The problem
RICS expects the terms of engagement to be agreed with the client before the survey, yet PDFs that clients must print, sign and scan come back slowly or not at all. At 18 surveys a month and 12 minutes each sending, chasing and filing, that is 216 minutes, about 3.6 hours a month, and an inspection booked without signed terms is a risk if there is a complaint later.
What the AI does
Legalesign is an e-signature service built for legal documents: you send a document for signing, track who has signed and keep an audit log. Solo Basic is $13£10€12A$19C$19 a month plus VAT with fair use of 20 documents. You upload your own terms for each survey level, send them as soon as the client accepts the quote, and only confirm the inspection once they are signed. Legalesign only carries the wording you give it; the terms themselves are your responsibility.
A worked example
A sole surveyor in Norwich carries out about 18 surveys a month and emails PDF terms that clients print, sign and scan back. They move to Legalesign's Solo Basic plan and make a signed copy a condition of booking the inspection.
Before
12 minutes a survey to send, chase and file terms: 216 minutes, about 3.6 hours a month
After
3 minutes a survey: 54 minutes a month, with signed terms and an audit log on every file
What it's worth
About $144£108€129A$207C$203 a month saved, against a $13£10€12A$19C$19 cost. That is 162 minutes, 2.7 hours a month, valued at $53£40€48A$77C$75 an hour. Solo Basic is $13£10€12A$19C$19 a month plus VAT ($16£12€14A$23C$23 with VAT) with fair use of 20 documents; above that, Solo Pro is $33£25€30A$48C$47 a month or pay as you go is $2£1.50€1.79A$2.88C$2.82 a document.
How to set it up
- Check your terms of engagement against the current RICS Home Survey Standard and your professional indemnity insurer's requirements.
- Upload your Level 2 and Level 3 terms to Legalesign as templates, with signature and date fields.
- Send the terms as soon as a client accepts the quote, and confirm the inspection date only once they are signed.
- Check signing status each morning and ring anyone who hasn't signed 2 days before the inspection.
- Save the signed terms and the audit log in the job file.
What goes wrong
- Solo Basic's fair use is 20 documents a month. A busier month needs Solo Pro at $33£25€30A$48C$47 or pay as you go at $2£1.50€1.79A$2.88C$2.82 a document.
- Legalesign's page is inconsistent about reminders on the lower plans, so test whether automatic reminders work before relying on them.
- A signature doesn't prove the client read the terms. Point out the main limitations, such as what isn't inspected, in your covering email or a call.