ABYC notes that marine surveying isn't a regulated or licensed industry in the US, and that anyone can call themselves a marine surveyor. That makes the professional bodies' codes the closest thing to a rulebook. Clients, insurers and courts read them as the standard a surveyor is expected to meet. Here is what the two bodies yacht surveyors most often belong to ask of their members.
Side by side
| IIMS (Code of Conduct and Small Craft Code of Practice) | NAMS (Code of Ethics) | |
|---|---|---|
| Independence | Always independent of the client commissioning the survey; impartial and objective | No engagement that creates a conflict of interest or the appearance of one |
| Competence | Only assignments the member is properly qualified for, with up to date knowledge | Services only in the surveyor's areas of expertise |
| Money | No commission or hidden payment; any financial interest in the craft disclosed first | No payment depending on the sale, the valuation or the referral of repair work |
| Repairs | Not stated | No repairs to any vessel the surveyor has surveyed |
| Confidentiality | Advice is confidential to the client; disclosure needs the client's written permission | Not stated on its code page |
| Insurance | Small craft surveyors keep professional indemnity insurance in force at a realistic level | Not stated on its code page |
| Discipline | Investigation with a right of defence or appeal; warning, suspension or withdrawal | Board of Investigation under the bylaws; members abide by its decisions |
Independence
The IIMS Code says a marine surveyor will always be independent of the client commissioning the survey, and that members never bias or modify their opinions for personal gain or under pressure. NAMS's credo is that no surveyor takes a position contrary to their own knowledge or opinion.
For a pre-purchase survey this means the report serves the buyer, even when a broker made the introduction. The IIMS Small Craft Code adds that any financial or other interest in the craft must be disclosed to the client before accepting the instruction.
Competence
Both codes limit members to work they're qualified for. IIMS adds keeping technical knowledge up to date and not practising while judgement might be impaired. NAMS puts it in one line: services only in the surveyor's areas of expertise. Taking on a steel hull, a gas system or a damage cause investigation outside your experience is a breach as much as a risk.
What the report must contain
The IIMS Small Craft Code of Practice lists the minimum contents of a condition survey report, including the client, the purpose, the vessel's identification, the date and place, the extent of the limitations with the reason any area wasn't inspected, the defects, the recommendations and a conclusion. For a damage survey, it says opinions on cause shouldn't be given without specific agreed instructions, and must be supported by evidence.
Fees
The IIMS Code asks members not to carry out free surveys and to negotiate fees that recover their costs. The Small Craft Code asks for fee rates that state exactly what they include and exclude. See terms of engagement for putting that in writing, and professional indemnity insurance for the cover the IIMS code requires.
For the qualifications behind membership, see marine surveyor certification.