Who needs a structural report?
We prepare structural reports for four broad groups of clients:
- Homebuyers - when a valuation or survey flags a structural concern and the lender wants an engineer's report before proceeding
- Property owners - cracking, movement, damp-related structural damage, or concerns about past alterations
- Sellers and agents - getting ahead of a known issue with a factual engineer's assessment before it derails a sale
- Builders and property professionals - a documented structural assessment before, during or after alteration work
What's in the report
Every report describes the property and the structure inspected, records our observations with photographs, explains the likely cause of any defect, assesses its significance, and gives clear recommendations. If something needs monitoring rather than repair, we say so. If nothing significant is wrong, we say that too - plainly, in language a lender or buyer can rely on.
Where remedial work is recommended, the report is written so a contractor can price it. Where structural design is needed - a repair detail, a new beam, underpinning design - we can take that on as a follow-on piece of work with calculations and drawings suitable for Building Control.
Fast turnaround, fixed fee
Structural reports are one of the things we're set up to do quickly. Property transactions run on deadlines, and a report that arrives three weeks late can cost you the house. We confirm the timescale with the quote and keep to it.
Frequently asked questions
Will my mortgage lender accept the report?
Our reports are prepared by experienced engineers and are routinely used in property transactions. If your lender has a specific requirement - for example that the report addresses a particular defect raised in the valuation - send us their wording and we'll make sure the report answers it directly.
What's the difference between a structural survey and a structural report?
The survey is the inspection; the report is the written document you receive afterwards. In practice the terms are used interchangeably - either way, you get an engineer's inspection and a written report.