Condition ratings
Quarry tiles in the hall were not lifted. Can whatever is beneath them be condition rating 1?
No. Whatever lies beneath quarry tiles in the hall that were not lifted cannot be condition rating 1. The tiles are the surface that was seen. Bedding, a screed, or timber under them was covered. An unseen layer is not a statement that no repair is needed. If the report rates the tiles, keep that rating on the tiles and leave the covered build-up unrated.
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?
Quarry tiles are a hard finish, usually bedded, and a visual inspection leaves them down. The surveyor can comment on cracked tiles, loose ones, worn joints and unevenness. That comment can be rating 1 if no repair is currently needed, rating 2 if a repair is needed but is not serious or urgent, or rating 3 if the finish is serious or urgent. The layers beneath, whether a screed, a bitumen bed or boards, were not seen. Rating 1 cannot be given to an unseen layer. NI is the honest mark for the build-up. A firm feel underfoot is not a view of it.
Concealed construction is not guaranteed sound because the tiles look even, and it is not proved defective either. The what to do now note advises you. It does not invoice the seller to take the hall floor up, and it does not apply a quotation demand to a layer that was never rated. Fitted coverings elsewhere in the house follow the same limit: they are not lifted. Do not chip a tile up before you own the hall. If a particular tile is already loose, the report can rate that tile. The solid bed under the ones that stayed put remains outside the number.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you rate the quarry tiles only?
- Is the bedding or the screed underneath marked NI?
- Were any tiles already loose, so that a little of the bed was seen?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep any rating on the tiles that were visible.
- Do not call the layers underneath rating 1.
- Do not lift quarry tiles before exchange.
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 tiles are rating 1, is the damp-proof membrane proved?
No. A membrane under a tiled hall was not seen. Rating 1 does not certify it.
Can a hollow tile be rating 2 while the rest of the floor is NI underneath?
Yes. The hollow tile is the tile. The unseen bed of the others stays not inspected.