In a paper presented at the 1996 International Marine Applications of Composite Materials Conference (MACM 96) entitled How Boats Get Damaged, A Marine Surveyor's Perspective the author, Gregory T. Davis NAMS-CMS, cites statistics gathered from Insurance company boat claims that suggest you may need one.
http://www.boats.com/boat-survey/faq.jsp
If you want the bottom inspected on boats in the water you will need to arrange for haulout and pay for this before the survey appointment. The surveyor won't be able to take things apart (destructive testing) because you don't own the boat.
http://www.boats.com/boat-survey/faq.jsp
The price will vary according to the experience of the surveyor, type of survey required and location of the boat. It is usually a standard fee per foot based on the boat's length and beam.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/2790592/Buying-a-boat-avoid-that-sinking-feeling-and-carry-out-a-survey.html
$16.00 per foot for pleasure craft. $18.00 per foot for commercial craft. (Mileage or additional expenses may also be applicable.) All fees subject to change without notice. The charges cover only the actual cost of the survey and any non-destructive testing (such as laminate moisture).
http://www.boats.com/boat-survey/faq.jsp
Their pre-purchase surveys vary in price from £10 per foot to £12 per foot for an in and out of the water survey including a sea trial. Unusually, they do not even charge travel costs if the vessel is within 70 miles of Chichester. So it is likely to cost in the region of £400 to have a 33ft boat surveyed. That is quite a lot of money to spend if you decide not to proceed with the purchase, but small change if it means you save a great deal more by avoiding a sinking ship.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/2790592/Buying-a-boat-avoid-that-sinking-feeling-and-carry-out-a-survey.html
Allow at least one working day for a survey of a 33ft yacht and a further five days for the report to be prepared. Most surveyors prefer to spend some time to reflect on their findings rather than give an off-the-cuff view, so be patient.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/2790592/Buying-a-boat-avoid-that-sinking-feeling-and-carry-out-a-survey.html
RE: How much $$ for a boat survey. That's for a full hull survey, in and out of the water, a compression check of the motor(s), engine oil analysis, and hooking a computer up to the engines and getting a computer reading on the actual condition and hours of the motors.
http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/35390-how-much-boat-survey.html
The surveyor you hire to do your inspection knows this and about the other areas covered in the federal regulations and ABYC Standards and Recommended Practices. But the boat I'm looking at looks brand new; a survey will be a waste of money.
http://www.boats.com/boat-survey/faq.jsp
RE: How much $$ for a boat survey. I had one done a year ago on a 2680 Glacier Bay and paid $11 per foot (26 foot), plus the cost of the compression check ($100).
http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/35390-how-much-boat-survey.html
Posts: 640. RE: How much $$ for a boat survey. You can figure on $12-$18 per foot for a hull survey, and basic engine check. A hull survey with full engine survey usually runs $20-$25 per foot.
http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/35390-how-much-boat-survey.html
how much does a boat survey cost
A boat survey cost is likely to cost in the region of £400, to have a 33 feet boat surveyed.   The boat survey cost around £400 to have a 33ft boat surveyed.