Damp and moisture meters
If the boiler condensate pipe discharges against the outside wall, is that rising damp?
No, condensate discharged against the wall wets that patch from the outside whenever the boiler runs. It is not rising damp and it is not a roof leak. The survey can see the outlet if it is visible, but it does not test or service the boiler.
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?
Modern boilers produce condensate that should go to a drain. A pipe that stops against the brick, or splashes the base of the wall, keeps one patch wet and can grow algae or damage the face. Inside, the plaster behind that patch may mark. The rest of the skirting can be dry. That is a disposal fault. Freezing of a condensate pipe in winter is a different complaint, about the boiler stopping, and a drip under an internal condensate route is different again. This question is the external discharge onto the masonry.
The heating and the boiler are seen, not safety-tested and not serviced. A home survey does not reroute the pipe and does not prove the internal drain connection. If the report shows the outlet against the wall and a matching stain, the repair is to discharge the condensate properly, then to see if the brick dries. Do not inject a damp-proof course under a pipe that is still splashing the wall. Do not treat a tidy boiler inside as proof the outside pipe is right.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where does the condensate pipe end: a drain, or against the wall?
- Does the internal stain match that outside patch?
- Are you commenting on the discharge, rather than certifying the boiler?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not inject the wall while condensate still discharges onto the brick.
- Photograph the outlet and the stain. They are the defect.
- Ask a heating engineer to reroute the discharge. The survey did not do that.
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
Is a soakaway pot at the foot of the wall any better?
Only if it actually takes the water away. A pot that overflows against the brick is the same wetting.
If the boiler indoors looks tidy, is the outside condensate outlet in the right place?
No. A neat boiler does not show where the condensate pipe ends. Look at the outlet on the wall.