With our main base in Bishops Stortford and an additional office in Peterborough, we extend our services nationwide, catering to clients remotely and specifically targeting areas such as London, the South East, East, and East Midlands.

We provide the Structural calculations and drawings to satisfy Part A of the Building Regulations requirements (Structures), and supply these plans to your builder to work from.

Structural calculations are a fundamental and necessary part of any building project. They ensure that the builder installs the correct structural materials required in order to keep the building stable, and ensures structural compliance with relevant regulations.

Our commitment goes beyond the blueprint. Our tailored Structural Reports address the specific concerns of stakeholders, be it property purchasers, mortgage companies, or insurance providers. Whether seeking assurance or uncovering potential structural issues, our reports deliver clarity and peace of mind. Our Structural Reports are suitable for:

Are you unsure where to start with your residential construction project? Depending on the type of construction, the design process can vary slightly. Below, we outline the key steps for both internal and external alterations to help guide you through the building regulations approval process.

When making internal structural changes to your property, you will need to submit a building notice to either your local authority building control or a private building control company. The building notice is a short form typically found on the local authority’s website.

As part of this application, you must provide structural calculations and structural drawings prepared by a structural engineer. These documents are critical in ensuring your project complies with Part A of the Building Regulations, which focuses on structural safety.

Building control may check the structural design through their technical staff or by consulting a third-party structural engineer.

Building control will inspect the site at various stages to ensure that the contractor has followed the structural plans correctly.

In addition to checking the structure, building control will assist with other Building Regulations requirements beyond structural elements.

Before any construction begins, you’ll need to determine whether your project requires planning permission or falls under permitted development. An architect can help you navigate this process by advising on the necessary approvals and submitting the appropriate documentation.

Even if your project qualifies as permitted development, it’s recommended to obtain a Certificate of Lawful Development from your local authority. This ensures that your work is fully compliant.

Once planning permission or the lawful development certificate has been obtained, you will need a structural engineer to help with Building Regulations approval.

In most cases, the structural engineer will collaborate with the architect to prepare the necessary documents for Building Regulations. This includes:

Structural calculations and structural drawings for Part A compliance (structural safety).

The architect’s working drawings or construction drawings for compliance with other parts of the Building Regulations.

The full package of documents is then submitted to building control, where any queries or comments will be addressed by the structural engineer and architect before construction begins.

These documents provide a detailed guide for contractors, minimizing the risk of on-site errors.

For simpler projects, where a competent contractor is already appointed, an architect may not be required. In these cases, the structural engineer can handle the structural design, and the contractor can work with building control to ensure other regulations are met during the construction process. However, this approach carries a higher risk of errors and is generally only used for straightforward projects.

Following the October 2023 Building Regulations updates, additional site input from both the structural engineer and architect is often required. On-site findings may lead to alterations in the structural design and structural calculations. As a result, it’s not uncommon for structural engineers to review projects once contractors are on-site, making adjustments as needed to comply with these new regulations.

A structural engineer, also known as a structural consultant, is a construction professional responsible for ensuring that a building’s structural design complies with Building Regulations, specifically Part A, which covers structural safety. Structural engineers create structural calculations and structural drawings to ensure that the proposed work can be safely supported.

Structural calculations: These justify the integrity and safety of the design.

Structural drawings: These provide contractors and building control with clear instructions on how to stabilize the building and accommodate any proposed structural changes.

Yes, a structural engineer is required when making any structural alterations to a property. They ensure the building's safety and structural stability are not compromised during the renovation or construction process. You will need both structural calculations and structural drawings for Building Regulations approval. These documents help guide builders and contractors to safely execute the project, ensuring that the load-bearing elements of the building are correctly installed.

Common scenarios where you may need a structural engineer include:

Removing load-bearing walls

Adding extensions

Installing beams, loft conversions, or underpinning

Altering foundations

The cost of hiring a structural engineer varies significantly depending on the size and complexity of your project. For smaller projects, such as a single beam design, fees may range from a few hundred pounds. For larger, more complex developments, fees can reach thousands of pounds. Structural engineering costs are typically calculated based on the time and resources needed for the project.

To get an accurate quote, it’s best to reach out directly for a bespoke price, as each project has unique requirements.