Victorian terraced house

1837–1901

Technically reviewed by Savas Bulduk BSc (Hons) MRICS, Director & Chartered Building Surveyor · last reviewed 2026-07-20. General information only — not a survey of a specific property.

Typical construction

Walls: Solid brick (typically 9-inch / one-brick) or early cavity in later examples; lime or early cement mortars
Roof: Pitched timber roof with slate or clay tile; often shared party walls and parapets
Floors: Suspended timber ground floors over voids; upper timber joists into loadbearing walls
Foundations: Shallow strip foundations or thickened brick footings relative to modern standards

Guided starting points for this topic

Use one of these focused questions to decide what to read next.

Victorian solid-wall house context

Recommended next step

The proportionate instruction depends on the building, the concern and what an inspection can reasonably establish. HCS confirms the scope before you book.

Speak to a surveyor first

We confirm the proportionate instruction before quoting.

Also consider

Instruct a RICS Level 3 Building Survey — Detailed survey for older, altered, listed, non-standard or defective London property.
Not sure Level 2 or Level 3? Use the survey chooser — Use the live HCS tool for an indicative comparison, then confirm the scope before instruction.
Instruct a building pathology / defect survey — Cause-led diagnosis for a defined damp, leak, crack or fabric problem — not a full purchase survey.

Sources and evidence

These references support the general guidance on this page. They do not establish the cause or condition of a particular property.

RICS Home Survey Standard · checked 2026-07-20 · evidence used for construction, era band

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