Guide
Damp survey for a mortgage: what lenders want and what it costs
Updated
The phrase that triggers this search is usually in a valuation or Level 2/3 survey: "evidence of dampness noted, specialist report recommended". Here is what that means, what it costs, and how to stop it costing you more than it should.
Why the lender is asking
Mortgage valuers spend minutes in a property and are not damp specialists; when they see staining, high meter readings or a musty cellar, the safe move is to recommend a specialist report and let the lender decide. The lender may make the offer subject to the report, or hold back a retention until issues are fixed. The request is usually for a timber and damp report, covering damp plus rot and woodworm, because timber decay is what actually threatens the lender's security.
What it costs and who can do it
| Option | Typical cost | Lender acceptance |
|---|---|---|
| Free report from a damp-proofing company | £0 | Often accepted, but the report usually recommends that company's own treatment |
| Independent timber and damp survey | £200–£500 | Accepted by lenders; impartial on whether treatment is needed at all |
| Independent damp survey (damp only) | £150–£400 | Check first: if the valuer asked for timber and damp, damp-only may not satisfy the condition |
Check the exact wording of the lender's condition before booking, if it says "timber and damp report from a PCA member firm", match it. Where you have a choice, an independent report is worth the fee: free reports from treatment firms have a habit of finding treatable damp, and you will be negotiating the purchase price off the back of whichever report you commission.
Using the report
- Send it to your broker or lender promptly, delays here are a common cause of mortgage offers timing out.
- Negotiate with it. If the report prices remedial work, that figure is evidence for a price reduction or for the seller fixing issues before exchange.
- Keep perspective. Damp in an older house is common and usually fixable; the report's job is to tell you whether you're buying a maintenance item or a money pit. If it recommends thousands of pounds of injection work in a pre-1919 house, read our rising damp guide before accepting the diagnosis.
Buying with a mortgage is the one situation where survey speed matters as much as price, say you're mid-purchase in the form and surveyors will usually prioritise the booking. Get quotes.