It is worth bearing in mind that there is nothing to stop anybody from describing themselves as a marine surveyor, it is therefore up to you to establish whether your surveyor is fit for the job.
A good starting point is to ensure that the surveyor is a member of an appropriate professional society or association. These should not be confused with various trade organizations that do not set out to monitor professional standards.
These societies or associations, have a vested interest in their member’s good reputation, set minimum educational qualifications, have continuous professional development programs and expect surveyors to work to a code of conduct, which often includes a requirement to have professional indemnity insurance.
Different types of vessels and materials will require different surveying equipment and techniques and it is important to ensure that the surveyor has the appropriate expertise.
A surveyor’s experience and reputation can prove harder to determine, but you can get an idea from the professionalism of a surveyor’s presentation and also by local recommendation.