Condition ratings
Wall ties are only suspected. Who uses a borescope, and why did the Level 2 not already do that?
The specialist with the borescope, which a Level 2 does not include as standard. Wall ties were only suspected because they sit in the cavity, and a Level 2 does not open that cavity to look. The person instructed to investigate uses the borescope as opening-up. The Level 2 stopped at suspicion precisely because that opening-up was not part of its visual inspection.
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?
A Level 2 is for a conventional home of simple form in reasonable condition. It can comment on cracking, bulging or other outside clues that ties might be failing, and it can tell you to investigate. It does not drill the wall as part of the ordinary visit, and a standard inspection does not remove secured panels to hunt for hidden metal. No level guarantees concealed parts. The ties, if they are there, are concealed. That is why the report can be honest about a suspicion and still have no borescope photographs.
When you book the specialist, name the elevations the surveyor worried about and ask for a written record of where they looked and what the borescope showed. That report is the investigation. It is not a new Level 2, and it does not rate the rest of the house. Do not expect the original surveyor to have done it quietly and forgotten to say so. If there is no borescope note in the Level 2, it was not done. Cost is variable, so ask the specialist for their own figure rather than looking for the camera inside the survey fee.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which elevations made you suspect the ties without seeing them?
- Will you confirm the Level 2 did not include a borescope?
- What should the specialist's written note cover so it answers your paragraph?
What are the typical next steps?
- Instruct a specialist who will use a borescope, or equivalent opening-up, on the suspected walls.
- Do not assume the Level 2 already filmed the cavity.
- Keep the specialist report beside the suspicion, not instead of reading it.
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
If the outside brick looks perfect, can ties still be suspected?
Yes. The surveyor may suspect from other clues, or say they cannot know. Concealed ties are not proved by a tidy elevation.
Does hiring the borescope firm re-survey the whole house?
No. It investigates the ties it was asked about. The Level 2 remains the survey of the rest.