Structural Surveys & Reports Bournemouth
Found a crack, or worried about movement in your home? We've got you covered.
When You Need a Survey
You'll usually land here one of a few ways.
- A homebuyer survey has recommended further investigation by a structural engineer
- You've noticed cracking, a sloping floor, or a door that's started sticking
- A previous repair hasn't held
- You're buying a converted flat and want to know its structural history
We'll tell you honestly if you don't need a full inspection. A hairline crack above a door frame is rarely a structural story, and we'd rather say that in an email than charge you for a visit you didn't need.
What We Need From You
To give you an accurate first read, send us the following.
- Photos of the crack or defect, close up and from further back
- How long it's been there, and whether it's changed
- Any surveyor notes or previous reports you already have
- The property's approximate age
- Details of any recent building work nearby
The Inspection
We look at the actual defect, the crack pattern, where it sits, whether it's old or moving, and what's above and below it. This isn't a general check on the whole building. It's a focused answer to whether the specific thing you're worried about is structural, what's causing it, and what should happen next.
What You Receive
Your written report includes the following.
- The cause — what's actually driving the crack or movement, based on what we found
- The severity — whether it's historic and settled, or genuinely live
- A clear recommendation — monitor, repair, or investigate further
- A document you can use — suitable for a lender or a purchase negotiation, where that applies
Building Control
If a survey finding leads to repair work that affects the structure, it may need Building Control approval. BCP Council, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, reviews any structural repair work the same way it reviews new structural calculations.
We'll tell you if your finding is likely to need that step, and prepare the calculations if it does.
Our Process
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1
Send photos and details.
What you've seen, how long it's been there, and any surveyor notes.
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2
Confirm the scope.
Whether it needs a visit, and the fixed fee for the inspection.
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3
We inspect the defect.
In person, or from photos and information where that's enough.
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4
You receive a written report.
With a clear cause, severity, and recommendation.
Buying a Converted Flat
Bournemouth has a lot of converted Victorian and Edwardian villas, and a standard homebuyer survey isn't specifically tracing what a conversion decades ago actually did to the building.
- We look at what the conversion changed, not just what the survey flagged
- A lot of what looks alarming in an older conversion turns out to be settled, historic movement
- If you're buying, our report gives you something concrete to put in front of your lender or use to negotiate
Monitoring Movement Over Time
Where the picture isn't immediately clear, monitoring is sometimes the right call rather than an immediate repair.
- We can fit simple gauges across a crack that record any widening precisely
- A few months of readings turns "does this look bigger to me" into an actual measurement
- That's often more useful than guessing based on a single visit