Timber decay and woodworm
The report describes fungal strands stopping at a masonry pier. Has it mapped every strand in the house, or the ones in view?
Only the fungal strands that were in view, stopping at a masonry pier, have been described. The report has not mapped every strand in the house. A pier is where the visible growth ended on the day, not a proved barrier through the building. What was not seen beyond that masonry, under floors and behind plaster, stays unseen. A visual survey records the limit of the growth it could follow. It does not certify the rest of the timber, and it does not draw a treatment zone.
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?
Strands on a surface can be followed until they disappear under a board or, as here, at a pier. Stopping in the description means the surveyor lost sight of them at that masonry. It does not mean a test has shown they cannot exist elsewhere. Some growth can cross masonry. This visit has not shown that it did, and it has not shown that it did not. The mapped length is the length that was in view.
A specialist can open beyond the pier if the evidence justifies it, with the seller's permission, and can then redraw the limit. Until that opening, do not say the outbreak is confined to one bay as a fact, and do not say it fills the house. Both claims leave the report behind. Quote against the strands that were seen and against the pier where the description stops. Label every other area as uninspected.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where did the strands stop, and what hid the rest of them at the pier?
- Did you see any strand beyond that masonry, even a short length?
- Are you mapping the whole house, or only the growth that was in view?
What are the typical next steps?
- Quote against the strands described and the pier where the description stops.
- Label floors and walls beyond that pier as not mapped by this visit.
- Do not extend the outbreak, or shrink it, without a further opening-up.
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 strand that stops at a pier prove the next room is clear?
No. The pier is where the visible strands ended. Timber beyond it was not mapped, so the next room is undescribed rather than cleared.
Has the survey shown that the growth crossed the masonry?
No. The report records strands stopping at the pier. Whether they crossed the masonry was neither demonstrated nor ruled out by what was in view.