Have a structural engineer check the house before you buy it

For buyers worried about cracks, an extension, an unusual layout or a surveyor’s recommendation. Describe the property and compare quotes from structural engineers who can inspect it before you commit.

A house is a major purchase, and structural problems are among the hardest things to judge on a viewing. A pre-purchase structural inspection (sometimes called a pre-purchase structural survey) puts a structural engineer in the property before you commit. They look at cracking, signs of movement, extensions and altered walls, the roof and floor structure and, where they can be seen, signs of past repairs. You get a written opinion on whether the issues are minor, need monitoring or are serious, and what repair might involve. That helps you decide whether to go ahead, renegotiate or walk away, knowing what you are taking on.

How a professional can help

• Following up your survey’s concern: If a survey or valuation report recommends “further investigation by a structural engineer”, the engineer looks at exactly what was flagged and gives you a more definite answer to take back to your solicitor.
• Judging cracks and movement: They look at where the cracks are, how wide they are and what pattern they make, to judge whether they are old settlement, minor and cosmetic, or a sign of something that is still moving.
• Checking extensions and removed walls: Many homes have had walls removed, lofts converted or extensions added. The engineer looks at how the structure has been altered and whether the support looks sensible, and tells you which changes deserve a closer look.
• Roofs, floors and chimneys: They inspect the roof structure from the loft where they can, and look for sagging floors, leaning chimney stacks, decay or overloading that would be disruptive and expensive to put right.
• Helping you negotiate: A clear report puts the issue and the likely repair in front of you and your solicitor, so you can ask the seller for repairs or a price change, or decide the property is not right for you.
• Telling you what to ask for: They suggest what to request, such as Building Regulations completion certificates, structural drawings, any warranty for underpinning, and insurance claims history, so your solicitor can follow it up.

Is this right for you?

• You’ve had an offer accepted and your surveyor or the lender’s valuer has mentioned cracks, movement or a structural concern.
• The house has a loft conversion, an extension or a removed wall, and you would like to know whether the structure looks sound.
• You can see cracks, a leaning wall or sloping floors on a viewing, and want an expert view before you spend more.
• The property is old, unusually built, or on a street with a history of movement.

How the project usually runs

• Say what worries you: Tell the engineer what the survey or valuer flagged, or what you noticed at the viewing, and when you need an answer by, so the visit and the report focus on the right things.
• Arrange access: The seller or their agent needs to agree a visit, so ask your agent or solicitor to arrange it. Access to the loft and any cellar helps the engineer see the roof and floor structure.
• Inspecting the property: The engineer inspects the outside and inside of the property, taking photographs, measurements and level readings where useful, and looks for signs of whether movement is old or recent.
• Your written opinion: You receive a written report with the engineer’s opinion on the cause of any problems, how serious they are, whether monitoring is advised and what repairs might involve.
• Decide with your solicitor: You and your solicitor use the report to decide whether to proceed, renegotiate or withdraw, and to ask the seller for any missing paperwork before you are bound to buy.

What affects the cost

• The size and type of property, and how much of it needs to be inspected.
• The reason for the inspection: one flagged crack, or a general check of an extended or altered property.
• How quickly the report is needed, because buying timetables can be tight and engineers’ diaries vary.
• Whether the engineer recommends monitoring or investigations that take longer than a single visit.
• Whether the seller still lives there, which can limit access to rooms, the loft and the cellar on the day.
• Access: whether the loft, cellar and outside walls can be inspected safely on the day.

The buying process, paperwork and the UK nations

• The buying process differs across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England and Wales you are normally committed once contracts are exchanged, so get the report before then. In Scotland, ask your solicitor when your offer becomes binding.
• The inspection is not a valuation and does not replace a full building survey. It concentrates on the structure. Structural engineers cover the whole UK.
• Loft conversions, extensions and removed walls usually needed Building Regulations approval, or a building warrant in Scotland. Ask the seller’s solicitor for the completion certificates and drawings.
• A report that finds a problem is information, not a legal ruling. Your solicitor can advise on how to use it in the sale.

Questions people ask

When should I book a structural inspection?

As soon as a structural concern comes up, and ideally before you are legally committed. In England and Wales that normally means before exchange of contracts, and arranging access and a report takes time. Ask the seller’s agent early so the inspection fits the buying timetable.

Can a structural engineer inspect a flat?

Yes, though a flat raises extra questions. The engineer can look at the walls, floors and ceilings inside the flat, and at the shared parts of the building if the managing agent or freeholder allows access. Who is responsible for the structure usually depends on the lease, so ask your solicitor to check it alongside the report.

Can the engineer tell me whether the cracks are subsidence?

They can give an opinion on the likely cause from one visit, but proving subsidence often needs monitoring over months, plus checks on drains, trees and the ground. The report should say how confident the engineer is and what could settle the question, so you can decide whether to wait, ask for a price change or walk away.

What if the seller won’t allow an inspection?

A seller’s permission is needed because it is their home, so ask through the estate agent and explain that it helps both sides. If access is refused, your solicitor can advise, and the engineer can say what can and cannot be judged from outside.

Will the report help me negotiate the price?

It can. A clear written opinion on the problem and the likely repair gives you and your solicitor something to put to the seller, whether that is a repair, a price change or more paperwork. It does not oblige the seller to agree to anything.

Can an engineer help if the house has been underpinned?

Yes. Underpinning often means there has been movement in the past, although it is sometimes done for other reasons, such as deepening foundations. The engineer can review the work and any records, say whether movement looks to have stopped, and suggest questions to ask about warranties, paperwork and the insurance history.

Available across the UK

Professionals cover the whole of the UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Planning and Building Regulations differ between the four nations, and your professional will work to the rules that apply where your property is.

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