What a damp and timber survey includes
A damp and timber survey is the specialist inspection most mortgage valuers ask for when they see damp staining, mould, or suspect decayed timber. It goes further than a general homebuyer report: we measure moisture, identify the mechanism causing it, and inspect the structural timbers that moisture puts at risk.
Damp diagnosis
Moisture meter readings to walls, floors and skirtings, with deep-wall measurement or salt analysis where needed, to separate rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation.
Structural timber inspection
Joist ends, wall plates, bearings, floorboards, skirtings, staircases, window frames and roof timbers checked for wet rot and dry rot where access permits.
Wood-boring insect check
Inspection for common furniture beetle (woodworm), death watch beetle and other infestation, including whether activity is historic or ongoing.
Lender-ready written report
A clear report with photographs, readings, cause of each defect, and costed remedial recommendations in a format lenders, solicitors and insurers accept.
Why lenders ask for a damp and timber report
A valuer is not a damp specialist. When they see a tide mark, black mould or a soft skirting, the safe action is to recommend a specialist report and, often, to hold a retention until it is provided. Our report answers the three questions the lender needs: what is the defect, what caused it, and what does putting it right actually involve.
Because we are independent and carry out no remedial work, the recommendations reflect the evidence only. In many cases the true fix is repairing gutters, pointing, external ground levels or ventilation rather than a chemical damp-proof course.
What we find in Midlands properties
Eighteen years surveying the same streets means we know what a retention in each area usually comes down to. These are the recurring findings across the region:
Raised ground levels on Black Country terraces
Concrete drives, patios and pavement resurfacing in Bilston, Tipton, Wednesbury, Oldbury and Smethwick have bridged the original slate damp-proof course on thousands of terraces. The tide mark looks like textbook rising damp; the fix is usually excavation and drainage, not an injected chemical course.
Cellars in Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Burton
Victorian cellars are meant to breathe. We frequently find joist ends and wall plates decaying above tanked or sealed cellars, and dry rot travelling up into the ground-floor structure. Valuers almost always retain funds when they see this, and the report scope matters enormously to the cost.
Failed cavity fill in 1930s semis
Across Walsall, Dudley, Sutton Coldfield and Cannock, slumped or saturated retro-fill insulation carries water across the cavity to the inner leaf. The result is penetrating damp at first-floor level on the weather elevation — nothing a ground-floor damp-proof course will touch.
Timber frame in Shropshire and Worcestershire
Period timber-framed and lath-and-plaster property around Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Worcester and Stratford-upon-Avon needs sympathetic assessment. Cement render and modern impermeable paints trap moisture in the frame and cause the very decay the lender is worried about.
Flood-affected property near the Severn and Avon
In Worcester, Bewdley, Upton, Evesham and Tewkesbury we assess post-flood residual moisture and salt contamination in walls and floor timbers, and state plainly what has genuinely dried and what has not.
Historic woodworm mistaken for live infestation
The most common unnecessary expense we prevent. Clean, greyed flight holes with no fresh bore dust mean an infestation that ended decades ago. We state whether activity is live or historic, so you are not paying to treat a problem that has already stopped.
Damp and timber reports near you
We survey from Wolverhampton WV10, so most of the region is within a short drive and there is no travel surcharge. Purchase in progress? We can usually attend within the same week and issue the report within 48 hours of the visit.
Not listed? See all 69 towns we cover.
Damp and timber report: what you receive
Your damp and timber report is written to be read by a lender, a solicitor and a builder without translation. Every report contains:
- 1Property details, date of inspection, weather conditions and the extent of access achieved
- 2The surveyor's CSRT accreditation and LM3DMC qualification details
- 3A room-by-room and elevation-by-elevation schedule of findings
- 4Moisture meter readings recorded at set heights, with deep-wall readings or salt analysis where the diagnosis requires them
- 5Annotated photographs of every defect, plus thermal images where condensation or cold-bridging is involved
- 6A clear statement of the cause of each defect — not just the symptom
- 7Timber condition findings covering wet rot, dry rot and wood-boring insect activity, and whether activity is live or historic
- 8Costed remedial recommendations in priority order, with any limitations and further-investigation notes
Timber defects we identify
Wet rot
By far the most common timber decay. Caused by sustained moisture from a leak, defective gutter, failed threshold or bridged cavity. The timber becomes soft, darkened and stringy. Fix the water source and replace only the affected timber — widespread chemical treatment is rarely justified.
