Listed buildings and conservation areas
A timber lintel in a listed opening is soft at one end and the stone jambs are firm. What consent has the survey not given for replacing that timber?
The survey has not given listed building consent to replace that timber lintel. One end is soft and the stone jambs are firm, so the note is decay in the timber, not a failure of the stone. Firm jambs do not repair the soft end and do not authorise a new lintel. Historic England explains that listing covers the whole building, including this opening. The survey has described softness where it could be reached. It has not designed a replacement, has not said the timber must come out, and has not granted consent for that work.
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?
A timber lintel carries the masonry over the opening. Softness at one end can mean decay where the timber meets damp masonry, while the stone jambs still feel sound. Replacing the timber in a listed opening is an alteration to listed fabric. Consent, if it is required, comes from the listed building process, not from a condition sentence. The survey has not applied for that consent and has not pretended to give it. Firm stone beside a soft end is a contrast. It is not a permission.
Tell the solicitor the lintel is soft at one end in a listed opening, and ask whether replacement would need consent. A timber specialist can say how far the decay goes, as a further look, because one soft end is not a full opening up. Historic England explains that listing covers the whole building, and the survey does not grant consent. Do not order a concrete lintel on the back of this note, and do not ignore the soft end because the jambs felt firm.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which end of the timber lintel was soft, and were the stone jambs firm throughout?
- Have you given any consent for replacing that timber?
- Did you specify a new lintel, or only record the decay you could reach?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the soft end as decay recorded, not as consent to replace it.
- Ask the solicitor whether a new lintel would need consent.
- Do not read firm stone jambs as a repair of the timber.
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 only one end is soft, can that end be cut out without consent?
The survey has not said so, and it has not given consent for any cutting out. Historic England explains that listing covers the whole building, so this lintel is not a piece the report can release. How the decay should be dealt with is a separate specification. Firm jambs do not supply the missing consent.
Do firm jambs mean the opening is structurally fine?
They mean the stone the surveyor checked felt firm. They do not measure the soft timber end, and they do not replace a calculation. The survey has not given consent to swap the lintel, and it has not certified the opening. Soft timber remains the defect that was recorded.