Electrics and gas
What should you ask if the loft has taped joints or a homemade junction on the cables?
Ask for that to be included in an electrical inspection, and do not tidy the tape yourself. A taped joint is a visible clue that the wiring has been altered in a way the surveyor cannot test. It is not already an EICR code. Building-regulations approval for electrical work is a paper question for your solicitor if the work was notifiable. The survey does not supply the certificate.
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?
Lofts collect lighting alterations, old junction boxes and, sometimes, joints made with tape. The surveyor who entered the loft can see them if they are not buried. They cannot say whether the circuit is safe. GOV.UK explains that some electrical work is notifiable and that competent-person schemes exist. A taped joint does not tell you whether any of that was followed.
The practical step is an electrician’s inspection, not a roll of new tape. If the report also says the consumer unit is old, one EICR covers both observations better than two guesses. Do not price a full rewire from a single joint. Ask the electrician what they found. RICS does not set that price.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where was the joint, and was it the only one you saw?
- Is the recommendation an inspection of the installation?
- Are you linking this to any building-regulations paper, or only to condition?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not rejoin cables during a survey follow-up yourself.
- Tell the electrician about the loft so they look there, not only at the board.
- Ask your solicitor about certificates only if the work looks recent and substantial. A single old joint may never have had papers.
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 every junction box a defect?
A proper enclosure is normal. Tape and bare conductors are the clue. The survey should say which it saw.
Does a new downlight prove the loft wiring is new?
No. New fittings are often joined to old cables. The cable is what the inspection has to see.