Structural Inspections
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Get Building Survey Quotes
Buying a house? A Building Survey, also known as a structural survey or RICS Level 3 survey, is the most thorough, detailed survey you can get to investigate the condition of a house.
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When you improve your home, one of the first decisions you need to make is whether or not you need an architect. It can have a big impact on the cost and quality of the building works. We look at when it is a good idea to have one and the pros and cons of working with an architect.
What is a structural inspection?
- A structural inspection is a detailed report on the structural integrity of a property.
- Structural inspections may be commissioned by homeowners to help with issues affecting the structure of their home, such as subsidence. But they can also be used by prospective homebuyers who want to assess a property’s structural soundness before buying.
Why compare structural inspections quotes?
When you need to book a structural inspection it’s important to compare multiple structural inspections quotes because it allows you to:
- Save money. Different structural engineers may charge varying fees for similar services. So it helps you get a sense of how much you should be paying.
- Compare what’s offered: By getting multiple structural inspections quotes you’ll quickly be able to assess the scope of services included in each quote.
- Gauge expertise: You can evaluate the expertise of each structural engineer.
- Make informed decisions: By researching multiple options, you’ll be able to choose a structural engineer who best fits your structural inspections needs and budget.
When do I need a structural inspection?
There are a number of circumstances in which you will need structural inspections, including:
1. You suspect subsidence
Subsidence is when the ground beneath a property sinks, pulling the building’s foundations down with it. Common signs of subsidence include: cracks in walls or ceilings, doors or windows sticking, uneven floor surfaces and wallpaper crinkling at wall/ceiling joins.
If you think you may have subsidence, you have two options:
- Commission a structural engineer to undertake structural inspection to confirm whether or not you have subsidence before involving your insurer.
- Contact your buildings insurer. Your insurer will arrange for a structural engineer to inspect your home. The engineer may decide your home needs to be monitored before they can determine whether the ground is sinking. This can take up to 12 months. However, there may be a risk that your insurance premiums will rise while you’re establishing whether it is subsidence or not.
So you should go away and have a think which is the best course of action for you.
2. Renovating your home
You’ll usually need a structural inspection if you’re planning home renovations that would involve changing the structure of your property such as removing a chimney breast or demolishing interior walls.
A structural inspection will be needed to comply with building regulations in many cases. However, a builder or architect will usually tell you in advance if your project will need a structural inspection.
3. Buying a property
In some cases, you may want a structural inspection if you’re buying a house. However, this is usually the case if you’re buying a house in poor condition, if you want to undertake major renovations or if your house survey report recommends it.
In some cases a mortgage lender may require a structural inspection before agreeing to lend on a property.
How Our Structural Inspections Comparison Tool Works
Our structural inspections survey comparison tool is easy to use. Simply:
- Enter your postcode and the type of project you’re planning
- Input your details and Add information about your property
- Instantly receive multiple estimates: Get up to five competitive structural inspection estimates from local structural engineers
Who carries out a structural inspection?
A structural inspection will be carried out by a Structural Engineer, who is likely to be a member of the IStructE (Institution of Structural Engineers) or a member of the ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) and will have after his or her name the letters MIStructE, FIStructE, MICE or FICE.
Structural Engineers with these letters after their names are known as Chartered Engineers. It is generally recommended that you engage the services of a Chartered Engineer rather than an Engineer who is not chartered but it should be noted that there are some Engineers with considerable experience who are not chartered. The choice is yours.
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Structural inspection vs survey
A structural inspection is often mistaken for a structural survey but they are carried out by different professionals and have different purposes:
Structural inspection
- A structural inspection is carried out by a structural engineer and is used to assess the structural condition of a building. It can assess the whole building (a general structural inspection) or focus on a particular potential structural problem like subsidence, (a specific structural inspection)
Structural survey
- By comparison, a full structural survey, officially known as the RICS Home Survey Level 3, is a type of survey used by buyers to assess the condition of a property before buying a house.
