Structural engineering

Structural calculations in London.

Coordinated structural calculations for London extensions, loft conversions, basements and wall-removals. Fixed fee from £495, IStructE-chartered engineer reviewed, fully Building Regulations Part A compliant.

IStructE coordinated 5-day turnaround Building Regs compliant £2m PI insured
Structural calculations London — steel beam, foundation and loft conversion engineering drawings, IStructE coordinated

Quick facts · Structural Calculations in London

Starting fee
£495
Turnaround
5 working days
Engineer
IStructE chartered
Output
Full calc pack + PDF + structural drawings
Coverage
All 33 London boroughs
Building Regs
Part A compliant (Eurocode)
What's included

A complete structural design pack.

Every structural calculation pack we deliver is designed to be handed straight to building control, your contractor and your steel fabricator. Signed and stamped by a chartered structural engineer, with member sizing, connection details and a full set of structural drawings.

Steel beam sizing (RSJ / UB / UC)

Universal Beam, Universal Column and RSJ section sizing to Eurocode 3 (EN 1993). Capacity verified against the SCI Blue Book (P363) for bending, shear, deflection and lateral-torsional buckling. Includes bearing pad design, padstones, restraint and connection schedule.

Foundation design + bearing

Strip, pad and trench-fill foundation design to Eurocode 7 (EN 1997). Bearing pressure calculations with London-clay-specific values, NHBC Chapter 4.2 tree zone adjustments where relevant, plus drainage diversion notes. Suitable for new builds, rear extensions and side returns.

Loft conversion structures

Ridge beam, purlin, trimmer and floor joist sizing for hip-to-gable, mansard, dormer and L-shaped loft conversions. Existing ceiling joist capacity check, party-wall flank loading, dormer cheek framing and Velux trimmer details — everything building control will ask for.

Load-bearing wall removal

Opening-up calcs for knock-throughs, kitchen-diner reconfigurations and corner openings — including the trickier scenarios involving twin steels, plated beams, goalpost frames or new columns on padstones. Temporary works guidance included for the contractor.

Basement & underpinning

Reinforced-concrete retaining wall design to Eurocode 2 (EN 1992), traditional underpinning sequence, lateral earth pressure checks with London clay parameters, party-wall protection scheme and temporary propping schedule. Coordinated with a CDM-aware temporary works engineer.

Structural drawing set

General arrangement plan, section through new structure, beam-and-column schedule, padstone details and connection sketches. Issued as PDF and CAD (DWG) at A2 / A3, layered to BS 1192. Ready to be issued direct to your steel fabricator for shop drawings.

Five calculation packs, one decision

Single beam, full extension or basement — which fits your project?

The right calculation pack depends on what you're altering, how many elements need sizing, and whether ground works or temporary propping are involved. Below is the plain-English matrix, with the typical fixed fee for each. Every option includes IStructE chartered sign-off.

Single steel beam

One steel over a single opening — classic kitchen knock-through, side-return doorway or chimney removal. Includes beam sizing, padstone design, load takedown and a single-page general arrangement detail. Building Regs Part A compliant.

Loft conversion structural pack

Ridge or purlin beam, floor-joist sizing, dormer trimmers, party-wall flank loading and connection schedule. The standard pack for a London Victorian or Edwardian terrace dormer or hip-to-gable conversion. Most common loft option.

Rear extension full structural

Goalpost frame across rear, ridge / flat-roof structure, new strip foundations, beam-to-column connections and lintel schedule for a standard single-storey rear or side-return extension. Coordinated with the architectural and Building Regs drawings.

Basement / underpinning

Full underpinning sequence, reinforced concrete retaining wall to Eurocode 2, ground-floor transfer slab, temporary propping schedule and party-wall protection scheme. Includes IStructE sign-off plus a CDM-aware temporary works statement.

Wraparound + double-storey complex

Twin steels with a corner column, new strip foundations, transfer beam at first floor and connection details for a wraparound or double-storey side-return. Multi-element packs requiring careful load-path coordination across new and existing structure.

Five working days, five stages

From upload to signed-off calculations.

A standard single-beam or loft conversion structural pack completes in five working days from receipt of your measured survey and architectural drawings. Basement or multi-element packs run to 7–10 days. A 48-hour express service is available for urgent building control deadlines.

1

Drawings + survey upload

Day 1 — architectural plans, measured survey and site photographs uploaded to the portal.

2

Load takedown + sizing

Day 2 — engineer derives roof, floor and wall loads and sizes preliminary members.

3

Calculation pack drafted

Days 3–4 — Eurocode (BS EN 1990–1999) calculations and structural drawings drafted.

4

IStructE review + sign-off

Day 5 — chartered structural engineer peer-checks and signs the pack.

5

Delivery

Day 5 — PDF calc pack + DWG structural drawings emailed, ready for building control.

