RVA Successfully Reduces Client’s Business Rates by over £55,000!
Case study:
Lifting and Industrial Equipment Supplier | West Midlands
Supplier of one of the largest ranges in lifting and mechanical handling equipment in the UK received two reductions in business rates through RVA Surveyors.
KEY
FACTS
£55,484.20
TOTAL SAVINGS
Warehouse
PROPERTY TYPE
April ’26
REVIEW COMPLETED
The Client
With sites across the West Midlands and Sheffield, our client is one of the UK’s largest suppliers and manufacturers of lifting, marine, rope, and mechanical handling equipment, and assigned RVA Surveyors to carry out reviews of five properties in the 2023 rating list.
During the initial review, the client’s warehouse in Cradley Heath secured a reduction of £14,000, lowering its business rates liability from £199,000 to £185,000.
At RVA Surveyors, every property is reviewed annually to identify further opportunities for savings and in preparation for the 2026 rating list, our savings specialists uncovered another opportunity to reduce the business rates liability for the Cradley Heath property.
The Challenge
To assess commercial properties and determine their rateable values (RV), the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) group similar properties into valuation schemes and applies a base rate price range for floor areas (tone per m²) and units such as air conditioning.
During the review, our surveyor identified that several comparable properties within the same valuation scheme had received reductions in tone (m²). Using this evidence, a Check was submitted to the VOA on behalf of our client. If successful, the review could result in a substantial reduction in business rates and liabilities.
The Solution
To support the Check submission, our surveyor gathered detailed evidence of the comparable properties that had received tone reductions, along with lease documentation and updated floor measurements of the client’s premises. Together, this evidence demonstrated that the property’s valuation should be reduced.
But due to the significant level of savings our client could receive, the VOA requested an on-site inspection to carry out its own assessment of the premises and review the evidence first hand.
The Outcome
Following the VOA’s inspection and review of the evidence provided by our surveyor, the Check submission was accepted. As a result, the client secured total savings of £55,484.20 backdated to the start of the 2023 rating list.
This case highlights the importance of ongoing business rates reviews and the value of identifying changes within comparable valuation schemes. Through detailed analysis, strong supporting evidence and expert advice, RVA Surveyors was able to secure a substantial reduction in liabilities for the client.
