Timber decay and woodworm
What is a timber specialist’s brief compared with a woodworm contractor’s spray quote?
A useful brief asks whether the attack is active, whether the timber is structurally adequate, what moisture is feeding it, and what must be opened up. A spray quote that skips those questions is a product sale. The home survey is neither document.
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 firm to put the brief in the quote: inspection, report, treatment if needed, and structural repairs if needed. Structural replacement of a joist end is joinery and support, not a spray. An engineer may be needed if floors have dropped. The surveyor can say who they thought you should ask. They do not design the joist.
Compare two specialists on the same brief. A cheap spray and an expensive opening-up are not the same offer. There is no official timber-survey fee. Ask each firm. Decline any “survey” that is free only if you buy the chemical, or at least do not treat it as independent.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Who do you want me to instruct: a timber specialist, a joiner, or an engineer?
- What question should their brief answer?
- What did you not see because of furniture or fitted coverings?
What are the typical next steps?
- Write the brief yourself so both firms answer it.
- Separate structural timber repairs from chemical treatment.
- Do not let the seller’s contractor be the only opinion if the survey has raised a serious rating.
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 PCA member automatically independent?
Membership is a signal to check. Independence comes from who pays them and what the brief says. Read the terms.
Can the original surveyor do this visit?
Ask them. Some will review, for a fee, and some will say it is outside their instruction. That is a proper answer.