Structural engineers in London since 2016
Inspections, mortgage and insurance reports, and calculations for wall removals and extensions. Clear answers from qualified engineers, with your price confirmed in writing before we visit.
“Honest, professional and thorough.”
Projects completed2,700+
Reports written for lenders. We regularly prepare reports for buyers borrowing from major lenders, including Barclays, Santander and Nationwide.
Qualified engineers. Degrees in civil and structural engineering, with chartered CEng, FICE and MIStructE engineers on the team.
Local to West London. Our office is in Chiswick, and we inspect and design for homes across Greater London.
Fully insured. £1 million professional indemnity insurance for our inspections, reports and designs.
Whether you are buying, insuring, repairing or extending, an engineer looks at your building and tells you plainly what it needs. You have the price in writing before we start.
Inspection
Structural inspections
Specific, General and Comprehensive inspections for buyers and homeowners.
Find out more
Report
Mortgage structural reports
The engineer's report your lender's valuer has asked for.
Find out more
Inspection
Cracks in walls
Which cracks matter, what causes them and how we monitor them.
Find out more
Inspection
Subsidence investigations
Whether the ground is moving, why, and what to do about it.
Find out more
Report
Insurance structural reports
Evidence for insurers on past subsidence, renewals and claims.
Find out more
Design
Wall removal and alterations
Steel beam calculations and drawings for knock-throughs and chimney breasts.
Find out more
Design
Extensions and loft conversions
Foundations, steelwork and roof structure, ready for Building Control.
Find out more
Report
Freeholder consent reports
The report your freeholder needs before you alter a leasehold flat.
Find out more
Most people come to us with a problem rather than a technical brief. Pick the one closest to yours and we will point you to the right inspection or design service.
Five cracks we are asked about every week, on a typical London terrace. Choose one to see what it usually means and which inspection fits.
Choose a crack
Diagonal or stepped cracks that start at the corner of a window or door and taper along their length are the pattern most often linked to foundation movement. In London that usually means clay soil shrinking near trees, or ground softened by a leaking drain.
Get it looked at if it is wider than about 3 mm, has come back after filling, or doors and windows have started to stick. A General Structural Inspection covers this.
Bay windows were often built on shallower foundations than the main walls, so the two can move slightly differently. A crack at the junction is very common in Victorian and Edwardian homes. Many are old and stable; some are still moving.
An engineer can tell you which, and whether monitoring is worth doing. A Specific Structural Inspection covers one issue like this.
This can point to roof spread, where the roof pushes the top of the wall outwards. It sometimes follows a change to heavier roof tiles or alterations to the roof timbers. Look for a bulge or lean in the wall below.
A Specific Structural Inspection checks the wall and the roof structure behind it.
Cracks running up from the top of an opening, or a brick arch that has dropped, usually mean the lintel or arch over the opening has sagged or corroded. It is normally a local problem rather than a sign of foundation movement.
Often a straightforward repair once the cause is confirmed. A Specific Structural Inspection is the right first step.
Hairline cracks under about 1 mm wide are very common. They usually come from shrinkage, changes in temperature or normal seasonal movement, and can be filled when you next redecorate.
Most need no inspection. If they keep growing or appear alongside other signs, read our guide to when cracks in walls are a concern.
Every inspection is visual and non-intrusive, carried out in person by one of our engineers. Choose the level that fits your property and what you have noticed.
One crack or one problem area
A visual inspection of one structural issue or crack, in one specific area of the property.
Other rooms and areas are not inspected.
Recommended for buyers
Buying a house, or several concerns
A visual inspection of the main structure, inside and out, for severe cracks, subsidence and movement.
Covers up to five significant structural issues. The loft and roof structure, cellar and outbuildings are not included.
Older or altered homes
Everything in a GSI, and not restricted to a set number of issues.
The whole property is reviewed for signs of severe movement. It is not a record of every crack.
Your lender's valuer wants a report
The specific structural points your lender's valuer has raised.
Other parts of the property are not inspected unless you or your lender ask.
Prices depend on the size of the property and what needs looking at, and we confirm yours in writing before you book. See our prices. Our recommendations for remedial work do not include detailed design or calculations, unless we confirm this with you in writing before the site visit.
From first message to finished report, this is what to expect.
Use the form or call us. A few photos of the cracks, or your valuer's letter, help us recommend the right inspection.
We reply with the inspection we recommend, its price and the next available dates. Your booking is confirmed once payment is received.
A visual, non-intrusive inspection on a weekday, or at the weekend for a small extra fee. Someone needs to give the engineer access.
Written findings and advice, usually within 5 working days, or within 48 hours with fast track. Follow-up questions are welcome.
We are not the cheapest firm in London, and we do not try to be. Our fees allow enough time for each property, so every report is written for your building rather than adapted from the last one.
Senior Structural Engineer
Senior Structural Engineer
Chartered Structural Engineer
Designer
Buyers, homeowners and leaseholders on working with us. Read all our reviews on Google
I used Laytoe in August for a lender structural report. Siavash and the team were honest, professional and thorough. Siavash took the time to call us before finalising the report, explained the findings clearly and gave genuinely candid advice, which helped me make a very important decision with confidence.
We needed a general structural inspection survey done on a property we were purchasing. The survey was actioned quickly, the price was very fair and report was detailed and clear with specific actions recommended for next steps. Will certainly use again.
They provided a very professional and detailed report for my insurance purposes, and everything was handled efficiently and thoroughly. The report was clear, accurate, and well presented, which made the insurance process much easier for me.
Our office is on Turnham Green Terrace in W4. We inspect and design for homes throughout Greater London, and we know its housing well: Victorian and Edwardian terraces, mansion blocks and converted flats, much of it built on shrinkable London clay.
Plain-English answers to the questions homeowners and buyers ask us most. Read all guides
InspectionsStructural Engineer in Richmond upon Thames: Local Homeowner FAQsRichmond upon Thames runs along both banks of the river, from Barnes, Kew and East Sheen to Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton.
InspectionsStructural Engineer in Hammersmith and Fulham: Local Homeowner FAQsHammersmith and Fulham is mostly Victorian and Edwardian terraces, mansion blocks and converted flats, built on London Clay and close to the Thames.
AlterationsSteel Beam (RSJ) Calculations in London: Homeowner FAQsMost knock-throughs, kitchen extensions and chimney breast removals in London end with a steel beam carrying the house above.
Send a few details about the property and the problem. We read every enquiry ourselves and reply with the inspection or design service that fits, and its price.
