Outbuildings and conservatories
The conservatory base has pulled away from the house wall. Has the survey designed a new foundation?
No. The survey has not designed a new foundation. The conservatory base has pulled away from the house wall, and the visit records that gap. A foundation design needs the ground, the loads and a drawing. None of that was done. The survey has not specified a new base or underpinning. The separation is a movement record. It is not a design. The finding stops at the pull-away that was seen on this visit.
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 base has moved relative to the house wall. The cause may be the base, the ground under it, or both, and this visit did not open the ground. The junction is also where rain and the door meet the wall, so the gap can matter beyond appearance. Noting it is still not a design. An engineer designs foundations. The survey reports the separation and leaves any new foundation unmade.
Tell the solicitor the base has separated and that no new foundation has been designed. An engineer can say whether the base needs opening up. The survey has not appointed that engineer and has not told a lender a scheme is ready. Do not describe the gap as a repair already specified. If a guarantee exists, the solicitor can ask what it covers. The inspection has not answered that.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Is the gap along the whole junction or only part of it?
- Was the ground under the base opened?
- Is there already an engineer's design that never reached the pack?
What are the typical next steps?
- Report the separation without calling it a new foundation.
- Ask an engineer if the base needs investigation.
- Do not tell the lender a foundation has been designed.
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 the gap mean the house wall has failed?
No. The survey saw the conservatory base pull away from the house wall. It did not say the house wall has failed, and it did not design a foundation. The movement recorded is at the junction. The ground under the base was not opened. Do not turn a separated base into a failed main wall the report has not described.
Has underpinning been specified under the conservatory?
No. Underpinning was not specified, and no new foundation was designed. The survey recorded the base pulling away from the house wall. Any scheme would be later design by an engineer. The ground was not opened and this visit produced no drawing. The finding remains the separation that could be seen.