Structural engineers
The structure, answered.
Calculations for your build, or a clear verdict on that crack. Compare quotes from chartered structural engineers checked with IStructE and ICE.
Free for homeowners · No obligation · IStructE and ICE chartered status checked
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What does a structural engineer do?
A structural engineer assesses and designs the load-bearing parts of your home. For homeowners that means two things: structural reports, when something worries you (cracks, movement, sagging floors, a bowing wall, or a surveyor's referral), and structural calculations, when you're altering the building - removing a wall, inserting a beam, converting a loft, or extending.
The calculations are the documents building control approves and your builder works from; the reports tell you whether a defect is cosmetic or serious, what caused it and what to do about it. Both carry the authority of a chartered engineer (IStructE or ICE).
When do you need one?
Call a structural engineer rather than a surveyor when:
- You're removing or altering a load-bearing wall, or inserting beams for an open-plan layout
- You're planning a loft conversion, extension or basement and need calculations for building control
- A survey has flagged movement, subsidence or cracking for specialist investigation
- Cracks are widening, doors are sticking or floors are sloping and you want a definitive answer
- A lender or insurer has asked for a structural engineer's report
What does it cost?
A structural engineer's report typically costs £500 to £2,000, with most single-issue domestic reports landing around £700 to £1,000. Calculation packages for common projects - a beam for a wall removal, a loft conversion - are often fixed-fee and sit at the lower end.
Scope drives the price: one crack inspected and explained costs far less than a whole-house movement investigation. Describe the issue or project clearly and the quotes you compare will be genuinely comparable.
How it works
A simpler way to find the right help.
1Tell us what you need
Answer a few quick questions about the service, property and postcode. It takes about 60 seconds.
2Get matched
We match you with Homeply Verified structural engineers who cover your area and are taking on work. You choose how many get in touch.
3Compare and choose
Your matches contact you directly with quotes. Compare price, what's included and credentials, then choose who feels right.
Your matched engineers get in touch directly with quotes. There's no obligation to instruct any of them.
What Homeply Verified means for structural engineers
We confirm chartered status - IStructE or ICE - through the institution's directory, and check the business's identity. Status is re-checked annually, and immediately if a complaint gives us reason to. Ask the firm to confirm their current professional indemnity cover.
The calculations and the report come from the engineer you instruct, not from Homeply, and your contract is with them. We do the checking; they do the engineering.
See the full standardKnow before you instruct
Plain-English guides, so you can brief an engineer with confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a structural engineer or a surveyor?
A surveyor assesses condition across the whole property; a structural engineer analyses specific structural elements and designs alterations. If a survey has flagged movement, or you're changing the structure, the engineer is the specialist you need next.
Do I need calculations to remove an internal wall?
If the wall is load-bearing, yes - building control will require calculations for the beam that replaces it, and your builder will work from them. An engineer confirms whether the wall is load-bearing as part of the job.
Are cracks in my walls serious?
Most cracks are cosmetic - plaster shrinkage and seasonal movement. Warning signs are cracks wider than about 5mm, stepped cracking in brickwork, doors and windows sticking, or cracks that keep growing. An engineer's inspection settles it definitively either way.
Will the report satisfy my lender or insurer?
A chartered engineer's report is exactly what lenders and insurers ask for when movement or subsidence is suspected. Tell the engineer who the report is for and they'll address the questions that audience needs answered.
How long does it take?
A single-issue inspection usually takes an hour or two on site, with the report inside a week or two. Calculation packages for standard projects are often turned around in days - confirm timescales when you compare quotes.
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