- Other types of house survey include the RICS Home Survey – Level 1 (previously called a Condition Report), the RICS Home Survey – Level 2 (previously called a Home Buyer Report or Homebuyer survey) and the RPSA Building Survey.
- These surveys carried out by qualified surveyors who should be a member of one of the two main accrediting bodies The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or The Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA).
- However, your surveyor may identify a potential structural issue and recommended further investigation by a specialist or structural engineer. In this case you may also need a structural inspection.
Getting structural inspection quotes? 5 common questions
Here are some of the common questions people ask when getting structural inspection quotes.
What are the benefits of commissioning a structural inspection?
- There are a number of benefits of commissioning a structural inspection. For example, if you suspect that your house has subsidence, a structural inspection can help you establish whether or not this is the case. If you do have subsidence, you can liaise with your buildings insurer to start the process of fixing the problem.
How long does a structural inspection take?
- A structural engineer’s inspection can vary significantly, but for a standard property, the on-site visit generally takes 1 to 3 hours, with the detailed report usually sent within a few days to a week afterward.
What are the different types of structural inspection?
- There are two main types of structural inspections:
- General structural inspections: These focus on the foundations, walls, roof, and other structural aspects of the property.
- Specific structural inspections: These look at a particular potential structural problem of a home and makes recommendations around those problems. For example, this could be suspected subsidence or timber decay, or advice about removing a loadbearing wall.
Can a structural inspection affect the property’s value?
- If the structural inspection identifies structural problems with the house that need rectifying, the house’s value could be affected. However, it’s the structural problems that would affect the value, not the inspection itself.
What’s the process for booking a structural inspection?
- Once you’ve compared structural inspection quotes and chosen your preferred structural engineer, simply contact them to book the structural inspection.
How much does a structural inspection cost?
The cost of structural inspections varies widely. Some structural inspections may cost £300-£400 but costs can be higher depending on:
- Location: The cost can vary depending on where in the UK the property is located.
- Size of the property. The larger your house, the more your structural inspection may cost
- Specialist experience required: For example, if the property is very old, your structural inspection may cost more as you will need a specialise who deals with property from that time period.
What’s included in a structural inspection?
There are two parts to structural inspections:
- Site visit: The first stage of the structural inspection is when the structural engineer visits the property. What they assess during the visit will depend on the type of structural inspection you have booked. But for example they may look for timber defects/ decay, issues with foundations including subsidence and bowing or distortion to floor structures or roofs.
- Full written report: Following the inspection, the structural engineer will send a full written report detailing their observations, findings and any recommendations for further surveys or investigations. If the structural inspection has identified the cause of the structural defect, the report will also include recommendations to fix the problem.
Do I need a structural engineer for subsidence?
A subsidence structural inspection is a detailed assessment by a structural engineer to determine if a property’s foundation movement is due to subsidence.
- Homeowners who suspect they may have subsidence often choose to commission their own structural engineer to undertake a subsidence structural inspection to confirm whether this is the case before speaking to their home insurer.
- Home buyers may request that a subsidence structural inspection is carried out on a property if their house survey flags it as a potential issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are your structural engineers all local to my postcode?
Yes, our online structural engineer comparison tool will connect you with surveyors that are local to your postcode. So whether you’re in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds or anywhere else, you’ll get a local structural engineer.
How soon will I get my report?
Your structural engineer will usually send your structural inspection report within a few days or up to a week after their site visit. But it’s a good idea to discuss timeframes before you commission the structural engineer.
Shop around and save
- Use our structural inspections comparison tool, powered by Local Surveyors Direct, to find qualified structural engineers in your local area, shop around, compare quotes and find the right structural engineer for you at the best price.
- Also, we recommend speaking to the structural engineer about any concerns you have about the property up front. Recruit a qualified chartered structural engineer who is forthcoming and contactable.
