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Damp surveys: the diagnosis comes before the quote
A damp survey should tell you what is wrong, why, and what to do about it, in enough detail that you could take the report to anybody. Most of what gets called a damp survey is an inspection carried out by a firm that sells the remedy, which is a different thing with a different incentive. We diagnose first and quote second, and the report stands on its own either way.
When a survey is worth having
- A homebuyer or building survey has flagged damp and recommended a specialist
- You have been quoted for invasive damp proofing and want to know whether it is justified
- Mould keeps returning in the same place each winter despite being cleaned
- You are a landlord or agent facing a reported damp and mould issue
- Work has been carried out already and the problem has come back
What the survey covers
Calibrated moisture readings taken across a grid rather than at the spots that look worst, so the shape and extent of the moisture is recorded and not just its peak. Surface temperatures, air temperature and relative humidity where condensation is in question, so the dew point conditions are on the record.
A full external inspection, which is where most of the answers are: ground levels against every elevation, drainage and gully condition, rainwater goods, roof coverings, flashings and junctions, pointing and render, and the presence and height of any existing damp proof course. High level elements are inspected properly rather than assessed from the ground.
Internally, the construction, the finishes, the ventilation provision and its measured performance, the condition of any exposed timber, and the underfloor void where it can be accessed.
What you get
A written report within 24 hours of the visit. Photographs, the readings and where they were taken, the diagnosed cause, and what should be done in order of priority. Where we have not been able to establish something without opening up, the report says so and says exactly where to open, rather than leaving it vague.
Where remedial work is needed and you would like us to carry it out, there is a fixed price quote alongside it, covered by an insured workmanship guarantee. Where it is not needed, the report says that just as clearly, and a survey concluding that no damp proofing is required is a routine outcome here.
Why survey before quote
Because the two most expensive mistakes in this trade both come from doing it the other way round. Treating a symptom that has a different cause means paying for work that cannot succeed, and the failure shows up two or three years later once the replastering has dried. And specifying a remedy before establishing the cause tends to produce the remedy the specifier sells.
Most repeat damp problems we are called to are second visits to work that treated a symptom. That is the whole reason the sequence matters.
Book a survey
Same day response to every enquiry, a visit arranged around you, and a written report within 24 hours of that visit. Put your postcode in the form and we will confirm cover and fee the same day.
Book a surveyOr call 07386 225526.
Questions
What does a damp survey cost?
It depends on the size of the property and how much is in question, which is why the fee is confirmed when you enquire rather than quoted here as a headline. What is worth comparing it against is the cost of the treatment it might avoid: a survey is a small fraction of a typical injection and replastering quote for a ground floor, and a meaningful share of the surveys we carry out conclude that the treatment is not required.
Do I have to use you for the work?
No, and a good number of clients do not. The report is written to stand on its own, with enough detail that you could hand it to any competent contractor. Where we quote for the work the quote is separate from the report, and declining it changes nothing about what the report says. That separation is deliberate, because a diagnosis that only makes sense if you buy the remedy is not a diagnosis.
How long does the visit take and when do I get the report?
A typical survey takes between one and two hours on site depending on the size of the property and the extent of the problem, longer where a full timber inspection or underfloor access is involved. The written report follows within 24 hours of the visit. We respond to every enquiry the same day and arrange the visit around you, including evenings and weekends where that is what works.