Non-standard construction
One page of the report says PRC and the elevation looks like ordinary brick. What should you ask before you tell the lender a system name?
Ask which faces were actually seen, and which sentence is the conclusion. One page says PRC while the elevation looks like ordinary brick, so the two remarks do not yet agree. PRC means precast reinforced concrete panels, which often sit under a later skin. Ordinary brick can be the real wall or only a cladding. Do not tell a lender a system the visit did not match, and do not copy the name from a brochure.
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?
Reports are assembled in sections. A construction line on page one can be a first impression, and a later paragraph can say the brick may be a cladding over panels, or the reverse. You need the surveyor to reconcile those lines before a lender form repeats only the dramatic word. Ask what was visible at corners, at window reveals, in the loft and at any damaged patch. A brick face from the pavement is not, by itself, either a clearance or a conviction.
Precast panels can be overclad so the street looks conventional. Ordinary brick houses can also be mislabelled because a neighbour is PRC. The question to ask is simple: what did you see that supports the initials, and what did you see that looks like brick masonry of wall thickness? If the answer is uncertain, the lender should hear uncertain. A system name the survey did not settle must not be upgraded by you from a sales brochure.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which sentence should I rely on where the report says both PRC and ordinary-looking brick?
- What opening, reveal or loft view showed panels rather than a full brick leaf?
- Are you confident enough that I should repeat a system name to the lender?
What are the typical next steps?
- Email the firm and ask them to reconcile the two construction comments.
- Do not complete a lender form with a system name until that reply arrives.
- Send the lender the clarified wording, not a brochure phrase.
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 brick is only cladding, is the house still PRC?
It may be, but only if the survey could identify panels or another reliable sign. Cladding alone is not the identification, and neither is the initials without a reason.
Should I delete the PRC line if I prefer the brick sentence?
No. Ask the author to correct or explain it. Do not edit the construction to suit the mortgage.