asset data in order can set you apart – it shows you’re forward-thinking and compliant with emerging benchmarks.

• Digital Transformation in FM: The buzzwords of recent years – digital twins, IoT sensors, smart buildings – all rely on having accurate underlying data. You can’t implement cutting-edge facilities tech on top of incomplete information. That’s another reason asset surveys are crucial now: they give you the clean data foundation needed to leverage technology. For instance, say you want to introduce sensors for predictive maintenance on critical equipment. The first step is knowing what assets you have and their critical parameters – exactly what an asset survey delivers. Additionally, new digital tools make the surveying process itself more efficient: many teams now use mobile devices and cloud software to capture asset info (often with photos and GPS tagging), meaning the days of clipboard and paper are fading. By commissioning an asset survey in 2025, you’re likely to benefit from these modern techniques – getting more accurate data, faster. And once the data is in a digital system, you can keep it updated more easily, and even integrate it with other systems (finance, procurement, building management systems, etc.). Think of it as future-proofing your FM operation.

• Sustainability and Efficiency Goals: ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and sustainability targets are high on corporate agendas. You might wonder how an asset survey links to sustainability – it actually does in several ways. First, knowing your asset base helps identify energy hogs (maybe that 20-year-old HVAC unit that’s guzzling electricity) which you can then target for upgrade, reducing carbon footprint. Second, lifecycle planning prevents the scenario of running assets to failure (which can be both unsafe and environmentally costly, e.g., leaking refrigerants or emergency generator usage). A survey might also catalogue elements like insulation, glazing types, or lighting types – all relevant to energy management. Essentially, good asset data supports smarter, greener decisions about when to retrofit or replace for better efficiency. In the UK, frameworks like NABERS UK energy ratings for offices, or the drive toward net-zero buildings, mean FMs need detailed knowledge of plant and equipment to hit those marks. An asset survey sets you up with that knowledge.

• The FM Talent Gap: A slightly different angle – the people side. The facilities sector is facing skills shortages in 2025, especially in technical roles. A RICS FM survey noted that around 75% of respondents struggled to hire for building operations and maintenance roles. This means two things: (1) Your in-house team is likely stretched thin, making it harder to manually keep on top of disjointed asset info; and (2) When you do bring in new team members or contractors, having a solid asset register helps get them up to speed quickly. It’s a lot easier to onboard a maintenance engineer when you can hand them a tablet with all assets listed and past work history, as opposed to saying “Bob is the only one who knows where things are, but he’s retiring next month.” In short, robust asset data mitigates the impact of the skills gap by institutionalising knowledge. It also allows you to make better use of outsourced maintenance partners, since you can clearly define what assets they need to maintain. Providers of FM data services (like asset survey and data management specialists) can fill the gap if you don’t have people internally to do this work – effectively acting as an extension of your team to capture and manage asset information.

From Data to Action: Leveraging the Asset Register

After completing an asset survey, the real question is how you use that information. A common saying in data management is “garbage in, garbage out” – but conversely, high-quality data in means high-quality output. Once you have an accurate asset register and condition report, here are ways it translates into action:

• Planned Maintenance Optimization: Feed the asset data into your CAFM or maintenance management system. Schedule preventive maintenance tasks based on actual asset needs rather than generic intervals. Your asset register might show that you have 50 air handling units of various ages; you could stagger their fan motor overhauls based on runtime hours or condition, rather than doing all at once or (worse) waiting for failures. Many organisations target a ratio of around 80% planned vs 20% reactive maintenance – something only achievable with good data. In fact, world-class maintenance programs often achieve 85%+ planned maintenance compliance (i.e. doing the preventive work on time). With a clear asset list and schedule, you can significantly improve your planned vs reactive maintenance balance, which in turn reduces overtime and emergency call-out costs.

• Budgeting and Lifecycle Management: Use the survey’s findings to create a capital replacement plan. For example, you might identify that out of 10 lifts across your sites, 2 are over 25 years old and becoming unreliable – so you budget for their replacement in the next 1-2 years. Likewise, if the asset survey flagged a number of assets in poor or critical condition, you can forecast a spike in capital spend if you choose to replace them, or conversely plan increased maintenance for them to extend life. This level of asset lifecycle management turns FM from a year-to-year operational view to a strategic long-term view. It helps avoid the dreaded “surprise” major expense. A compelling statistic often cited is that every £1 of preventive maintenance can save several pounds in later repair or replacement – while figures vary, the principle holds. By doing lifecycle forecasting, you’re essentially investing effort now to save money later, which any Finance Director will appreciate.

