Richard Fairs: Career, Expertise, and Life With Miranda Hart

When comedian and author Miranda Hart quietly revealed in 2024 that she had married Richard Fairs, many fans were caught by surprise. Hart, known for her self-deprecating humor and privacy, had kept her relationship entirely out of the spotlight.

As headlines spread about the mould specialist who stole Miranda’s heart, the public naturally asked: Who is Richard Fairs?

The answer reveals not a celebrity, but a seasoned professional — a man who has spent decades diagnosing and restoring some of Britain’s most intricate and historically sensitive buildings. Behind the viral soundbites is a story of craftsmanship, technical mastery, and a commitment to conservation that long predates any mention in entertainment news.

This article explores the full professional portrait of Richard Fairs — from his early career as a chartered building surveyor to his leadership at The Building Consultancy Ltd, his specialisation in heritage and conservation, and finally, a look at the personal life that has recently brought him unexpected fame.

Who Is Richard Fairs?

Richard William Fairs is a British chartered building surveyor and the Managing Director of The Building Consultancy Ltd, a Bristol-based surveying and building consultancy practice he founded in 1998.

He has more than 35 years of professional experience, having qualified as a chartered surveyor in 1989. Fairs holds multiple professional credentials, including:

• BSc (Bachelor of Science)

• DipBldgCons (Diploma in Building Conservation)

• MRICS (Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)

• MBEng (Member of a Building Engineering institute)

These qualifications represent not just academic achievements, but a lifelong engagement with building science, heritage preservation, and defect diagnosis.

Unlike many professionals thrust into public attention, Fairs’ expertise is documented in official records and industry registers long before any media spotlight — including his listing on the UK Companies House register, confirming his directorship and ownership of his firm.

Early Career and Qualification

Richard Fairs qualified as a chartered building surveyor in 1989, a period when the property sector in the UK was seeing major regulatory modernization.

After earning his professional status from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) — a globally respected body that enforces ethical and technical standards — Fairs spent several years in private practice. He later took on senior roles in the regional surveying divisions of national agencies, managing teams responsible for high-value and heritage-sensitive projects.

By the mid-1990s, Fairs had built a reputation for practical expertise and methodical judgment — qualities that matter most in the surveying profession. Unlike architects or engineers, a surveyor’s value lies in their diagnostic accuracy, their ability to see through walls metaphorically, and to translate that insight into clear, defensible advice for clients.

In 1998, he founded The Building Consultancy Ltd, bringing together his experience under one independent, client-focused firm.

The Building Consultancy Ltd — A Bristol-Based Practice

A Firm Built on Experience and Detail

Founded in 1998, The Building Consultancy Ltd is a specialist surveying firm headquartered in Bristol, UK.
Its mission is straightforward but deeply valuable: provide expert building surveys, conservation advice, and defect analysis with honest, senior-level attention.

Fairs’ decision to establish a smaller consultancy was deliberate. After years in large firms, he saw the need for a boutique practice where clients could deal directly with an experienced chartered surveyor, not a rotating junior team.

The company’s official site lists its core services as:

• Building Condition Surveys (pre-purchase and pre-lease)

• Defect Diagnosis (including damp, mould, and structural movement)

• Building Conservation and Restoration Advice

• Dilapidations and Lease-End Reports

• Party Wall Matters

• Project Management and Maintenance Planning

These services serve both private clients — often owners of historic or listed properties — and corporate or institutional clients needing expert building assessments.

What Does a Chartered Building Surveyor Do?

A building surveyor is one of the most trusted advisors in the property sector. Their job is to inspect, assess, and protect the built environment — identifying defects, evaluating condition, and recommending solutions that balance cost, safety, and heritage value.

While an architect designs and a builder constructs, the surveyor is the interpreter between the building and the owner.

Typical duties include:

• Diagnosing defects like damp, mould, subsidence, or roof leaks

• Advising on repairs and materials, especially in historic structures

• Preparing detailed condition reports before purchase or lease

• Managing dilapidation negotiations between landlords and tenants

• Coordinating conservation works to ensure heritage compliance

• Advising on planning permissions for listed buildings

In short, a building surveyor is the person who helps property owners understand what their building is trying to tell them — before small issues become costly crises.

