A pre-purchase boat survey costs roughly €550 to €1,600 for an 8 to 12 m (26–39 ft) sailboat or motorboat, and €1,100 to €3,500 for boats from 12 to 20 m (39–66 ft). An insurance or finance valuation is cheaper, at €300 to €900, and a remote video inspection runs €190-320. On top of that you need a haul-out so the hull can be seen out of the water and, if the boat warrants it, an engine inspection by a specialist.
The figures are ranges in euros including VAT, based on fees published in 2025 and 2026 by marine surveyors in Spain, with the UK, Germany and the US for comparison. Every surveyor quotes differently, so use them to judge whether a quote is reasonable.
Boat survey prices in 2026: summary
The table above splits the pre-purchase survey by length and lists the services usually booked alongside it. To read it:
- A pre-purchase survey is the most thorough: the boat out of the water and afloat, a sea trial and a report with defects ranked by urgency.
- A valuation only gives a market value and a general condition. It is what insurers and lenders usually ask for.
- The engine inspection and oil analysis are extras that nearly always pay off on boats with inboard engines or high hours.
Some real figures to put the ranges in context:
- A nautical school at Port Garraf, near Barcelona, advertises an in-person pre-purchase inspection from €550 for boats up to 12 m, with a written report, hull and osmosis check, structure, rigging, electrics and a sea trial. Travel outside its area is extra and the haul-out is not included.
- A firm of surveyors in Andalusia puts a full survey of a 10-12 m sailboat or motorboat at around €1,500 including VAT, with two days of work, the boat in and out of the water and a sea trial. Its court surveys start at €600.
- In the UK, one surveyor lists its 2026 pre-purchase survey at £25 per foot with a £700 minimum, about €95 per metre. Another charges £16-25 per foot with a £480 minimum.
- In Germany, a surveyor publishes fixed prices of €1,200 plus VAT for boats up to 7 m, €1,400 up to 9 m and €1,600 up to 12 m, with the boat brought to its base.
- In California, a surveyor charges $27 per foot with a $550 minimum for boats under 50 ft.
So surveys of small and mid-sized boats tend to be somewhat cheaper in Spain than in northern Europe. The top of each range applies to wooden, steel or aluminium boats, multihulls, boats with lots of systems and surveyors who have to travel.
What the survey price includes
The surveyor's fee
This is almost the whole bill. Some surveyors charge per metre or per foot, others a fixed price per length band and others by the hour, typically €60-100 an hour. Surveying a 12 m sailboat can mean around 4 hours on board and another 5 or 6 writing the report, plus travel.
Haul-out to see the hull
The boatyard charges it, not the surveyor, but it is essential for a pre-purchase survey. Lifting a 10 m boat with a crane or travel lift, pressure-washing the hull and relaunching it usually costs €250-600 with a day ashore. The buyer normally pays. See our guide to boat haul-out costs for details.
Sea trial
Usually included in a full pre-purchase survey. It shows the engine under load, temperatures, vibration, steering and, on a sailboat, how she handles and the state of the sails. Fuel and a skipper, if needed, are down to the seller or negotiated.
Travel
If the boat is far from the surveyor's base, travel is charged: mileage, tolls, hours on the road and sometimes a hotel. Hiring a surveyor local to the boat usually saves a good amount.
Lab tests and specialists
An oil analysis costs €40-80 per sample. An engine inspection by a dealer mechanic or specialist costs €250-600 per engine. On larger boats you might add a rig inspection aloft, ultrasonic thickness readings on a steel hull or a generator check.
What changes the price
Length and type of boat
The bigger the boat, the more hours on board and the more pages in the report. Catamarans have two hulls and two engines, and many surveyors add up to 30% for multihulls.
Hull material
GRP is the most common and the quickest to survey. Wood means looking for rot and checking the fastenings. Steel and aluminium need thickness readings and a hunt for corrosion. All of them push the price up.
Age and systems on board
A 30-year-old boat with several refits, a generator, air conditioning, a watermaker and electronics from different decades takes much longer than a simple modern boat of the same length.
Scope of the report
A quick viewing to rule a boat out is not the same as a full pre-purchase report with a valuation. Ask what each quote includes before comparing them.
Real example: an 11 m used sailboat
Take an 18-year-old 11 m (36 ft) production sailboat, for sale at €70,000 in a marina in Mallorca:
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Pre-purchase survey with sea trial | €900 – 1,400 |
| Haul-out with pressure wash and a day ashore | €280 – 600 |
| Engine oil analysis | €50 – 70 |
| Total | €1,230 – 2,070 |
That is 1.8-3% of the asking price. If the survey finds, say, standing rigging at the end of its life (a €4,000-8,000 job on a boat like this) or the first signs of osmosis, the report pays for itself in the negotiation.
Do it yourself or hire a surveyor?
Checking the boat yourself before paying is useful to rule out boats you don't like: damp inside, rust stains on the rigging, an engine that is slow to start or no maintenance records. Our guide to inspecting a used boat has a full checklist.
But a surveyor brings what most buyers don't have: a moisture meter for the laminate, the experience to tell a good repair from a bodge, judgement on rigging and fittings, and a written report you can use to negotiate, for insurance and, if something goes wrong, as evidence. On a boat over 8 m or worth more than €20,000, a survey almost always pays off.
How to save without cutting corners
- Rule boats out first. Do the first viewing yourself or book a remote inspection before paying for a full survey and a haul-out.
- Hire a local surveyor. You save on travel, and they know the local boatyards and mechanics.
- Use a haul-out that is already planned. If the seller has to lift the boat for antifouling, book the survey for that day.
- Get the report and valuation together. Many insurers accept the pre-purchase report, which saves a separate valuation.
- Don't skimp on the sea trial or the haul-out. They are what uncovers the most expensive defects.
How to choose a marine surveyor
Ask before you hire:
- What training and experience do you have? Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
- Do you work for boatyards, brokers or sellers? A pre-purchase surveyor should work only for you.
- What does the report include? Do you rank defects by urgency? Do you give a valuation?
- Do you use a moisture meter? Do you do a sea trial?
- When will I get the report?
- Is travel included?
Warning signs: a surveyor recommended by the seller, a fixed price given without knowing the boat or its length, or a two-page report with no photos.
On Nautify you can find marine surveyors in Palma de Mallorca and in every other area, and contact them directly.
Conclusion
Surveying a used boat costs between €550 and €1,600 plus the haul-out for most leisure boats, usually 1-3% of the purchase price. It is the best money you will spend on a purchase: it either confirms the boat is sound or gives you grounds to renegotiate or walk away in time. Hire an independent, local surveyor, insist on seeing the hull out of the water and a sea trial, and get the report in writing.
