Electrics and gas
Pipe lagging in the loft is chewed and the pipe itself was not leaking on the day. What pest conclusion is outside the survey, and what leak was not seen?
Any conclusion about which pest is present, or whether an infestation is active, is outside the survey. The leak that was not seen is a leak from the pipe: it was not leaking on the day. The lagging is chewed, which the survey can record as damaged insulation. The inspection has not identified the animal, has not traced a nest, and has not pressure-tested the pipe. Chewed lagging is not a pest report, and a dry pipe on the day is not a lifetime clearance.
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?
Lagging keeps a pipe from chilling and wetting the loft with condensation when cold water meets warm air, and it slows heat leaving a hot pipe. Teeth in that jacket show something has been chewing. Naming the animal and prescribing treatment is a pest contractor's work, which this visit did not do. The pipe surface was dry on the day. That does not show whether a nicked pipe will weep later, because the survey did not test it. The unseen leak is the one that was not happening in view.
Ask a pest contractor if you need to know what chewed the lagging, and ask a plumber if the pipe itself must be checked where the jacket is gone. Tell the solicitor the survey stopped at chewed insulation and a pipe that was not leaking then. Do not write an infestation into the report. Do not write a leak that was not seen. The two gaps are different, and both are real.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What pest conclusion did you leave outside the survey?
- Was the pipe leaking on the day, or was that leak not seen?
- Did you test the pipe, or only look at the chewed lagging?
What are the typical next steps?
- Record chewed lagging without naming a pest.
- Do not add a leak that was not happening on the day.
- Ask a pest contractor and a plumber if those gaps must be closed.
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 droppings are nearby, has the survey named the animal?
Only if it actually identified them, which a home survey generally does not. Nearby droppings, if seen, are a clue for a pest contractor. The conclusion about species and whether the infestation is active stays outside the survey. The pipe still was not leaking on the day. Droppings do not create the leak that was not seen.
Does intact copper under the chew prove there will be no future drip?
It proves the survey did not see a leak on the day. It does not pressure-test the pipe and it does not promise the future. The pest conclusion remains outside the report. A sound-looking surface under damaged lagging is still only what was visible, not a plumber's test and not a pest treatment.