How much does a structural engineer's report cost?
The short answer
A structural engineer's report typically costs £500 to £2,000, with most single-issue domestic reports landing around £700 to £1,000 including the site visit. The price tracks scope: one crack or a sagging lintel sits at the bottom of the range, a whole-house structural appraisal at the top. Calculation packages for building work are priced separately - simple beam calcs start from a few hundred pounds.
What reports cost, by scope
| Service | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Specific defect inspection + report (one crack, one wall) | £500 - £900 |
| Multiple defects or complex movement investigation | £900 - £1,500 |
| Full structural appraisal of a whole property | £1,200 - £2,000+ |
| Beam/opening calculations for building control | £250 - £900 by complexity |
| Hourly advice where quoted | £90 - £150+ |
Region moves these (London and the south east top the ranges), and so does urgency - transaction-deadline reports carry premiums. The useful comparison discipline: quotes should state what's inspected, whether the visit is included, and what the report is for - a defect opinion and a calculation package are different products at different prices.
What you get for the money
A chartered engineer's site inspection of the issue, measurement and (where relevant) crack-pattern analysis, a professional opinion on cause and severity, and - the part that matters - what to do: monitor, repair with a specification, or investigate further (trial pits, drain CCTV, monitoring over months for suspected subsidence). The report carries professional indemnity insurance behind it, which is why lenders, insurers and buyers treat it as the definitive word where a surveyor's flag was the opening question. Look for chartered credentials - MIStructE or CEng - and PI insurance as table stakes.
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Compare engineer quotesCommon questions
Why do prices vary so much between engineers?
Scope interpretation, seniority of who attends, and turnaround. Two quotes £600 apart often describe different jobs - one a look-and-letter, the other measurement, analysis and a specification. Make quotes state their scope and the spread narrows fast.
Is the report worth it in a house purchase?
Where a survey flagged movement, almost always: the report either clears the fear (saving a renegotiation-killing panic) or prices it precisely (arming the renegotiation). Either answer is worth more than the fee on any normal purchase price.
Does the fee include fixing anything?
No - engineers diagnose and specify; contractors repair. That separation is a feature: the person prescribing the remedy earns nothing from its scale, which is exactly what you want from the prescription.
How fast can I get a report?
Visits within one to two weeks and reports a week after are typical; transaction deadlines can compress that for a premium. Book the visit before the rest of the chain knows they're waiting on it.
Sources and further reading