• Enhanced Reporting and Stakeholder Confidence: Presenting to senior stakeholders or clients becomes much easier when you have data to back it up. Rather than vague statements like “We think the building’s plant is getting old,” you can produce a clear report: e.g. “We surveyed 1,200 assets; 20% are in very good condition, 60% in good/fair, 15% poor, 5% critical. We have mapped out a plan to address the critical items over the next 12 months.” This level of transparency builds trust. It shows that FM isn’t just about fixing things when they break, but managing assets proactively as valuable resources. Moreover, maintaining an up-to-date asset register means you’re always ready for questions like “How many of our sites have solar panels installed?” or “Do we have any Category C (poor) electrical boards in our estate?” – questions that might come from sustainability teams, insurance audits, or board meetings. Having answers readily available elevates the role of FM in the organisation. It moves the conversation from operational firefighting to strategic asset management.

• Continuous Improvement: Lastly, think of the asset survey as a baseline. Over time, you can measure improvements against it. For instance, if only 9% of your asset data was accurate before (an industry low benchmark), after implementing survey recommendations and better processes, maybe you reach 90+% accuracy and keep it there. You might track how your reactive maintenance calls drop year over year thanks to the survey-driven changes. The asset survey is not a one-time box to tick; it’s part of an ongoing cycle of improvement. Many organisations choose to commission asset surveys periodically (say, every 5 years, or whenever taking on a new site, or ahead of major contract renewals) to refresh the data and capture changes. In the interim, it’s wise to assign someone the responsibility for updating the asset register as works are done – treat it as a living document as mentioned. By doing so, when the next full survey comes around, it’s more of an update than a start-from-scratch. This continuous approach ensures you never slip back into the dark ages of missing asset data.

MostonASSET: Supporting You with People, Data and Vision

At MostonASSET, we specialise in exactly these kinds of asset surveys and FM data services, helping organisations turn data into decisions. We’re part of the wider Moston Group, which means we don’t just stop at data – we also have the people and strategic leadership angles covered. Through MostonRECRUIT (our recruitment arm) and MostonEXEC (our executive search and consultancy arm), we ensure that our clients have the right talent and guidance to act on the insights an asset survey provides. It’s a holistic approach: Performance Driven by People, Data, and Vision, as we like to say. For example, MostonASSET’s team can deliver the full range of services from asset lifecycle surveys and compliance audits to condition reporting and planned maintenance strategies. Meanwhile, our MostonRECRUIT colleagues can help you find skilled facilities managers or maintenance specialists if you need to bolster your team, and MostonEXEC can assist with aligning asset management to your broader business strategy.

The capabilities across these divisions demonstrate that commissioning an asset survey isn’t an isolated task – it can be the start of a broader improvement programme. Whether you need interim technical staff to carry out remedial works identified by the survey (we can source them), or need to develop a long-term asset replacement strategy for the board (we can advise on that too), Moston Group has the expertise to support you end-to-end. We’ve helped clients from NHS trusts to major FM providers gain clarity, compliance, and control over their assets.

Turn Insight Into Action – Get in Touch

In summary, an asset survey is a powerful tool for any facilities management professional in 2025. It’s not just a checkbox for compliance, but a catalyst for cost savings, risk reduction, and strategic planning. In a world of aging buildings, tightening regulations, and rapid technological change, having accurate asset information is your safety net – and your springboard for improvement. Instead of asking “Do we really need an asset survey?”, the better question might be “Can we afford not to have one?” Given that only a tiny fraction of FMs currently have fully up-to-date asset data, those who take action now will be ahead of the curve.

MostonASSET is here to help you harness the full value of your assets. If you’re unsure where to start or need professional support to carry out an asset survey and implement its findings, get in touch with our team. We’ll work with you to capture the data that matters, and more importantly, to use it in achieving safer, more efficient and future-ready facilities. With the combined strengths of MostonRECRUIT and MostonEXEC alongside us, we offer not just a report, but the people and insight to turn that report into reality. Let’s have a conversation about how asset surveying can elevate your FM strategy – contact MostonASSET today and let’s ensure your building assets are driving performance, not holding you back.