Electrics and gas
A short run of lead-sheathed cable remains at the meter head. Has the survey said the whole installation is lead, or only that this tail was seen?
Only this tail was seen. The survey has not said the whole installation is lead. A short run of lead-sheathed cable remains at the meter head, which is a local observation of that tail. The rest of the wiring was not thereby classified. Lead sheath on a meter tail is a material at that point. It is not a map of every circuit. The home survey did not test the installation and did not produce an electrical report. The finding stops where the eyes stopped: at the meter head.
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?
Meter tails are the short conductors between the supply head and the consumer unit. An old lead-sheathed tail can remain after other parts of the house were rewired, or it can be a sign that more old wiring survives out of sight. The survey can only say which of those is true for the bit it saw. It should say the tail was seen and refuse the leap to the whole house. An electrician can later trace what leaves the consumer unit. That tracing was not this visit.
Tell any electrician that a lead-sheathed tail was noted at the meter and that the survey did not call the whole installation lead, and did not test it. Ask the solicitor if a recent electrical certificate covers the tails or is silent. Do not describe the house to a lender as lead-wired throughout on the strength of one short run. The accurate sentence is the one the survey can support, and that sentence is about the meter head only.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Exactly where was the lead-sheathed cable, and how much of it did you see?
- Have you avoided calling the whole installation lead?
- What electrical test was not done on this tail or on the circuits?
What are the typical next steps?
- Limit the note to the lead-sheathed tail at the meter head.
- Do not describe the whole installation as lead.
- Ask an electrician to inspect the tail and the untested circuits.
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 consumer unit looks new, has the tail been cleared?
No. A new consumer unit can still be fed by an old tail. The survey saw lead sheath at the meter head and has not tested that tail or decided the rest of the wiring. The tail itself stays untested.
Does lead sheath on a cable mean the water pipes are lead too?
No. A lead-sheathed electrical tail is a cable. It does not identify the water pipes. The survey has not traced the plumbing from this electrical note. Water pipes are a different material question, and this cable does not answer them or trace them.