What a Great Day at the SAVA Expo 2026
What a day. The SAVA Expo 2026 brought together surveyors at every stage of their career, from students and apprentices taking their first steps to experienced professionals weighing up what comes next. Carpenter Surveyors was proud to be part of it.
Our MD Ian Bullock and Surveyor Charles Riley spent the day on the stand, and the conversations didn't stop. Here's a look back at what we were there to talk about, and a big thank you to everyone who came to say hello.
L-R: Charles Riley and Ian Bullock
Backing the next generation of surveyors
The future of our profession depends on the people coming through it now. That's why events like SAVA matter so much to us.
Throughout the day, Ian and Charles spoke with students, trainees and newly qualified surveyors about building a career in residential surveying. The questions were thoughtful and the ambition was clear to see. If you stopped by for advice, we hope it helped, and we'd love to hear how you get on.
Charles also stepped in front of the camera for an interview on the day, sharing his perspective on the profession and what Carpenter is building. Keep an eye on our channels for more.
Introducing the Carpenter Partner Programme
For experienced surveyors, the message on our stand was simple: you've built the experience, now build something of your own.
The Independent Carpenter Partner Programme is designed for residential surveyors who want more control over their time, their income and their future, without giving up the professional standards they've built their reputation on. There are three pathways:
Independent Consultant: for surveyors who value flexibility and complete control over their diary, workload and the clients they take on.
Limited Company Partner: for surveyors who want to build their own business through their own limited company, backed by Carpenter's brand, systems and support.
Regional Growth Partner: for surveyors with leadership ambitions who want to build and lead a regional team as Carpenter grows.
Whichever route fits, partners are independent but never alone. Our team handles enquiries, bookings and client communication, Surventrix technology streamlines reporting, and ongoing CPD and mentoring come through BEST Training. Behind it all sits a reputation built since 1988, with more than 15,000 surveys completed and a 4.9 star Google rating.
It was brilliant to talk the programme through with so many surveyors on the day. If you picked up a brochure and want to continue the conversation, we'd love to hear from you.
Listed building advice with BEST Training
Older buildings behave differently, and surveying them well takes specialist knowledge. That's the thinking behind BEST Training, which Carpenter Surveyors created alongside Stephen Boniface of BE Conservation.
BEST Training offers practitioner-led CPD for surveyors, architects and contractors working on listed and traditional buildings, and is recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC). On the stand, Ian shared advice on listed buildings and talked visitors through the two online courses:
Core Module: historic and traditional buildings: an introduction to building conservation, listed building myth-busting, and common timber and damp issues in timber and brick buildings. 10 hours CPD.
Investigating Moisture in Traditional Buildings: 50 lessons with guest contributors, benchmarked against the 2022 Joint Position Statement from RICS, Historic England and the PCA. 13 hours CPD.
Both courses are online and self-paced, alongside one-day walk-and-talk events and hands-on workshops at historic sites through the year. Find out more at thebesttraining.co.uk.
Thank you, SAVA
A huge thank you to the SAVA team for organising such a well-run event, to our fellow exhibitors, and to every surveyor who took the time to stop by the stand. Days like this remind us why we love this profession: it's built on people, and great surveying has always been about people.
Whether you're just starting out, thinking about your next chapter, or looking to sharpen your skills with historic buildings, we'd love to continue the conversation. Get in touch with the Carpenter Surveyors team to find out more about the Partner Programme, or visit BEST Training to explore our heritage CPD courses.
See you next year.