Conservation and Heritage Expertise

One of Fairs’ defining specialisms is building conservation. His Diploma in Building Conservation (DipBldgCons) signals advanced study in how to repair and maintain historic buildings with respect for their original fabric and methods.

Why Conservation Expertise Matters

The UK has an estimated 500,000 listed buildings, many of which predate modern construction methods. These structures require:

• Breathable materials (e.g., lime mortar rather than cement)

• Traditional techniques (e.g., timber framing or leadwork)

• Careful moisture management

Using modern materials inappropriately — such as plastic paints, impermeable sealants, or cement renders — can trap moisture and cause catastrophic long-term damage.

A conservation-trained surveyor like Fairs understands these subtleties. His reports go beyond “fix the damp” to address why the damp occurred, what traditional materials should be used, and how to prevent recurrence — often saving clients thousands and preserving the historical integrity of their property.

Diagnosing Mould and Damp — An Unlikely Love Story

It’s poetic, in a way, that mould — the bane of many homeowners — would be the thing that introduced Richard Fairs to Miranda Hart.

In late 2024, The Independent reported that Hart had met Fairs when she sought professional help for a persistent mould problem in her home. Their first professional meeting evolved into a personal connection, and they later married in July 2024, after a private courtship away from public eyes.

While tabloids focused on the romantic angle, professionals noticed something else: the situation highlighted the importance of proper mould diagnosis — not just cleaning visible spores, but identifying underlying moisture causes.

According to industry best practices:

• Mould is rarely the primary issue — it’s a symptom.

• Common triggers include poor ventilation, thermal bridging, and trapped moisture.

• Long-term fixes require scientific analysis and fabric-appropriate interventions, not just aesthetic cleaning.

As a surveyor, Fairs’ job in such cases is to trace cause and effect, ensuring that remediation is sustainable and doesn’t compromise the building fabric — exactly the sort of work he’s trained to perform.

Credentials and Professional Standards

Chartered Status — MRICS

MRICS stands for Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a globally recognized credential that signifies professional competence, integrity, and adherence to strict ethical standards.
Members must undergo rigorous assessment and continuous professional development (CPD) to maintain their license.

Fairs’ MRICS status confirms he’s been professionally vetted and bound by the RICS Global Professional and Ethical Standards, which emphasize:

1. Acting with integrity

2. Providing high-quality, objective advice

3. Maintaining client confidentiality

4. Managing conflicts of interest responsibly

5. Keeping up to date with technical developments

Diploma in Building Conservation (DipBldgCons)

This postgraduate-level qualification demonstrates expertise in heritage conservation, traditional materials, and regulatory frameworks for listed and historic buildings. It covers:

• Historic building pathology

• Repair techniques

• Conservation ethics

• Planning law for heritage assets

It’s one of the most advanced qualifications in the field of building conservation.

MBEng — Building Engineering Expertise

The MBEng post-nominal indicates membership of a professional engineering body related to building science. This complements Fairs’ surveying background with additional technical depth in building performance, materials behavior, and energy efficiency.

Verification and Governance

Public data confirms the legitimacy and transparency of Fairs’ business credentials:

• Companies House (UK) lists Richard William Fairs, born February 1964, as Director and Person with Significant Control of The Building Consultancy Ltd.

• He has held that position since May 1998.

• He owns at least 75% of the company’s shares and voting rights.

These details, publicly accessible through the UK government’s company register, underline his long-term commitment, ownership responsibility, and financial transparency — key indicators of trustworthiness for clients hiring professional consultants.

Philosophy: Detail, Integrity, and Practical Wisdom

Every seasoned surveyor eventually develops a professional philosophy. In Fairs’ case, that philosophy seems grounded in clarity, evidence, and empathy.

