RICS Level 3 Building Survey in Truro

A RICS Level 3 Building Survey is our most detailed visual inspection of accessible parts. In Truro, that means close attention to slate roofs, render, chimneys, timber windows, loft timbers, floors, walls and extension joins on homes near the Cathedral or along TR1 streets. We do not open up the fabric, lift carpets, or run drainage CCTV, so the report stays honest about what can be seen and what needs a specialist follow-up.

The report tells you what the defect is, what it means, how serious it looks, and what sort of repair may be needed. That matters on older masonry homes in the city centre, because a crack in a wall near Lemon Street can point to roof spread, lintel failure or movement rather than a simple cosmetic line. We also set out maintenance priorities, so you can see what needs attention before exchange and what can be left for later.

A Level 3 is not a structural engineer's report. If we see signs of movement, subsidence or failure in a wall, floor or roof, we say so and recommend a separate specialist instruction. The same applies where damp looks active and linked to rain penetration, bad flashing or poor ventilation, which can happen in properties close to the Truro River, where estuarial air and high rainfall can work on the same weak point.

• Construction, materials and age
• Defects and their likely cause
• Repair priorities and likely consequences
• Follow-up advice for structural, damp or services concerns

Truro's housing stock is mixed. Victorian and Edwardian terraces and semis sit around the city centre, while post-war estates spread towards the edge and newer homes are going up at Maiden Green, Tregurra Park and Higher Newham Farm, TR1 3XX, TR1 1RH and TR1 2ST. That spread changes what a surveyor looks for, because a stone-and-slate terrace behaves very differently from a rendered cavity wall house.

Traditional walls here often use Cornish stone, granite or local slate, with lime mortar on the older fabric and render or paint on the outside. Roofs are commonly slate, so lead flashings, ridge details and gutter lines deserve close attention. In the city centre, especially near the Cathedral, Lemon Street and Boscawen Street, we often expect older joinery, timber sash windows and later alterations that need checking.

Damp sits high on the list in Truro because Cornwall gets plenty of rain and the estuarial air brings salt with it. Penetrating damp, rising damp and condensation can all show up in the same house, especially where gutters are tired, ventilation is poor or a solid wall has no modern cavity. Salt attack can also erode render, paint and metal fixings on homes close to the river.

Ground conditions matter too. Truro sits mainly on Devonian slates and sandstones from the Gramscatho Group, with granite to the west and river alluvium along the Truro River. Localised movement can happen on slopes, near watercourses or where drainage has been altered, and flood risk from the river and surface water needs attention in lower-lying spots.

Post-war homes from 1945 to 1980 bring a different pattern. We see spalling concrete, failed flat roofs, differential settlement and condensation where insulation is thin, particularly in houses built quickly on the edge of the city. That is why a viewing near Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske or Cornwall Council offices should not be the only filter when the house is carrying a 1960s flat roof or original concrete details.

• Penetrating damp on solid walls
• Slate roof and lead flashing wear
• Timber decay in joists, rafters and sills
• Cracking, settlement or bowing around extensions