Age and type of house
A steel beam over a former wall has no padstone the surveyor could see at one end. What bearing is unverified?
The bearing at the end with no visible padstone is unverified. A steel beam over a former wall has nothing the surveyor could see, at one end, that spreads its load into the masonry. A padstone is that spreader. Its absence from view means the survey cannot say the beam sits on a padstone, on a few courses of brick, or on an inadequate point. The other end is a different question if a bearing was seen there. This end was not verified. The inspection recorded a beam whose support at one end could not be confirmed.
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?
When a wall is taken out, the beam that replaces it has to land on something able to take a concentrated load. The landing is the bearing. If it is boxed in, plastered, or simply not a distinct padstone, the surveyor cannot measure how much of the steel is on the wall or what the wall is made of at that point. Approved Document A is about structure. The survey does not certify this beam against it and has not produced a calculation. Unverified means unseen, not failed.
Ask the solicitor for the beam design and any building-regulations paper, and ask an engineer if the unseen end must be opened. Do not fill the gap with an assumption that steel is always taken onto a hidden padstone. The survey looked for a padstone at that end and did not find one in view. The bearing stays unverified until someone sees it or produces the design that shows it.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which end of the beam had no padstone you could see?
- What, if anything, did that end appear to sit on?
- Was the bearing left unverified rather than passed or failed?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the unseen end as an unverified bearing.
- Ask the solicitor for the beam design and any approval.
- Ask an engineer before you assume a padstone is hidden there.
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 other end has a padstone, is the beam acceptable?
A padstone at one end does not verify the other. The survey could not see a padstone at the end in question, so that bearing is unverified. The beam can be partly described and still lack a confirmed landing. One sound-looking end is not a certificate for the end that was hidden.
Does a level ceiling prove the bearing is sound?
A level ceiling shows the ceiling on the day. It does not show the padstone the surveyor could not see, and it is not a load test. The bearing at that end remains unverified. Deflection may appear later or never. The inspection did not use the ceiling line as a substitute for the missing view.