Sample calculation pack

A real London structural pack, page by page.

Anonymised pages from a recent loft-conversion structural pack delivered to a Wandsworth Victorian terrace. Includes the general arrangement plan, the ridge-beam calculation sheet, a typical padstone bearing detail and the issued structural drawing — everything needed for building control sign-off and steel fabricator pricing.

Structural general arrangement plan — London loft conversion ridge beam
General arrangement plan · 1:50 · A2
Ridge beam calculation sheet from a London loft conversion structural pack
Ridge beam calc sheet · UB 203x133x30 · Eurocode 3
Padstone bearing detail from a London structural calculation pack
Padstone bearing detail · 1:10 · A3
Issued structural drawing being checked by a London chartered engineer
Issued structural drawing · IStructE signed

Want the full PDF pack? Start a free quote and we’ll email a redacted sample matching your project type.

Fixed fees — 30% below London engineers

Structural calculations, priced honestly.

Essentials calcs

Single beam, foundations, basic loft trimmer or single wall removal.

from£495
London engineer: £750–£1,100
  • Single steel beam sizing
  • Padstone & bearing pad design
  • Load takedown sheet
  • IStructE chartered sign-off
  • 5-day turnaround
Start Essentials →

Premium — basement / complex

Underpinning, basement RC walls, multi-element transfer structures.

from£1,650
London engineer: £2,400–£4,500+
  • Everything in Complete
  • RC retaining wall design (Eurocode 2)
  • Underpinning sequence + propping
  • Party-wall protection scheme
  • CDM-aware temporary works statement
Discuss Premium →
Structural Calculations FAQs

Common questions.

Every project is different. Call +44 7592 201 353 for a five-minute chat with a chartered engineer.

Get structural quote →
Do I need structural calculations for a single steel beam?

Yes. Building Regulations Part A (Structure) requires verified calculations any time you alter the load path of a building — including removing a single load-bearing wall, inserting a single steel beam, cutting a new opening or notching trimmer joists for a loft conversion. Building control will request the calc pack before issuing a completion certificate.

Who signs off the structural calculations?

All calculations are prepared and signed off by a chartered structural engineer registered with the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) or the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The signed PE statement, calculations and supporting structural drawings are issued together as a single deliverable pack accepted by every London borough building control body and approved inspector.

What design code do you use — Eurocode or BS 5950?

All new calculations are produced to Eurocode (EN 1990–EN 1999, with UK National Annexes) which has been the mandatory standard since 2010. We still occasionally issue retrospective verifications to BS 5950 / BS 8110 where a project pre-dates the changeover or a council surveyor specifically requests it. Steel sizing is checked against the Blue Book (SCI P363) for capacity tables.

Can building control reject my structural calculations?

Rejection is rare on our packs — typically under 2% of submissions — because every calculation is internally peer-checked, load takedowns are cross-referenced against the architectural drawings, and member sizing is checked against the SCI capacity tables before issue. If a council surveyor does raise a query, we re-issue with no extra fee.

Do you need to visit the site to do the calculations?

For complex, heritage or basement projects, yes — a site visit is included in the fee to confirm existing wall construction, foundation depth and adjacent structural conditions. For standard residential loft conversions, single-beam wall removals and rear extensions we work from your measured survey, architectural drawings and a set of clear site photographs without a separate visit.

Real London structural packs

Recent structural calculations.

Three featured structural packs delivered to London architects, developers and homeowners in the past quarter. Anonymised for client confidentiality — full project case studies available on request.

Wandsworth loft — 5m steel ridge beam

Victorian terrace, SW18. Hip-to-gable loft conversion with a 5-metre clear-span UB 203x133x30 ridge beam, supported on twin padstones into the existing party walls. Full pack delivered in four working days, IStructE signed and accepted by Wandsworth building control without query.

Camden basement — 2.5m dig with underpinning

Edwardian semi, NW3. Full basement dig to 2.5m below existing ground-floor slab, traditional underpinning in 1.2m bays, reinforced-concrete retaining wall to Eurocode 2 and a party-wall protection scheme. Coordinated with the party wall surveyor and CDM principal designer.

Hackney wraparound — twin steels + corner column

Victorian terrace, E8. Wraparound side-return and rear extension with twin UB 254x102x28 steels meeting at a new corner column on a pad foundation. Full structural drawings issued direct to the steel fabricator; Building Regs approval first-time with Hackney building control.

Calc pack landed four days after we sent the architectural drawings, perfectly cross-referenced and signed off. Building control approved first-time and the fabricator priced from it straight away. Saved us a fortnight on a tight programme.
S
Sarah K.
Project architect · Wandsworth studio
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Get a free, no-obligation quote for structural calculations. Fixed fees from £495. IStructE chartered.

5-day turnaround · All 33 London boroughs