Age and type of house
Rust is concentrated at the hitch of a park home and the rest of the chassis was behind a skirt. What of the underframe was not seen?
The underframe behind the skirt was not seen. Rust concentrated at the hitch was in view, and the survey can describe that hitch. The rest of the chassis stayed behind the skirt, so its steel, joints and any other corrosion were not inspected. The note is a hitch and a limit. It is not a condition for the hidden underframe. GOV.UK treats a park home as a special case when buying. This look does not set the pitch fee and does not replace the written agreement.
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?
A hitch is the towing end, often more exposed than the steel that sits under the floor. Rust there can be local to that end. It can also be the only part you were allowed to see of a frame that is worse, or better, behind the skirt. The survey will not choose. Skirts are there to close the gap, and they close the inspection with it. Unless a panel was opened, the chassis beyond the hitch is undescribed. Concentrated rust is not a map of the whole frame.
Ask the solicitor for the written agreement and the site rules, and keep them apart from the hitch note. GOV.UK treats the purchase as a special case. The survey of the unit does not set the pitch fee and does not stand in for that agreement. If the underframe must be described, arrange a look that can see past the skirt. Do not tell a lender the chassis was passed because the hitch was photographed.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What of the hitch did you actually see, and how heavy was the rust?
- Was the chassis behind the skirt left uninspected?
- Did you record a limit, rather than a condition, for the hidden underframe?
What are the typical next steps?
- Limit the chassis note to the hitch that was visible.
- Ask the solicitor to read the written agreement and the site rules.
- Arrange a further look if the steel behind the skirt must be seen.
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 flaking paint on the hitch mean the axles have gone too?
Not from this visit. The hitch was seen and the rest was behind the skirt, so the axles, if they are still there, were not described. Rust at one exposed end is not a finding about hidden steel. The survey has not graded the underframe from the hitch alone.
Can the survey set the pitch fee because the hitch is rusty?
No. GOV.UK treats buying a park home as a special case. The survey of the unit does not set the pitch fee and does not replace the written agreement. Rust at the hitch is a condition limit on what was seen. It is not a fee.