Timber decay and woodworm
How should a buyer separate a dragon beam, the jetty post and decay where the beam enters the wall when all three are mentioned together?
Separate three different things. A dragon beam is the diagonal timber in the corner of a jettied frame, the jetty post is the post that carries the overhang, and decay where the beam enters the wall is a condition note at that junction only. Sharing a paragraph does not mean each member was opened, and it does not mean the post is decayed because the beam end might be. The survey can name the carpentry it saw. It has not tested timber hidden in the wall, and it has not decided that the jetty is failing.
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?
In a jettied house the dragon beam ties the corner and the jetty post stands under the projecting floor. They often meet damp masonry where a tenon goes into the wall. Naming the beam is not the same as finding soft wood, and naming the post is not the same as probing it. The surveyor may have seen the beam, the post and a stained end without following the joint into the masonry. The paragraph lists what was visible. It does not measure how much section remains.
Ask the solicitor to keep the carpentry and the decay as separate enquiries. Decay is claimed only where the beam enters the wall, and that end was not opened up. A timber specialist can probe what is already exposed and say whether the junction should be uncovered. Do not price a new jetty from a sentence that also had to name the beam and the post. The survey has not decided the frame is decayed along its length, and it has not cleared the post either.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which of the dragon beam, the jetty post and the wall end did you actually see?
- Was decay limited to the beam end, or did it reach the post as well?
- What finishes stopped you following the beam into the wall?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep the beam, the post and the wall-end decay as three notes.
- Ask a timber specialist to inspect the junction called decayed.
- Tell the solicitor the hidden tenon was not opened.
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 a jetty mean the dragon beam has already failed?
No. A jetty is the overhang those timbers were built to carry. Naming the dragon beam and the jetty post is not a finding that either has failed. Decay is a separate note, and only at the wall entry the report could discuss. The rest of the beam and the post were not tested. Do not read the age of the jetty as rot.
Can the post be repaired while the beam is left alone?
The survey has not designed that repair. The dragon beam and the jetty post meet at the corner, and decay was mentioned where the beam enters the wall. Whether the post can be pieced on its own depends on what is found when that junction is opened. This visit did not open it, so the method stays undecided.