New DfE Guidance on Condition Surveys – What Education Estates Need to Know
- OMNIA Building Consultants
- 14 hours ago
- 1 min read
Following on from the Department for Education’s recent update on their Education Estates Strategy and guidance around the replacement of the CIF programme (read our blog on this here), the DfE has now published (25 Feb 2026) further guidance around commissioning condition surveys for school and college buildings.
These surveys are now strongly recommended at least every five years to ensure up-to-date, accurate condition data for education estate planning, maintenance, compliance and investment decision-making — ahead of forthcoming technical standards later this year.
The guidance also clarifies what a condition survey for schools and colleges should cover and the need for impartial, professionally delivered inspection and reporting.
For education leaders and estate managers this means:
Building condition data must be current and defensible.
Condition surveys are visual, non-intrusive inspections but can be scoped to include structural or specialist inputs where needed.
Reports should support maintenance planning, capital bids and risk management.
Why acting now matters
With the education estate strategy evolving (linking condition data to future funding and capital planning), organisations without recent surveys risk being at a disadvantage in planning and prioritisation.
How OMNIA can help
At OMNIA, we deliver comprehensive Building Condition Surveys that:
✔ assess fabric, structure, M&E services and compliance with impartial, RICS-aligned methodology
✔ provide clear condition grading, risk prioritisation and costed recommendations
✔ are tailored for education estates and asset planning cycles
Reach out now to get a quote and ensure your estate is future-ready — proactive insight now means better planning, smarter investment, and reduced unexpected costs down the line.
