Non-standard construction

Can a home survey prove a concrete house was repaired under a licensed scheme?

No. A repair scheme is proved by its certificate, the licensee’s papers and, if you need it, the lender’s acceptance of those papers. The survey can say the outside looks like repaired concrete or like original panels. It cannot authenticate a missing certificate.

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?

Ask the solicitor to ask the seller for the certificate, the licence holder and any guarantee. Send copies to the lender before you assume the repair “counts”. A survey sentence that says “appears to have been repaired” is not the certificate. If the seller has nothing, you are buying the concrete the surveyor can see, plus the unknown work behind the paint.

A Level 3 can describe condition in more detail. It still does not create a historic approval. Structural cracks, spalling concrete and exposed reinforcement are condition points the survey can make. Those are worth an engineer if the surveyor says so. The engineer’s fee is their quote. The certificate hunt is the solicitor’s.

What should you ask your surveyor?

What condition did you see, ignoring the paperwork you do not hold?
Are you able to say a named scheme was used? You should not, unless you saw the papers.
What should the solicitor ask for?

What are the typical next steps?

Chase the certificate. If it does not exist, tell the lender.
Do not pay for a “retrospective licence” you have invented. Ask the lender what they will accept.
If concrete is spalling, get that priced by someone who has seen it, separately from the paperwork.

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 local builder’s invoice replace a licensed repair?

Only if the lender says so. Many will not. The invoice is still worth having, because it shows what was done.

Can you insure the house while the certificate is missing?

Ask the insurer with the facts. Do not assume a yes or a no from the survey.