Non-standard construction
What is an Airey house, and what should you ask before you treat it as an ordinary semi?
An Airey house is a precast reinforced-concrete system, with concrete posts and panels, widely built after the war. It is one of the systems people mean when they talk about designated defective concrete houses. A survey can suspect the system from the construction. It cannot issue a repair certificate, and it cannot tell a lender to accept the house.
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 legal list of designated defective types sits in housing legislation, not in a condition rating. Some Airey houses were repaired under licensed schemes and given certificates. Some were not. From the outside, a repaired and an unrepaired house can look similar, especially after render or a brick skin. The surveyor should say what they could see and what they could not prove. Your solicitor asks for the certificate. The lender asks whether this address is acceptable.
Do not assume every concrete house is an Airey, and do not assume every Airey is unmortgageable. Both shortcuts are how purchases fall over late. Ask the surveyor to name the system only if they can, ask the solicitor about the designated-defective paperwork, and ask the lender their criteria before you pay for a Level 3 you may not need or a repair you cannot prove.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Are you saying this is an Airey, or that it is a concrete system you cannot name?
- What cladding might be hiding the panels?
- What certificate should the solicitor ask for that you cannot see on site?
What are the typical next steps?
- Get the lender’s criteria for this system before you spend more on reports.
- Ask the seller for any PRC repair certificate and read the address.
- Do not render the elevation to hide the panels before a specialist has seen them.
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 Cornish unit the same as an Airey?
No. Both are precast concrete systems, and they are not the same repair. Do not use one certificate for the other.
Does pebbledash prove the concrete has been repaired?
No. Pebbledash hides the face. It is not a certificate. Ask what is under it.