What a structural engineer's report contains
Most clients have never read a structural report before they commission one. Here is what you will actually receive, section by section.
The property record
The report opens with a record of what was inspected: address, property type, approximate age, construction method, number of floors, and any alterations the engineer noticed on the day. This anchors everything that follows. If there is ever a question about what was assessed and when, this section answers it.
Scope and access
A short section. It records what the engineer could and could not reach. If the loft hatch was painted shut, it says so. If storage blocked a wall section, it says so.
Read this carefully. It tells you exactly what the engineer saw versus what they had to work around. Anything inaccessible on the day is not omitted silently. It is stated clearly.
What the engineer found
This is the main body. The engineer works through each structural element in turn: foundations and ground movement, external walls, internal load-bearing walls, roof structure, floors. Your specific concern gets particular attention and its own explicit section. But the whole property is assessed. You might have booked because of cracks in the rear extension, but the engineer will still document what they found at the front, in the loft, and everywhere else.
Every defect is described with what was observed and what probably caused it. Photographs are embedded directly next to the relevant text, not collected into a separate appendix at the back. You should be able to look at a photo and read the explanation without searching.
Severity ratings
Every defect is assigned one of four levels. Minor means cosmetic only, no structural work required. Moderate means monitor and repair in due course, no immediate risk. Significant means structural action is required. Critical means do not wait.
Most reports on London properties contain a mix of Minor and Moderate. That is normal for any Victorian or Edwardian building that has been extended and altered over a century. Significant is the level that drives re-negotiation on a purchase or requires getting quotes. Critical is rare but unambiguous when it appears.
Remedial recommendations
For every Significant or Critical defect, the report tells you what needs to be done, who should do it, and roughly what it will cost. These are approximate cost ranges based on the engineer's experience of London repair costs. Not contractor quotes. But close enough to know what you are facing before you spend anything.
The engineer will not tell you something is fine when it is not. If it needs attention, the report says so plainly.
Further investigation
Sometimes the engineer cannot reach a definitive conclusion from what they can see. Concealed voids, suspected drainage problems, foundations they cannot inspect directly. In that case the report tells you what further investigation is needed and why: crack monitoring over 12 months, a drain CCTV survey, trial pits to inspect the foundations.
That is not evasiveness. It is honest professional practice. If the evidence does not support a conclusion, the report says what is needed to reach one.
Sign-off
The report closes with the engineer's overall assessment of the structural condition of the property. Signed, with their qualifications and professional indemnity insurance reference. This is the documentation your lender, insurer, or solicitor may ask to see.
Format and length
You receive a PDF, delivered to your inbox within 48 hours of the visit. The average report runs to 20 to 40 pages depending on what was found. Written in plain English throughout. If anything is unclear after you read it, follow-up questions are included at no extra cost.