What Is Chasing?
Written by James Walker · Last reviewed 16 August 2026
James Walker has 2 degrees in construction (BSc (Hons) Building Surveying · MSc Environmental Design of Buildings) and an extensive background in issue resolution, resolving over £4 billion of consumer issues.
Chasing is cutting a channel into a wall or floor so cables or pipes can be buried out of sight, then filled over.
Why it matters to your budget
Chasing creates damage that has to be repaired, filling, plastering, and decorating afterwards. That is making good, and it is one of the most commonly excluded items in electrical and plumbing quotes.
On a full rewire the making good can run to a substantial figure of its own. If one quote includes it and another does not, you are not comparing like with like.
There are rules
Chases have limits on depth and direction, because cutting too deep weakens the wall. Cables buried in walls also have to be run in permitted zones, vertically or horizontally from a socket or switch, so that someone drilling later can predict where they are.
Diagonal runs are not permitted for this reason.
What to ask
Whether making good is included, and to what standard. "Ready to plaster", "ready to decorate" and "decorated to match" are three different prices.
Photograph chases before they are covered. It is genuinely useful years later when someone wants to fix a shelf.
How it works
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