Non-standard construction
The report mentions an Arcon bungalow next to a stanchion foot. Has cladding still covering the other posts been tested, or only named?
The covered posts were not tested. An Arcon bungalow is a non-standard steel-framed type, and the report places a stanchion foot next to that name. Cladding that still covers the other posts was not opened and was not tested. One visible foot does not describe the bases, the stanchions or the fixings still hidden. The survey recorded the system and the foot it could see. It has not decided that the frame is corroded or that the covered posts are sound.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
The stanchion is the vertical steel post. Its foot is where that post meets the base, a place where moisture and old coatings sometimes matter, but one exposed foot is a single location. Cladding on the other elevations is a covering, not a test of the steel behind it. The survey could not see those posts and did not remove sheets to look. Corrosion, if it exists elsewhere, is not proved by the foot that happened to be visible, and soundness is not proved either.
Ask the solicitor whether any structural inspection of the Arcon frame, or a repair specification for the stanchions, is already in the pack. A specialist can open cladding at agreed points if you need the other feet seen. That opening is not this survey. If a lender asks, say one stanchion foot was noted and the remaining posts stay covered. Do not present the visible foot as a sample of the whole frame.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was only one stanchion foot visible, with the other posts still clad?
- Did the visit remove any cladding or only name the Arcon system?
- Has corrosion of the hidden posts been left undecided?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat covered stanchions as untested, not as copies of the visible foot.
- Ask the solicitor for any earlier frame inspection.
- Tell a lender the other posts were still behind cladding.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does one clean foot mean the frame has been refurbished?
No. A tidy foot can be local paint, a single repair or simply the only place anyone could see. The survey did not find paperwork in the act of looking, and it did not inspect the covered posts. Ask the solicitor for specifications and guarantees if work is claimed. The visible foot is not that file.
Is the roof of an Arcon bungalow part of the same note?
Only if the report actually describes it. Mentioning a stanchion foot does not inspect the roof covering, the ceiling or the frame at eaves level. Those are separate elements. This visit's limit is the foot that was seen and the cladding that was not opened. Do not stretch one base detail into a whole-bungalow clearance.