Wall ties and cavity insulation
Filled drill holes run along the wall and stop short of a pier. What ties in that pier were not shown by the pattern?
The ties in that pier were not shown by the pattern of filled holes. The holes run along the wall and stop short of the pier, so the pattern records where someone drilled, not a tie inside the pier. A gap in the caps is a gap in the visible evidence. The survey has recorded that the pattern stops. It has not tested the wall ties, it has not opened the pier, and it has not proved the pier was tied or left untied.
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?
Replacement ties are often marked by filled holes at a regular spacing. Those caps show where a drill went. They do not show the metal now in the cavity, and they show nothing on the length where no hole was made. A pier can be thicker masonry, or it can simply have been missed. The survey did not use a detector and did not look inside the cavity. The pattern of filled holes is the limit of what was seen.
Ask a wall-tie specialist to investigate the pier separately from the lengths that show filled holes. Tell the solicitor the report records a pattern that stops short, not a certificate that the pier is tied. Do not assume the drilled bays mean this pier was included. The home survey has not counted ties and it has not said the cavity is sound. The missing pattern is the point.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Do the filled holes stop short of the pier?
- Were any ties inside that pier shown by the drilling pattern?
- Has the pier been left untested and unopened?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the pier as outside the pattern of filled holes.
- Ask a tie specialist to investigate the pier on its own.
- Do not read the drilled bays as proof the pier was tied.
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 pier looks plumb, were the ties installed?
Plumb brickwork does not show ties. The filled holes stop short of the pier, so the pattern has not shown ties in it. The survey has not tested the ties and has not opened the masonry. A straight pier can be tied or untied. This visit has not decided which, and appearance is not a tie survey.
Does a full pattern on the main wall clear the pier?
No. The main wall's holes describe the main wall. They stop short of the pier, which is the gap this note is about. Ties in the pier were not shown. Do not let a tidy pattern nearby stand in for holes that were never made on the pier itself.