Homes we survey in St Albans and Harpenden
St Albans has a long history, from Roman Verulamium to the medieval abbey that is now its cathedral. The city centre has timber-framed, Georgian and Victorian buildings, many of them listed or within conservation areas. The railway brought Victorian and Edwardian growth, including the terraced streets of Fleetville, and in the same period Harpenden grew from a village into a town of villas and terraces.
Even so, much of what we survey is post-war. Houses from the 1960s and 1970s are the single biggest group in our records, many of them on estates around the edges of the city and in the villages. Semi-detached houses are the type we see most, and the majority of homes have cavity walls. We have also inspected cross-wall town houses and timber-framed homes, and the district's villages add older cottages and later infill.
From our survey reports in St Albans and Harpenden
Based on 32 DBISS surveys in 5 postcode districts since 2022. Figures are rounded; homes can fall in more than one wall category.
When the homes were built
Property types
- 28% semi-detached
- 19% detached
- 19% mid-terrace
- 6% flat
Main walls
66% cavity masonry · 13% solid masonry
Non-standard construction recorded
Cross-wall construction, Timber frame. About non-standard homes
What to look out for
Listed buildings and conservation areas. Alterations that affect a listed building's character need listed building consent, as the government's historic environment guidance explains. Ask your solicitor to confirm that past works had consent. We report on condition and on repairs that may need specialist input.
1960s and 1970s houses. Cross-wall town houses have load-bearing party walls with lighter front and back panels, often tile-hung or timber-clad. Check the panels, the windows set into them and any flat roofs. Many houses of this age had cavity insulation added later.
Edwardian terraces. Bays, slate roofs, chimneys and rear additions all need attention, and solid walls should be kept free of impervious renders and paints.
The ground. Parts of the district sit on chalk, in which natural solution features occur. Elsewhere there are clay soils, and trees near a house on clay can cause movement. Read the ground section of your solicitor's environmental search.
Which survey?
A Level 3 Building Survey (from £550) suits listed and period homes, cross-wall houses and anything extended or in need of work, and includes a drone roof inspection where flight is permitted. For a post-war semi in reasonable order, a Level 2 Home Survey (from £440) is usually proportionate. Reports are typically issued within 5 working days of the inspection. If you are unsure, our which survey guide compares them.
Areas we cover
We cover AL1, AL2, AL3, AL4 and AL5, including St Albans, London Colney, Bricket Wood, Park Street, Redbourn, Sandridge, Wheathampstead and Harpenden. No travel supplement applies within about 25 miles of Hemel Hempstead, and that takes in this whole area.
Nearby: Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Bushey and Rickmansworth and Stevenage, Hitchin and Letchworth.