The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is the pinnacle of the Quantity Surveying profession. Achieving membership with RICS can open doors to higher salaries, senior roles, and greater professional recognition.
Most surveyors will be familiar with the main membership routes: AssocRICS, MRICS, and FRICS. But there is one final grade of membership that is far less known and even rarer: HonRICS.
RICS Membership Breakdown
According to the RICS membership register, there are currently 111,903 members split into the following groups:
- AssocRICS – 6,559 members (5.9%)
- MRICS – 89,788 members (80.1%)
- FRICS – 15,447 members (13.8%)
- HonRICS – 109 members (0.09%)
As these numbers show, HonRICS is by far the rarest grade of RICS membership.
What Is HonRICS?
HonRICS stands for Honorary Membership of RICS. Unlike other grades, you do not need to complete the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), maintain a CPD diary, or attend a professional interview. Instead, RICS awards this title to individuals in recognition of extraordinary achievements.
HonRICS is not just for Quantity Surveyors—recipients may come from across the fields that RICS covers, including land, property, construction, and the built environment.
How Do You Get HonRICS?
Unfortunately, this is where it becomes clear why the grade is so rare. There are only two realistic routes:
- Exceptional Achievement – Individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to the profession or to society in areas aligned with RICS may be considered.
- Royalty – Members of the Royal Family, including King Charles III and the late Duke of Edinburgh, have been granted honorary membership.
Unlike other RICS pathways, HonRICS cannot be applied for. It is awarded at the discretion of the Institution.
Why Is HonRICS So Rare?
With only 109 recipients worldwide, HonRICS is an exclusive recognition that very few professionals will ever achieve. It is reserved for those who stand out not just within Quantity Surveying, but across the entire built environment sector.
Conclusion
So, how rare is HonRICS? Extremely rare. And how do you get it? By achieving extraordinary things in your career or, more uniquely, by being Royalty.
For most surveyors, the pathway remains through AssocRICS, MRICS, and FRICS. But understanding the existence of HonRICS highlights just how far-reaching RICS recognition can go.
If you want to keep progressing in your career, the best place to start is by keeping up with the latest Quantity Surveying knowledge, tools, and professional updates—so you’re always moving closer to the next step. Visit metroun.co.uk
