Desktop-based assessment · UK structural engineers

Your structural question.
Answered in 72 hours.

Photograph your wall, sketch your floor plan, answer a few questions.
UK based structural engineers review your concern and tell you exactly what you need to do —
whether that's nothing, a repair, or a full beam calculation.

Not sure what you need? Start with a consultation
Most concerns resolved in a single 30-minute call · £100
Book →
Common problems our clients bring to us
Select what applies to you — we'll tailor the consultation accordingly.
Share your property listing
Helps our engineers assess your situation faster — Rightmove · Zoopla · OnTheMarket · Land Registry
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Or just describe the problem in your own words.
Walk to the crack, the beam, the wall — and describe what you see. We'll send the audio and a written transcript straight to your structural engineer ahead of the call. Faster than typing on site, no detail lost.
or pick a problem from the list
Desktop study structural assessment
Stamped calculations, beam spec and padstone detail. Ready for Building Control.
Free
From
£300
Reno
From
£275
Pro
From
£250
Elite
From
£225
Members save up to £75 per study. Full breakdown below ↓
UK Based
Stamped calculations — Building Control ready
72 hour turnaround
Full refund if out of scope

How it works

1
Sketch or import your floor plan
Paste your Rightmove URL and we pull the floor plan automatically. Or sketch from scratch on the grid — mark the wall to remove and enter the critical span dimension.
"3-bed Victorian semi — want to knock through kitchen to dining room"
2
Answer the load questions
Seven questions covering what's above the beam — floor joists, roof type, chimney stack. This is what determines the beam size. Takes 3 minutes.
"Attic truss roof — perpendicular joists — no masonry above"
3
Upload your photos
Six required photos — both sides of the wall, loft space, opening marked up. Guided checklist tells you exactly what to capture and where to stand.
Wall both sides · loft above · opening marked · joist direction
4
SE delivers in 72 hours
Stamped structural calculation pack, beam specification, padstone detail and a pre-populated contractor brief ready to send to your builder via WhatsApp link.
Universal column over opening — padstone each end — section and bearing to SE specification

"For a standard residential knock-through, a desktop assessment is straightforward with the right information. The photo survey and load questions provide everything needed — no site visit required in the vast majority of cases."

What's covered

✓ Fixed fee — £225–£300
✓Single beam knockthrough — wall removal, beam sizing, padstone spec. One span, clear load path. The most common residential job.
✓Lintel sizing & schedule — up to 4 lintels over standard window and door openings. Catnic, Birtley or equivalent specified by size and load.
✓Padstone sizing — bearing area confirmation for an existing or proposed beam. One calculation. People routinely pay £400+ for this.
✓Non load bearing confirmation — written SE sign-off that a wall is non-structural before your builder takes it down. Desk study from photos and floor plan.
✓Loft hatch / roof opening — trimmer and header sizing for a new loft hatch through ceiling joists. Simple calculation, commonly overpaid for.
✓Timber deck or pergola — joist sizing, post sizing, connection check. Garden setting, no habitable space above, low consequence.
✓Existing steel beam — safe load check — confirm an existing RSJ or UC is adequate for a new load. Section check from known size and span.
✓Timber joist sizing — new floor or replacement joists. Span, centres and load specified per TRADA tables. Hanger and bearing details included.
From Free £300  ·  Reno £275  ·  Pro £250  ·  Elite £225
? Get a quote — priced per job
?Single storey rear extension — indicative beam over opening, wall head restraint, basic load path review. Not a full extension design but enough to get your builder started.
?Steel post to existing beam — introducing a mid-span column to support an existing beam. Point load calculation and connection detail. Common on open plan remodels.
?Garage conversion — slab adequacy, lintel over new opening, load path review. Ground conditions and slab spec add variables — SE quotes once survey reviewed.
?Foundation adequacy — extension — existing strip foundation capacity for a proposed extension load. Depends on available information and ground conditions.
?Complex or unusual construction — period properties, stone walls, chimney stacks in the load path, non-standard spans. SE reviews your survey and confirms whether fixed fee applies or quotes bespoke.
?Multiple beams — same project — more than one knockthrough or structural change in the same project. Often more efficient to quote as a package.
Photos, floor plan and a brief description — we'll review and quote.
✗ Out of scope — we cannot undertake this type of work
✗In person site visits — we are a purely desktop based consultancy
✗New build structural design — requires full SE appointment and site visits
✗Commercial or industrial structures of any type
✗Buildings over 3 storeys — increased consequence class
✗Listed buildings or scheduled ancient monuments
✗Jobs requiring ground investigation, trial pits or site testing

Structural Engineering pricing

Two ways in: a £100 consultation for non-calc concerns, or a desktop study for calc-based assessments. Members save up to £75 per study.

RUNG 1 · ALL TIERS
Initial SE Consultation
Non-calc opinion on cracks, sagging timber, structural worries. Photo/video review. Same price across all SiteBrief tiers.
£100
Book consultation →
Rung 2 · Desktop Study (calc-based)
Stamped calculations, beam spec, padstone detail. Building Control ready. Price drops by tier.
Tier 0
Free
From
£300
No subscription · pay-per-job
Market rate. No member discount. Available to anyone.
Tier 1
Reno
From
£300£275
£20/mo subscription
Save £25 per study
For homeowners running a single renovation.
Tier 2
Pro
From
£300£250
£40/mo subscription
Save £50 per study
For builders, trades and design professionals.
Tier 3
Elite
From
£300£225
£70/mo subscription
Save £75 — covers monthly sub
For site managers and PM teams. Saving covers your sub the first time you use it.

Not a SiteBrief member yet? Start free → or see all tiers

Create your free account

Sign up to submit your assessment. Reno, Pro and Elite members get progressively lower rates — up to £75 off per study.

Secure payment via Stripe. Full refund if job is out of scope.

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