Wall ties and cavity insulation
Helical ties are recorded on the front elevation only. Has the rear wall been declared sound because the front was repaired?
No. The rear wall has not been declared sound. Helical ties recorded on the front elevation show a repair on that face only. They do not show that the rear wall was opened, that its ties were counted, or that the same work was done there. This visit did not test wall ties on either elevation. A finished front is not a certificate for the wall whose ties were never seen. The rear elevation remains an open question.
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?
Helical ties are screws or bars installed to reconnect the two leaves of a cavity wall. Marks, plugs or a guarantee letter may show where that work was done. If the record names only the front, the rear, the flanks and any gable remain outside that record. Wall-tie failure is not always even from front to back. Assuming the unrepaired faces copied the repaired one would invent an inspection that did not happen.
Ask the solicitor for any tie guarantee, invoice location plan or specialist report, and see which elevations it actually names. A wall-tie firm can inspect and recommend work to faces the front repair did not cover. That is a later instruction. Do not tell a lender the whole house was tied because the front elevation carries helical ties. The survey has not declared the rear wall sound. A front-only guarantee does not travel around the house.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which elevations does the tie record actually name?
- Was the rear wall opened or tested on this visit?
- Is any guarantee limited to the front elevation?
What are the typical next steps?
- Limit the helical-tie note to the front elevation.
- Ask the solicitor which walls any guarantee actually covers.
- Do not describe the rear wall as tied because the front was.
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
Do plug holes on the front show the cavity was examined?
Plug holes show where something was installed on that face. They do not show the ties inside, the condition of the rear leaf, or the other elevations. This visit did not test the ties and did not open the cavity. Treat the plugs as evidence of a front repair, not as a survey of every wall.
Could the rear wall have a different tie type altogether?
Yes. Houses are sometimes repaired in stages, or only on the elevation that showed distress. The rear could have older ties, no extra ties, or a different repair. The report recorded helical ties on the front only. It has not identified what, if anything, holds the rear leaves together.