RAAC

What did the visit record about a plank end, about the bearing, and about a nib the ceiling lining is hiding?

The visit recorded the plank end and the bearing only as far as they could be seen, and a nib hidden by the ceiling lining. That is a limit of inspection, not a decision that the panel sits properly on its support. A home survey has not opened the lining, sampled the plank or investigated the bearing. RAAC is a form of concrete panel that IStructE says needs investigation. A mark or a guessed span does not settle the hidden end. What stays open is the length of support and whether a specialist must look once the cover is dealt with.

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 plank end is the edge that should rest on a wall, beam or nib, and the bearing is how much of that edge is actually supported. A ceiling lining can hide the nib so the surveyor sees the soffit face and a shadow, not the contact. Looking along the ceiling does not measure the support and does not show a crack or a gap at the end. The visit can name the cover and the unseen nib. It cannot turn that limit into a result for the panel.

Tell the solicitor that the lining was not opened and that the bearing was not measured. Ask the seller whether any specialist has already inspected the plank ends and, if so, for that report. A lender may want its own view of a panel of this type. The home survey does not supply that investigation. If you continue, instruct someone competent to look at the bearing and the nib rather than treating the visit note as the last word.

What should you ask your surveyor?

What of the plank end was actually visible from the room?
Did the report measure the bearing, or only say the nib was hidden?
What opening would a specialist need before the support can be judged?

What are the typical next steps?

Ask the seller for any earlier panel reports.
Tell your solicitor the lining hid the nib.
Arrange a specialist look at the bearing if you still intend to buy.

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 stain on the lining prove the plank has failed?

A stain shows a mark on the surface the surveyor could see. It does not identify the panel, the bearing or the hidden nib. The visit did not sample the soffit or open the cover. Treat the mark as a prompt for questions, not as a diagnosis of the panel above the lining.

Who should inspect the hidden nib if the purchase continues?

Use a person instructed to investigate this form of concrete panel, not another walk-round that stops at the same lining. The home survey has already recorded that limit. Your solicitor should see any later report, and a lender may ask for its own evidence before it relies on the panel.