Home alterations and residential structural engineering
Most homeowners meet a structural engineer for the first time when they want to change something about their house — open up a kitchen, add a rear extension, convert a loft or take out a chimney breast. The engineering behind those changes is usually straightforward, but it has to be right: the load has to have somewhere to go, the supports have to be adequate, and the information has to satisfy Building Control and be clear enough for a builder to price and construct.
Bebbington Engineering Studio provides structural advice and design for houses, extensions, loft conversions, internal alterations, removal of load-bearing walls and change-of-use projects. Work is carried out personally by Carl Bebbington, a Chartered Structural Engineer, so the person who looks at your drawings is the person who answers your questions later.
Typical projects
- Single and double-storey rear or side extensions
- Removal of load-bearing walls to form open-plan living space
- Loft conversions, including new floor structure, dormers and roof alterations
- Chimney breast removal and associated support
- New openings in existing masonry walls
- Garage and outbuilding conversions, and other changes of use
- Underpinning enquiries and localised repair or strengthening
Who it is for
- Homeowners planning an extension, conversion or internal alteration
- Self-builders and people project-managing their own works
- Architects and architectural technologists needing structural input on residential schemes
- Small builders and contractors who need calculations to price and build from
What we typically need from you
- A short description of what you want to achieve and where the property is
- Existing and proposed drawings, where these have already been prepared
- Photographs of the areas affected, inside and out
- Any survey information, previous reports or Building Control correspondence you already hold
- Details of anything already known about the structure — historic movement, previous alterations, unusual construction
What you typically receive
- Structural calculations for the altered or new elements
- Sketches or structural drawings suitable for Building Regulations submission, pricing and construction
- Beam, lintel, padstone and connection sizes with clear support requirements
- Foundation advice appropriate to the works and the ground conditions identified
- Responses to Building Control queries within the agreed scope
Scope and limitations
- Design is based on the information supplied and what can reasonably be seen without opening up. Concealed structure may need to be verified on site.
- Ground investigation, drainage design, party wall awards, architectural design and planning applications are separate services and are not included unless expressly agreed.
- A structural design for specific alterations is not a condition survey of the whole property.
- Scope, deliverables and fee are set out in a written appointment before work begins.
If you already have drawings, sending them with your enquiry is the quickest route to a clear scope and fee. If you do not, a description of the works and a few photographs are usually enough to start the conversation.
Related representative experience
View all →Residential
Ancoats Works
Ancoats, Manchester
View project →
Residential
Swan Street
Manchester
View project →
Residential
Anchorage Gateway
Salford Quays, Salford
View project →
The projects shown include experience gained by Carl Bebbington during his wider career, including work undertaken before the formation of Bebbington Engineering Studio Ltd.
Discuss your project.
Send a short description, drawings or photographs and Carl will respond directly.
Other services