Structural inspections in London

Levels of inspection

We offer three levels of inspection for homes, and a fourth for mortgage lenders. If you are not sure which fits, describe what you have seen when you get in touch and we will recommend one before you book.

• Fast trackReport within 48 hours of the inspection, from £120*
• Weekend inspectionSaturday or Sunday visit, from £80*
• Larger homesPriced by size, and confirmed with you before you book

These prices are a guide. Your price depends on the size of the property and what needs looking at. We confirm your price in writing before you book. Our recommendations for remedial work do not include detailed design or calculations, unless we confirm this with you in writing before the site visit.

* Prices are a guide only and VAT may be added. Contact us for an accurate price.

When to book a structural inspection

• Cracks have appeared in walls, ceilings or brickwork, or an old crack has opened again after filling.
• Doors or windows have started to stick, or floors feel uneven or sloping.
• Your mortgage lender has asked for a structural engineer's report.
• Your insurer suspects subsidence or structural movement.
• You are buying an older property, such as a Victorian or Edwardian house.
• You plan to remove a load-bearing wall, convert the loft or build an extension.
• The property has suffered subsidence before.
• There are visible signs of movement or distortion, or a large tree close to the house.

Finding a defect early can stop a minor problem becoming a costly repair.

What a structural engineer inspects

Foundations

Usually hidden, so they are assessed through the signs they leave: stepped cracking, differential settlement, distortion, subsidence and heave. Trial pits or soil investigations may be recommended.

Walls and roof

Cracks, bulging or bowing walls, deteriorated mortar, brick movement, failed lintels, sagging rafters, roof spread and overloaded purlins.

Floors

Deflection, settlement, rot, damp-related deterioration and movement.

Chimneys

Leaning stacks, cracking, separation from the building and deteriorating masonry.

Structural alterations

Removed walls, steel beams, loft conversions and extensions, to judge whether the support appears adequate.

Trees near the house are assessed against NHBC guidance, and ground conditions are checked against British Geological Survey records, because shrinkable clay under much of London is the most common cause of movement here.

What your report includes

• A description of the property
• A summary of what we observed
• Details of the structural defects
• Their probable causes
• How severe they are
• Photographs
• Our recommendations
• Whether monitoring is needed
• Whether further investigation is needed
• Suggested remedial works

Reports for mortgage lenders and insurers also answer the points those organisations have raised. For a Specific Structural Inspection, findings and recommendations are sent to you by email.

If we find a structural problem

Depending on what we find and how serious it is, we may recommend:

• Crack monitoring
• Trial pits to expose the foundations
• A CCTV drain survey
• A soil investigation
• Structural calculations
• Localised repairs
• Strengthening works
• Further specialist investigation

Our recommendations for remedial work do not include detailed design or calculations, unless we confirm this with you in writing before the site visit.

Who carries out the inspection

Our in-house engineers, each of whom holds a master's degree in structural engineering. If you need the inspection carried out by a chartered structural engineer, ask when you book and we will confirm it in writing before the visit. Mortgage Structural Inspections are reviewed by MICE or MIStructE qualified engineers.

If your lender needs the report, tell us before the inspection, so it is prepared in the form they expect.

What an inspection does not include

• Visual only. We do not lift floors, open up walls or dig unless this is agreed beforehand.
• Remedial design. Our recommendations for remedial work do not include detailed design or calculations, unless we confirm this with you in writing before the site visit.
• Structure only. Electrics, plumbing, heating, gas, drainage, asbestos, damp, rot, ventilation, fire safety and pests are not inspected.
• Japanese knotweed is excluded. A RICS surveyor should check for it before you buy.
• Trees are identified by eye. Our engineers are not arboriculturists, so have the species confirmed by a tree specialist before relying on that part of the report.
• Ground conditions come from public records, including British Geological Survey maps. Only a site investigation with laboratory testing can confirm them.
• Time on site. A standard inspection covers what can reasonably be seen and reached in about 45 minutes. Tell us before the visit if the property has been empty for a long time, or not painted or maintained for more than ten years, as it may need longer.

The full terms are in our conditions of engagement.

Examples from our reports

• Front porch pulling away from a 1930s semi in Greenford. Cracks and a 10 mm gap where a rebuilt porch meets a 1930s house in Greenford, UB6. What we found, the likely cause and the repair we recommended.
• Conservatory separating from a house in Uxbridge. A rear conservatory in Uxbridge, UB8, with a history of movement and an 8 to 20 mm gap at the house wall. What we found and why removal was the sensible option.
• Collapsed lath and plaster ceiling in a converted house, Crystal Palace. A hallway ceiling that came down after a year-long leak in a period house divided into flats in SE19. What we found in the floor structure and how to repair it.
• Party wall cracking in an Edwardian terrace divided into flats, East Dulwich. Cracks up to 20 mm in the party wall of an Edwardian terrace in East Dulwich, SE22, with three different causes, a gap in the fire separation and a staged repair.

Common questions