What is a motor final survey report, and what does it contain?
A motor final survey report is the surveyor's signed account of a claim: who and what was insured, what happened, what was damaged, and what the loss comes to after the policy's terms are applied. The insurer uses it to decide the claim, so every figure in it has to be explainable.
The sections, in the order they appear
- Policy details — the insurer, policy number, period of cover, insured declared value (IDV) and add-on covers such as zero depreciation.
- Particulars of the vehicle — registration, make and model, chassis and engine numbers, as verified from the registration certificate.
- Particulars of the driver — who was driving and whether their licence was valid for that vehicle on that date.
- Accident details — when, where and how the accident happened, as reported and as found.
- Survey details — when and where the surveyor inspected the vehicle.
- Load and third-party details — for goods vehicles, what was being carried; and whether any third party was injured or their property damaged.
- Physical description of the damage — part by part, what was found and whether it is to be repaired or replaced.
- Documents — which documents were verified, and how (for example, from the original or from the government's vehicle database).
- The assessment — labour, painting, glass, metal and rubber/plastic parts, each with depreciation and GST applied, and the parts covered under IMT-23 shown separately.
- Summary and net claim — the total, less the compulsory excess and any salvage, giving the net amount the surveyor assesses.
A practical example
Take a car whose front bumper and headlamp were damaged in a collision. The report would record the policy and its add-ons, confirm the RC and driving licence, describe the accident, list the bumper and headlamp under "damages", and then assess them: the bumper in the rubber/plastic table, the headlamp in the table for its material, labour and painting in their own tables. If the garage has billed the headlamp well above what that part usually costs, the surveyor notes it and assesses the fair amount.
Frequently asked questions
Is the final survey report the same as the spot survey report?
No. A spot survey records the scene and the damage soon after the accident. The final survey report comes after the repair estimate and the inspection, and carries the full assessment of the loss.
Does the vehicle owner get to see the report?
The report is prepared for the insurer. Ask your insurer if you need to know how your claim was assessed.
Why is the assessed amount lower than the garage's bill?
Mostly because of depreciation on parts and the compulsory excess, both set by the policy. Our depreciation guide works through an example.