Age and type of house
A boot lintel is cracked at the nib. Has the boot been exposed to see how far the crack runs?
No. The boot has not been exposed, so the run of the crack is unknown. The lintel is cracked at the nib, the visible toe under the outer leaf. The boot is the part that turns back into the wall, and it stays hidden. The survey saw the crack at the nib. It did not open the cavity or the inner face to follow it. The visible break is recorded. How far it continues into the boot was not seen.
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 nib is only the outer projection. The boot carries load back into the wall. A crack at the nib may fade out in the concrete or may run on through the hidden section. The face does not tell you which. The survey does not guess a length it did not expose. Plaster inside was not opened up to chase the crack. Only the nib was available. The rest of the lintel remains covered.
Tell the solicitor the nib is cracked and the boot was not exposed. Someone used to these lintels can open enough of the boot to see the crack before a repair is priced. The survey has not designed that opening and has not condemned the inner leaf. Do not tell a lender the lintel has failed through its full depth. That depth was not seen. Keep the finding at the nib for now.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Does the crack show in the brick above the nib as well?
- Was plaster removed inside this opening?
- What would have to be opened to see the boot?
What are the typical next steps?
- Report the nib crack with the boot still hidden.
- Do not say the crack runs through the whole lintel.
- Ask a lintel specialist if the boot should be exposed.
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 the nib the whole boot lintel?
No. The nib is the toe you can see under the outer leaf. The boot is the hidden return into the wall. The survey saw a crack at the nib and did not expose the boot, so the rest of the lintel was not seen. The hidden part is why the crack length is unknown.
Does the nib crack condemn the inner leaf?
No. The inner leaf was not exposed and has not been condemned. A crack at the outer nib does not by itself show the inner leaf has failed. The survey did not follow the crack into the boot. Until that part is opened, the inner leaf is unjudged. Do not tell a lender it has failed.