PCA-aligned · specialist diagnostic

Damp & Timber reports — specialist diagnosis, drafted in minutes

Distinguishes rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation and lateral damp. Identifies wet rot, dry rot and woodworm by species. Captures moisture meter readings, salt analysis and remedial spec — AI drafts the descriptive narrative, surveyor calls the diagnosis.

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Our approach to Damp & Timber

A specialist-grade diagnostic report for PCA-CSRT and chartered surveyors. Built around the things lenders and solicitors actually check: moisture readings on the right substrate, the 4 distinct damp types (mixing them up is the most common diagnostic error), wet-rot vs dry-rot taxonomy, and a section-aware image manager so the salt-test photo sits with the right finding — not in a separate folder.

Damp taxonomy

4 distinct damp types

Rising (capillary, ~1m), penetrating (lateral via defective fabric), condensation (atmospheric — often misdiagnosed as rising), lateral (basement). Each has a distinct profile and remedy — the template won't let you spec chemical DPC against a condensation profile.

Photo manager

Readings tied to evidence

Bulk-import photos, drag each one to the right finding, annotate moisture-meter screenshots and salt patches with arrows. %WME readings sit with the photo that proves them — no more rebuilding the bundle in Word, saves hours per report.

Independence flag

Conflict-of-interest disclosure

Declaration captures whether you're independent or treatment-company employed, and any commercial relationship to recommended contractors. Lenders and solicitors increasingly check this for chemical-injection recommendations.

Your site notes

C2 lounge int wall, tide mark to 900mm, salts present Protimeter Surveymaster, 28%WME @ 100mm depth no DPC visible externally, ground level high

AI draft — review & sign off

Lounge — internal wall 28%WME

A tide mark was observed to approximately 900mm above floor level. Hygroscopic salt staining noted. External ground level is elevated…

Diagnosis & remedial spec surveyor only

Damp-type call and remedy spec stay with the named PCA-CSRT — downstream cost consequence.

AI · strict-literal mode

Findings narrative drafted from notes — diagnosis stays surveyor-only

Type readings and observations from the inspection. AI drafts the factual description of each finding: location, extent, substrate context, what was observed. Strict-literal mode means it never invents a reading, a substrate, or a flight-hole count.

What AI does not do: it never proposes the damp type, the decay species, or the remedial spec. Misdiagnosis here drives the wrong remedy and the wrong invoice — that decision stays with the named PCA-CSRT or chartered surveyor signing the report.

Read our full AI compliance position

What's in the report

Sections A–F — from inspection to recommended remedial spec.

AInspection detailsSurveyor, qualifications (PCA-CSRT, RICS, etc.), instructing party, date, weather, methodology, equipment used (Protimeter type, salt-test kit), areas not inspected.
BProperty & constructionAddress, age, construction (solid wall / cavity / timber frame), DPC presence and type, ground levels, sub-floor ventilation, window/cill detail.
CDamp findingsPer affected area: type (rising / penetrating / condensation / lateral), location, moisture readings (% wood moisture equivalent, %WME), salt-test results, photographic evidence, suspected source.
DTimber findingsPer defect: wet rot / dry rot / woodworm / death-watch / longhorn, location, extent (mm of decay or # of flight holes per m²), structural significance, moisture context.
EDiagnosis & remedial specRecommended treatment per finding: chemical DPC, atmospheric ventilation, fungicidal treatment, timber replacement. Specifications include products and concentration where appropriate.
FSurveyor's declarationPCA-aligned attestation, qualifications, conflicts of interest disclosure (e.g. independent vs treatment-company employed), AI disclosure.

Damp & Timber FAQs

Who can produce a Damp & Timber report?

A specialist surveyor — typically PCA-CSRT (Property Care Association Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatment) or PCA-CSSW (Certificated Surveyor in Structural Waterproofing). Some chartered surveyors with relevant CPD also produce them. Lenders increasingly want PCA-CSRT for rising damp diagnosis specifically.

How does it support moisture meter readings?

Per finding, the report captures specific %WME readings from a calibrated moisture meter, the meter type (Protimeter Aquant / Surveymaster), the substrate, and the depth of reading. This evidence base is what distinguishes a specialist diagnosis from a guess.

Wet rot vs dry rot — how does the template handle it?

Wet rot (Coniophora puteana etc.) needs >30% MC, stays localised, recovers when source dries. Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans) needs ~22–30% MC, spreads through brickwork via mycelium, requires extensive remedial work. The template captures the species ID and flags the spec correctly per organism.

Does it handle conflicts of interest?

Yes. The declaration captures whether the surveyor is independent or employed by a treatment company, and any commercial relationship to recommended contractors. Lenders and solicitors increasingly check for independence in damp diagnoses, especially where chemical injection is recommended.

Can the report drive a Letter of Claim or PI defence?

Yes. The structured findings, moisture readings, and remedy specifications are formatted to be admissible as expert evidence. The Surveyor's Declaration includes a CPR Part 35-aware attestation when the report is being used in litigation context.

Is the AI compliant with the RICS 2026 AI Standard?

Yes. SurveyorSuite is designed around the RICS Professional Standard Responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying practice (in force from 9 March 2026). Every AI-assisted Damp & Timber report carries an AI disclosure block in Section F (text generation / photo analysis / research) with a confirmation field the named surveyor signs before export, plus an audit-trail timestamp on every generation. Diagnosis (damp type, species ID) stays surveyor-only on professional-judgement grounds. See our full AI compliance position.

What happens to my notes? Are they used to train AI models?

No. Inspection notes are sent to Anthropic's commercial API for drafting. Anthropic explicitly commits in their Commercial Terms of Service that customer inputs and outputs are not used to train their models. They retain API content for up to 30 days under their standard Trust & Safety policy, then delete it. SurveyorSuite never shares your content with any third party for marketing or model training.