Basements and cellars
Does the survey test a cellar sump pump?
No. An ordinary home survey may see a pump, a pipe and a high-water mark. It does not run a pumping trial or service the float. A pump that is present is not a pump that works. A pump that works is not a dry cellar if the tanking above it has failed.
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?
Sump systems need power, a discharge route and somewhere to put the water that is legal. The surveyor will not trace the discharge through the garden drains. They should not call the cellar waterproof because a box sits in the floor. Ask the seller when it was serviced and where it discharges.
If the rating depends on the pump, ask a drainage firm to test it and to say what happens in a power cut. That test is outside the survey fee. No price is stated here. Do not confuse the pump with a radon fan. They can share a corner of a cellar and still do different jobs.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you see a pump, and was it running?
- Is there a stain that shows a past water level?
- Do you know where it discharges?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask for service papers and the discharge point in writing.
- Do not switch the pump off to see if the cellar “really needs it”.
- If you need certainty, instruct a test. Do not guess from a dry day.
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 bucket a sump?
No. A bucket is a sign someone is collecting water. It is not a system.
Does a pump cure rising damp in the rooms above?
Not necessarily. It manages water in the cellar. The rooms above need their own explanation.