Existing insulation and guarantee check across the Highlands and Islands
We cover 7 towns in the Highlands and Islands, including Inverness, Fort William, Thurso, Kirkwall, Lerwick and more.
Wind-driven rain is the first thing the surveyor weighs up. Parts of the Highlands and Islands face some of the heaviest wind-driven rain in the UK, especially exposed coastal and upland sites. Here the survey is stricter: some walls suit only certain certified systems, and some should not be filled at all.
Buyers and sellers in the Highlands and Islands often book this check when a survey report or EPC raises questions about the walls. Every inspection point in the Highlands and Islands is photographed and logged, so you have a record to show a buyer, lender or contractor.
Building standards in Scotland
In Scotland, work associated with thermal insulating material within a wall is listed in schedule 3 of the Building (Scotland) Regulations as work that does not need a building warrant. It must still meet the building standards, so the survey still checks that the wall and the chosen material are suitable, including exposure to wind-driven rain.
Sources: Scottish Government: building work not requiring a warrant (schedule 3).
How to tell if a house already has cavity insulation
Look for a regular pattern of small patched holes in the mortar joints, often about a metre apart. Check the EPC, which may say 'filled cavity'. Ask the seller for a guarantee. The reliable answer is a borescope check, because patched holes can be from a fill that was later removed and EPCs are sometimes wrong.
What is included
- Borescope checks
- Visual check of walls and patched holes
- Damp signs inside and out
- Guidance on tracing a guarantee
- Short written report
Existing insulation and guarantee check prices in the Highlands and Islands
| Existing insulation and guarantee check guide prices | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Existing insulation and guarantee check | £145–£245 |
This work is not insulation, so it is normally standard-rated for VAT. Guide prices include VAT where it applies. Guide ranges only: the fixed price is confirmed in writing before any work starts, and anything that could not be seen at survey is agreed with you first.
The steps for an insulation and guarantee check in the Highlands and Islands:
Tell us what is happening
Postcode, property type and what you have noticed.
Price agreed first
We confirm the price before anyone visits.
Visit and checks
Photos and readings at the areas that matter.
Findings in writing
What we found and the options, each priced separately.