What should a conveyancer's environmental search cover in 2026?
Checked on 27 October 2026 · Source: Law Society: property
A conveyancer's environmental search in 2026 should cover seven things the buyer needs to know before exchange: flood risk (rivers and sea, surface water and past flooding), radon, coal mining and other underground workings, contaminated land (the council's register under section 78R of the Environmental Protection Act 1990), landfill nearby, Japanese knotweed, and energy (the EPC and the minimum energy standard for letting).
A full environmental search from the main providers typically costs £46 to £80 on its own, more inside a full search pack. The reports with an expert's review interpret anything flagged; data-only reports cost less but leave the interpretation to the conveyancer.
Certaby's property sale checks are not an environmental search. They screen the buyer and seller against the sanctions lists (with PEP if you choose), trace a company buyer or seller to its owners, and show the property's flood risk, EPC, radon band, coal mining, landfill nearby and knotweed records. Order the environmental search as usual.
Source: Law Society: property
Last updated 27 October 2026.