A wall that was built without a lintel
A structural change that affects how the wall holds up above a door or window.
Whittlesea 3757 · 21 October 2026
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In short: A lintel transfers the weight of the blockwork to the jambs. Without it, the load sits on the surrounding brick and can cause cracking.
What a lintel does
It carries the weight of the wall above an opening and stops the bricks from sagging or collapsing into the room.
What we noted
A lintel was missing above the rear door on a Whittlesea build, replacing the load onto the surrounding brickwork.
Why this occurs
The builder may have missed the detail on the drawings, or they may have assumed the wall was thick enough to support itself.
Don't risk defects after settlement.
If the crack is small, a buyer might not notice it until years later. In the interim, the wall appears fine.
Action steps
Book the pre-purchase inspection. We check the lintel detail against the Building Act 1993 and the approved drawings.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Whittlesea. Licensed building practitioners.
