Survey finding
Repointing on your survey: what it costs
Repointing is a routine Cat 2 finding. This page covers lime vs cement and the realistic costs.
Last updated: 6 May 2026. Editorially reviewed: 20 May 2026.
Finding
Pointing / repointing needed
What this usually means
Pointing is the mortar between bricks. Weather erodes it over decades; modern cement pointing on older lime-mortar walls can also fail prematurely. Failed pointing lets water track into walls and accelerates frost damage.
Why it matters
Common Cat 2 maintenance item. Use of cement on solid lime walls is a frequent surveyor concern because it traps moisture in the wall.
Ask your surveyor
- Check:What proportion of pointing needs replacement?
- Check:Is the existing mortar lime or cement?
Ask the seller
- Check:When was the last repointing carried out?
- Check:Was lime or cement mortar used?
Next steps
- •Get two written quotes from local trades before negotiating with the seller.
- •Speak to your mortgage broker before exchanging if the finding affects mortgageability.
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What you need to know
Severity
Maintenance item. Worth quoting and including in negotiation.
Typical cost to fix
Repointing one elevation £900-£3,000 (cement). Lime mortar repointing £40-£100/m² for solid wall properties (~£3,000-£8,000 per elevation).
Mortgage impact
Standard.
Insurance impact
Standard.
When to pull out
Not relevant.
When to renegotiate, and by how much
Cost of works; typical £1,500-£5,000 reduction.
Thinking of pulling out or renegotiating? What to do after a bad survey
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Run a free previewHow 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 hello@mypropertyscan.com 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.