From the Trades to Chartered Building Surveyor with Lewis Denbow Artwork

This is Surveying

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All Episodes

This is Surveying

From the Trades to Chartered Building Surveyor with Lewis Denbow

March 03, 2026 • Nina Young - Surveyors UK

0:00 | 26:14

Summary

Lewis Denbow, chartered building surveyor at Harris Associates, joins me to share his journey from an electrical apprenticeship into building surveying. We talk about apprenticeships, the APC, communication skills, and why the trades could play a huge role in solving the surveying skills shortage.

What we cover

An unorthodox route into building surveying
Degree apprenticeships and accessibility
Lessons from the trades
Communication and client relationships
Project management and stakeholder management
Advice for those starting out in surveying

Guest links

Lewis Denbow on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewisdenbow/
Harris Associates – https://www.harrisassociatesuk.com/

Useful links

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – https://www.rics.org/

Guest Bio

Lewis Denbow is a chartered building surveyor at Harris Associates, a national award-winning built environment consultancy. He entered the profession through an unconventional route, starting in the electrical trade before completing a degree apprenticeship and achieving chartership. Lewis now works across building surveying and project management, with a strong focus on communication, stakeholder management, and practical problem-solving.

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