Dry rot
Serpula lacrymans spreads through masonry and can travel well beyond the original damp area, leaving cuboidal cracking and a mushroom-like smell. It needs correct identification, moisture control and a properly specified scope — misdiagnosis here is expensive in both directions.
Woodworm (common furniture beetle)
Small round flight holes with fresh bore dust indicate live activity; clean, greyed holes usually indicate a historic infestation that needs no treatment. We state which it is, so you are not treating a problem that ended decades ago.
Death watch beetle & structural infestation
Mostly found in old hardwood in period properties. We assess structural significance, joist-end and wall-plate bearings, and whether the affected members still carry load safely.
Damp and timber survey vs. a contractor's free inspection
A free inspection from a damp-proofing contractor ends in a quotation, because that is the business model. Ours ends in a diagnosis. In practice a large proportion of the "rising damp" we are asked to confirm turns out to be penetrating damp from defective rainwater goods, raised external ground levels, bridged cavities, plumbing leaks, or condensation caused by inadequate ventilation — none of which is cured by injecting a chemical damp-proof course into the wall.
Where ventilation is the underlying cause we will say so and specify the correct system rather than remedial masonry work — see our positive input ventilation and domestic ventilation design page.
How the survey works, step by step
Instruction
Send the property address, the postcode and the valuer's or lender's wording. We confirm a fixed fee and the earliest appointment, usually within a few working days.
External inspection
Ground levels, render, pointing, DPC line, gutters, downpipes, flashings, thresholds, airbricks and sub-floor ventilation.
Internal inspection & metering
Room-by-room moisture profiling, plus loft, cellar and sub-floor voids where access permits.
Timber assessment
Joist ends, wall plates, bearings, floorboards, skirtings, staircases, window frames and roof timbers.
Report issued
Full written damp and timber report with photographs, readings and costed recommendations within 24-48 hours.
Who needs a damp and timber survey?
- Homebuyers whose mortgage valuation has recommended a specialist damp and timber report
- Lenders or brokers requiring a report before releasing a retention
- Sellers wanting evidence before a buyer's valuation raises questions
- Landlords and letting agents dealing with damp, mould or timber decay complaints
- Social housing providers needing independent evidence for disrepair claims
- Owners quoted for damp-proofing or timber treatment who want an unbiased second opinion
Unsure what you're seeing? Read our signs of damp guide or check typical prices in the damp survey cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a damp and timber survey?
A specialist inspection of walls, floors and structural timbers covering rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation, wet rot, dry rot and wood-boring insect activity, supported by moisture readings and photographs.
Why has my lender asked for a damp and timber report?
Valuers flag visible damp or decayed timber and often apply a retention. A specialist report establishes the cause and the genuine scope of remedial work so the lender can release funds.
How much does a damp and timber report cost in Wolverhampton or Birmingham?
From £180 for a standard West Midlands terrace or semi, up to around £400 plus VAT for larger or period properties. We are based in Wolverhampton WV10, so there is no travel charge across the Black Country, Birmingham, Staffordshire, Shropshire or Worcestershire. The fee is fixed before booking.
Which areas do you cover?
Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Walsall, Dudley, West Bromwich, Smethwick, Stourbridge, Cannock, Stafford, Lichfield, Telford, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Kidderminster, Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent and 55 more towns across the Midlands, Shropshire and mid-Wales — usually with a same-week appointment.
How quickly do I get the report?
The inspection takes one to three hours and the written report is normally issued within 24-48 hours.