Resident Surveys in Retrofit: What to Ask and When

Resident engagement through targeted surveying is fundamental to delivering successful retrofit programmes. Well-designed surveys provide crucial insight into occupant needs, baseline conditions, and post-completion satisfaction—yet many retrofit projects underutilise this tool or ask the wrong questions at the wrong time.

This guide outlines best practice in resident surveying across the retrofit lifecycle, helping you gather actionable data that improves project delivery and compliance.

Why Resident Surveys Matter in Retrofit

Retrofit work directly affects how residents experience their homes. Surveys serve multiple purposes:

• Understanding baseline comfort, heating patterns and energy behaviour
• Identifying health conditions that retrofit may address or exacerbate
• Capturing concerns about disruption, access, and works timing
• Building trust and buy-in before works commence
• Measuring actual performance improvements post-completion
• Gathering evidence for compliance, reporting, and future funding

Survey data also informs design decisions. A resident reporting damp in a specific room or preference for natural ventilation should influence specification choices and installation approaches.

The Three-Stage Survey Approach

Stage 1: Pre-Retrofit Assessment Survey

Conduct this survey 4–8 weeks before works commence. Its purpose is to establish baseline conditions and prepare residents psychologically and practically.

Key questions to include:

• Current heating fuel, annual spend, and satisfaction with warmth (1–10 scale)
• Presence of damp, condensation, or mould—specific locations and frequency
• Respiratory or health conditions (asthma, allergies) that retrofit may impact
• Current ventilation practices (window opening frequency, extractor fan use)
• Pets, mobility issues, or other access requirements for installer safety
• Preferred contact times and communication method
• Concerns about disruption, noise, or dust during works
• Permission for photographs of current conditions (for PAS2035 compliance)

Keep this survey to one A4 page or a 10-minute phone call. Longer surveys suffer from poor completion rates.

Stage 2: Mid-Works Check-In (Optional but Recommended)

For projects lasting more than 6–8 weeks, a brief mid-project contact point maintains engagement and surfaces problems early.

What to ask:

1. Are works progressing as explained?
2. Any safety, access, or housekeeping concerns?
3. Any health impacts (dust, noise, loss of heating)?
4. Questions or changes needed?

This can be a simple phone call or text survey. Its value lies in demonstrating responsiveness and catching issues before project completion.

Stage 3: Post-Retrofit Impact Survey

Conduct this 6–12 weeks after works finish, allowing time for residents to adjust to new systems and for seasonal patterns to emerge.

Essential questions:

• Satisfaction with indoor temperature control (1–10 scale)
• Changes in damp, condensation, or mould since works
• Perceived energy bill changes (if metering data not yet available)
• Any new or resolved health impacts (respiratory, allergic symptoms)
• Understanding and satisfaction with new heating/ventilation systems
• Actual usage patterns of new controls or ventilation features
• Overall satisfaction with works quality and installer conduct
• Likelihood to recommend retrofit (Net Promoter Score)

This survey is critical for performance measurement. It captures subjective comfort improvements that may not appear in energy data alone, and identifies if residents are using systems correctly.

Survey Best Practice

Format and Length

Shorter surveys achieve higher completion rates. Aim for:

• Online surveys: 8–12 questions maximum (3–5 minutes)
• Paper surveys: One side of A4 or one page maximum
• Phone surveys: 10 minutes or less

Question Design

Use Likert scales (1–10 or strongly agree/disagree) for consistency in comparing baseline and post-retrofit data. Include a small number of open-ended questions for context, but keep these optional.

Avoid jargon. Residents may not understand "thermal bridging" or "air permeability"—ask instead about draughts, cold walls, or outdoor noise intrusion.

Timing and Method

Offer multiple completion methods: online links, paper forms, phone calls, or in-person visits. Residents with low digital literacy or accessibility needs must not be excluded.

Send pre-retrofit surveys with the retrofit letter. Distribute post-retrofit surveys via the method residents indicated during the pre-retrofit stage.

Response Rates

Target a minimum 60% response rate for statistically useful data. Strategies to improve this:

• Keep surveys brief
• Explain why responses matter (project evaluation, future funding evidence)
• Offer incentives if budget allows (small vouchers, prize draw)
• Allow multiple completion routes
• Send one reminder 7–10 days after initial request

Data Use and Reporting

Survey data should inform:

• Project delivery: Resident feedback on installer conduct, communication, and care influences handover quality
• Warranty and callbacks: Post-retrofit issues raised in surveys should trigger site revisits within weeks, not months
• Replicability: Where residents report high satisfaction and measurable improvements, document the specification and installation approach for future projects
• Compliance reporting: PAS2035 requires evidence of occupant satisfaction and performance verification—survey data is primary evidence
• Future funding bids: Demonstrable resident satisfaction and comfort improvements strengthen business cases for additional retrofit investment

Conclusion

Resident surveys are not optional add-ons—they are essential tools for understanding retrofit impact, building accountability, and creating evidence for programme success. Used strategically at three key points in the project lifecycle, surveys generate data that improves both current delivery and future retrofit design.