Age and type of house
What did the visit record about tuck pointing, about a ribbon of white putty, and about the stopped joint behind it?
The visit recorded tuck pointing as the finish, the ribbon of white putty where it could be seen, and the stopped joint behind only where that ribbon no longer hid it. Tuck pointing sets a narrow ribbon, often lime putty, into a joint that has been stopped and coloured to match the brick. Where the ribbon remains, the joint behind was covered. The survey has not decided the whole elevation has failed, and it has not granted listed consent to rake the pointing out.
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?
The stopped joint is mortar filled flush and tinted so the bricks look tightly laid. The white ribbon is a thin line in a groove, and it is what the eye reads as the joint. When the ribbon falls out, the stopped mortar shows, and it can be a different mix. Joints still covered by sound ribbon were not seen. One tired bay is not a test of the whole elevation.
Tell the solicitor the ribbon and the joint behind it were recorded only as far as they showed, and that the survey grants no consent to strip the pointing. If the missing ribbon worries you, a bricklayer used to historic work can look at the stopped joints that are actually exposed. Raking out listed tuck pointing can need consent. The lender has a description of the finish, not a joint-by-joint schedule. Leave sound ribbon in place.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you see the stopped joint only where the ribbon was missing?
- Was the white putty ribbon recorded as a finish, not a full failure?
- Has this visit given consent to rake out the tuck pointing?
What are the typical next steps?
- Record the ribbon and only the joint that the ribbon no longer hides.
- Ask a bricklayer about exposed stopped joints, not the whole elevation.
- Tell the solicitor no consent to strip the pointing was given.
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 the white ribbon the structural joint?
No. The ribbon is the thin line you see. The stopped joint behind it is the mortar that fills the real gap, and it was hidden where the ribbon remains. The survey did not call the putty the structure of the wall. A pretty or a failed ribbon is a finish note, not a test of the brickwork.
If one bay has lost its ribbon, have all the joints failed?
No. The visit recorded the ribbon where it could be seen and the joint behind only where it showed. One tired bay does not survey the elevation. Joints still covered by ribbon were not inspected. The report has not decided that all the tuck pointing has failed.