Devon & Cornwall property preservation since 1986 · Visits by appointment only
Damp, timber & structural specialists · Devon and Cornwall

Worried about your walls? Get a clear answer first.

Since 1986, our qualified surveyors have helped property owners understand damp, timber decay and structural defects. We investigate carefully, explain plainly, and recommend work only where it is needed.

1986
Established in the South West
CSRT & CSSW
Qualified surveyors
In-house
Directly employed, trained team
Homes, listed buildings and commercial property across Devon and Cornwall
Request a survey

Tell us what you have noticed.

Fill in a few details and your email app will open with a prepared message to our team. Nothing is sent from this website until you press Send in your own email app.

Active Services — more than 40 years of service to Devon and Cornwall, established 1986

Request a Survey

Tell us what you have noticed. This opens an email draft to our team; you then press Send in your email app.

Nothing is sent from this website. Your email app opens with a prepared message; press Send there to complete your enquiry.

Symptom finder

Start with what you can see.

Choose the sign that best matches your property. We will point you to the most useful guide, the relevant service and a few things worth checking.

What it could mean

Often rising damp, but bridged damp-proof courses, high ground outside and leaking rainwater goods produce very similar marks.

Worth checking before we visit
  • Are paths or soil higher than the inside floor?
  • Is a gutter or downpipe leaking nearby?
  • Does it change with the weather?
Relevant serviceDamp & water damage
Ask a surveyor about this

A guide, not a diagnosis. Different defects can look remarkably alike, which is why we investigate before recommending anything.

A surveyor examining a wall in an older property
Our position

Diagnosis before treatment. Every time.

Rising damp, rain penetration and condensation can look almost identical on a plastered wall. Old woodworm holes can look like a live infestation. A rushed assumption leads to the wrong work. We take the time to find the cause.

  • Investigation first. We consider the whole building, not just the patch.
  • Plain-English findings. What we found, what it means, what we recommend and why.
  • Fixed-price quotations. Except dry rot, which needs investigation before a price can be confirmed.
  • No pressure. No cold calls, no door knocking, visits by appointment only.
How it works

From first worry to a clear plan.

A simple process, the same whether it is a cottage bedroom or a commercial building.

Read about our surveys
  1. Step 01

    Tell us what you see

    Call Tavistock or Plymouth, or prepare an email. Photos and a short description help.

  2. Step 02

    We investigate

    A qualified surveyor visits by appointment and assesses the issue in the context of the building.

  3. Step 03

    You get clear findings

    We explain the likely cause and set out proportionate options, including when no treatment is needed.

  4. Step 04

    Our own team delivers

    If you go ahead, agreed work is carried out by our directly employed, trained staff.

Homeowners & buyers

A calm second opinion on a worrying defect.

Whether you have spotted a damp patch or a mortgage survey has flagged something, we help you understand what is really happening.

Our survey process
Commercial & professional

Landlords, agents, surveyors and commercial owners.

Clear findings and a directly employed contracting team for managed, let and commercial property.

Commercial services
Where we work

Devon and Cornwall, by appointment.

From Newton Abbot and Plymouth to the far side of the Tamar, we know the region’s cob, granite and slate.

Professional memberships and schemes

Property Care AssociationTrustMarkQANWCheckatradeWhich? Trusted Trader
Start with a conversation

Tell us what you are seeing.

A description and a few photos are enough to start. We will explain the sensible next step, with no obligation and no pressure.