Age and type of house
The sole plate of a timber frame sits behind the skirting and was not exposed. What at the base of the wall remains uninspected?
Only the skirting and the wall face were available. The sole plate, the horizontal timber at the base of a timber frame, stayed behind the boards and was not exposed. Soft paint, a tide mark or a swollen skirting is a clue, not a measurement of that plate. Fitted carpets were not lifted. Timber at floor level that nobody uncovered is not shown to be sound just because the room looked tidy.
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?
The sole plate is the timber the studs stand on. It is the piece most likely to sit near damp floors, a bridged damp-proof course or wet external ground. Skirtings are nailed over it on purpose, so a normal visual visit leaves it covered. Prodding a skirting can find softness in the board. It cannot give the section of the plate, the end grain, or how the studs are fixed down. A dry skirting on the day is not a five-year history.
Ask the firm to say 'base of the frame not exposed' in plain words if that is what happened. Do not let a rating 1 on decorations slide over into a claim about the plate. If you plan to replace a floor or a kitchen along that wall, the plate still needs to be found before anyone assumes it can take the new work. A specialist with permission to remove a short length of skirting is a different job from this survey.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was any length of skirting loose enough to see timber behind it, or was every board fixed?
- Did you record damp staining, softness or just intact paint at the base of this frame?
- Is the sole plate named as unseen, or has a rating been written as if it were exposed?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read the wall section of the report for a line that the base timber was covered.
- Do not lift skirtings yourself to go hunting for rot before you own the house.
- If the purchase depends on that timber, agree an opening-up visit with the seller.
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
Is a new skirting proof the plate behind it is new as well?
No. Boards are often replaced on their own. New timber trim can hide an older plate the survey never saw.
Does a carpet left down change the limit?
Yes, it adds one. Fitted carpets are not lifted on a standard visit, so the floor edge stayed covered too.