Survey finding
Non-standard construction flagged in your survey
Non-standard construction is less about defects and more about lender, insurer, and resale appetite. This page covers what the term usually means, why it matters at exchange, and the right people to talk to before committing.
Last updated: .
Finding
Non-standard construction
What this usually means
"Non-standard" is shorthand for any construction that isn't traditional brick or block cavity wall with a timber roof. It covers concrete-frame houses, steel-frame (BISF), prefab, no-fines concrete (Wimpey), and various designated PRC (precast reinforced concrete) types. Some of these have very specific lender criteria; others are widely accepted.
Why it matters
Mortgage availability and resale are the bigger issues than condition for many non-standard types. Some lenders won't lend at all on certain construction types; others will but require evidence of repair (especially for designated PRC properties). Insurance can also be more limited.
Ask your surveyor
- Check:What is the construction type as far as you could establish it, and is it a designated PRC type?
- Check:If it's a PRC house, has it been repaired to a recognised scheme, and do you have evidence of that?
Ask the seller
- Check:Do you have any documents from past surveys, mortgage offers, or repair schemes that confirm the construction type and any repair history?
- Check:If applicable, do you have a PRC certificate or equivalent confirming repair work?
Next steps
- •Speak to a mortgage broker who specialises in non-standard construction before going further, lender appetite varies widely.
- •Consider a building surveyor who has direct experience with the specific construction type.
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Free preview: flood risk, EPC rating, crime, tenure and air quality. The £9.99 report adds the remaining 17 checks, 22 in all, drawing on up to 15 public datasets.
Run a free previewRead next
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How MyPropertyScan produces this guide, and what it is not
Published by MyPropertyScan and written by Ziad Nasr, who is accountable for its accuracy. No page here is written or reviewed by a chartered surveyor, conveyancer or regulated adviser, and we do not claim otherwise.
This page is not:
- Chartered surveying: we do not inspect properties or produce RICS Home Survey reports
- Legal advice: we do not act as conveyancers or advise on title, tenure or contracts
- Mortgage or insurance advice: we are not regulated by the FCA and give no recommendations
Figures and process steps come from the published UK datasets and standards listed on this page, not from professional practice. Pages are updated when source coverage, survey cost assumptions, or lender and legal requirements materially change. Dataset limitations are set out on the methodology page.
Spotted something out of date or wrong? Email [email protected] and we will correct it and change the update date.
Sources used
We use UK public and specialist sources where they are available. Public datasets can be incomplete, delayed, or missing for some addresses. Treat them as a starting point, not as a replacement for professional advice.
Source standard: preference goes to official government datasets, statutory bodies, professional standards, and primary dataset publishers. We cite the source family on the page and explain coverage limits rather than filling gaps with unsupported estimates.
- Professional standard: RICS Home Survey StandardRICS standard for condition-based residential surveys in the UK.
- Learn more from: RICS consumer guide to surveysConsumer-facing guide to survey types and when each level is appropriate.
- Official guidance: GOV.UK buying or selling your homeGovernment overview of the home buying and selling process.