Watch: what we check when there is no paperwork
A 2-minute film on what our engineer looks for when a wall, chimney breast or extension was done without approval, and why a visual inspection is not a guarantee and does not replace Building Control approval.
Why it matters
Taking out a wall or a chimney breast changes how your house carries its weight, and an extension or loft conversion adds new beams, walls and foundations. Without Building Control approval there is no record that the work was designed and checked. Buyers, solicitors, surveyors and lenders often ask about it, and missing paperwork can hold up a sale or a remortgage.
Alterations we are often asked to check
- A load-bearing wall knocked through, often between the front and back reception rooms or into the kitchen.
- A chimney breast removed, downstairs or upstairs, with the chimney above still in place.
- A rear or side extension built without approval, or where the paperwork has been lost.
- An older loft conversion with no Building Regulations completion certificate.
What our engineer checks
Our engineer visits and inspects the alteration, and the rooms above and around it, looking for signs that it is not coping:
- Cracks around the opening, or where an extension joins the house.
- Ceilings or floors that sag, and doors that start to stick.
- Floors that bounce or vibrate when you walk across them.
- What can be seen of the support: the beam, its posts and padstones, and how any chimney above is held up.
- For an extension, signs that its walls, roof or foundations have moved.
- For a loft conversion, sagging floors, roof spread, or cracking in the rooms below.
What you receive
We explain what we found in plain English, the likely cause of any problem, and what we recommend. That could be simply keeping an eye on it, opening up to see what is hidden, or calculations and repairs. Any further work, including opening up, calculations or repair design, is quoted separately before it goes ahead.
Please note: this is a visual inspection. We cannot see inside walls, floors or ceilings unless they are opened up, so it is not a guarantee that the alteration is safe, and it does not replace Building Control approval. It gives you a good idea of how the alteration is performing, so you can make a better decision, whether you are buying, selling or staying put.
Which inspection, and the price
Tell us what was altered, ideally with a few photos, and we will recommend the right inspection and confirm the price in writing before you book. If the alteration is part of a wider survey, for example a General or Comprehensive General Structural Inspection when you are buying, tell us about it before the visit so it is included: a Comprehensive General Structural Inspection looks at alterations and earlier structural changes only if you ask before the inspection. See our inspection levels and prices.
Before our visit
- Send us photos of the alteration, and any plans or old paperwork you have.
- If you are buying, send us the survey report, or the part that mentions the alteration.
- Clear furniture away from the walls around the alteration.
- Give us access to the rooms above and below it, and to the loft if it is involved.
Selling, buying and Building Control
Our inspection gives you an independent engineer's view of how the work appears to be performing, which buyers, sellers and their advisers often find useful. It is not a Building Control certificate. In England, the council's Building Control can consider a regularisation application for unauthorised work started on or after 11 November 1985. It may ask for parts of the work to be opened up, and for structural calculations for any beams; if calculations are needed, we can prepare them as a separate service.
Solicitors sometimes suggest an indemnity policy instead. If one is being considered, ask your solicitor before anyone contacts the council about the work, as that can affect whether a policy is available.
Common questions
Can you sign off work that was done without Building Regulations approval?
No. Only Building Control can approve the work, for example through a regularisation certificate from the council. Our visual inspection tells you how the alteration appears to be performing and what we recommend; it is not a guarantee and it does not replace Building Control approval.
A previous owner removed a chimney breast. How do we know the chimney above is supported?
We look at what can be seen: the support under the remaining chimney, the ceiling and walls around it, the room above and, where there is access, the loft. If the support is boxed in or hidden, we may recommend opening up a small area so it can be seen, which your builder would do before a further visit.
Will a report help me sell the house?
It gives buyers and their surveyors an independent engineer's view of the alteration, which often helps. Whether a buyer, lender or solicitor accepts it is their decision, and some will still ask for Building Control approval or an indemnity policy.
How much does it cost?
It depends on what was altered and how much of the house needs looking at. Send us a few photos and we will recommend the right inspection and confirm the price in writing before you book. Any further work, such as opening up, calculations or repairs, is quoted separately.