1. Diagnose, Don’t Assume

Buildings rarely “go wrong” overnight. Problems like cracks, damp, or settlement often stem from slow, cumulative factors. A surveyor’s job is to trace patterns, not just describe symptoms.

2. Respect the Building’s Story

Every property tells a story through its materials and layout. Older buildings were designed to breathe, move, and age gracefully. Conservation specialists like Fairs view interventions as collaboration with history, not confrontation.

3. Communicate Clearly

Good surveyors translate technical findings into plain, actionable language. Clients need to understand not just what’s wrong, but why it matters and how to fix it safely.

4. Serve with Integrity

A chartered professional’s greatest asset is trust. Clients rely on their surveyor’s word when making six-figure decisions. Fairs’ long tenure in the field suggests a reputation for honesty, caution, and competence.

The Personal Side: Marriage to Miranda Hart

In October 2024, Miranda Hart publicly shared that she had married Richard Fairs a few months earlier, in a private ceremony in July.

The announcement took fans by surprise — not because of the marriage itself, but because of how quietly the couple had kept their relationship.

In her remarks, Hart described her husband as “a wonderful, kind, and very grounded man,” someone who entered her life through a professional encounter (a mould inspection) and became a trusted partner through shared humor and warmth.

The couple now live largely outside of the media eye, splitting time between Bristol and London, according to limited public reports.

Fairs, for his part, remains devoted to his surveying work, seemingly unfazed by the sudden curiosity surrounding his name.

Lessons from Richard Fairs’ Career

Richard Fairs’ professional journey offers valuable lessons for both property owners and aspiring surveyors:

For Homeowners and Property Investors

• Hire accredited professionals. Always choose MRICS-qualified surveyors for reliable, ethical advice.

• Investigate, don’t ignore defects. Early expert diagnosis prevents costly structural damage.

• For period buildings, go traditional. Conservation expertise prevents irreversible mistakes.

• Demand transparency. Check company filings and professional registrations.

For Young Professionals in Surveying

• Specialise early. Fairs’ conservation focus sets him apart in a crowded field.

• Value ethics over marketing. His career proves that reputation grows from integrity, not visibility.

• Stay current. Continuous learning and accreditation sustain long-term credibility.

• Embrace interdisciplinary thinking. Combining engineering, conservation, and communication yields more holistic solutions.

A Snapshot Timeline

Why Richard Fairs Embodies Professional Trust

If one theme defines Richard Fairs’ life, it’s quiet competence.
He exemplifies the kind of professional many people rely on but rarely notice — those who fix hidden problems, preserve heritage buildings, and ensure that the homes we live in are safe, healthy, and sustainable.

In an age of influencer culture, Fairs’ grounded professionalism feels refreshingly authentic. His decades of unglamorous, technical work underscore a truth every homeowner learns eventually: the best experts are often the least flashy.

What We Can Learn From His Story

1. Technical expertise can coexist with humility. Fairs’ discretion, even amid media curiosity, demonstrates professional maturity.

2. Love sometimes finds you through work. His meeting with Miranda Hart was both unexpected and endearing — a reminder that meaningful connections can arise from life’s most mundane situations.

3. Trust is built, not bought. His career reflects slow, steady credibility earned through competence and integrity.

4. Legacy work matters. By helping preserve old buildings, Fairs indirectly preserves community heritage and history.

Final Thoughts

The sudden fame surrounding Richard Fairs might have started with a celebrity marriage, but his life story belongs not to tabloids, but to the quiet dignity of professional craftsmanship.

For more than three decades, he has surveyed, safeguarded, and stewarded some of Britain’s most complex properties. His work ensures that homes remain habitable, history remains intact, and owners make informed decisions about their most valuable assets.

In an industry often overlooked until things go wrong, Fairs stands as an example of what true expertise looks like — calm, diligent, ethical, and precise.

So while most headlines will remember him as “Miranda Hart’s husband,” perhaps the more enduring title is the one he’s earned through years of practice:
Chartered Building Surveyor, Conservation Specialist, and Trusted Advisor.

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