Fire, flood or impact damage assessment
A structural assessment after a fire, flood, vehicle impact or similar event, to establish what is safe, what needs propping and what needs repair.
About this service
After a fire, flood, vehicle impact or storm, the first questions are urgent ones. Is it safe to go back in? Does anything need propping today? What can be saved? A structural damage assessment gives clear answers, starting with immediate make-safe advice and then working through each damaged element to decide whether it can stay as it is, be repaired or must be replaced. That gives you, your insurer and your builder a sound basis for the next steps.
Each type of damage behaves differently. Fire can char timber joists, spall brickwork and make steel beams sag or distort, sometimes without obvious signs from below. Floodwater can saturate walls, soften plaster and undermine foundations or ground-bearing floors. A vehicle hitting a front wall or bay can crack lintels and loosen brickwork well beyond the impact point. Storm damage often affects chimneys, parapets and roof structures.
We inspect the damaged structure, separate structural damage from cosmetic damage, and set out which elements need propping, repair or renewal. The report includes outline repair recommendations that an insurer's loss adjuster or contractor can price. Every inspection report we issue is signed off by a chartered engineer who is a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (MICE). Fees start from £600 + VAT, confirmed in writing before we attend.
When you need it
- Your property has been damaged by fire, flood, a vehicle or a storm
- An insurer needs a structural assessment
- You need to know if the building is safe to use
What's included
- Inspection of the damaged structure
- Immediate make-safe advice
- Assessment of which elements can be kept or need repair
- Outline repair recommendations
How it works
- Urgent contactYou tell us what happened and what you can see. We confirm the fixed fee in writing, advise on keeping people clear of obvious hazards and arrange the earliest practical visit.
- Make-safe inspectionOn site we identify anything at risk of collapse or falling, and advise on immediate measures such as propping, removing loose masonry, isolating areas or keeping parts of the building closed.
- Element-by-element reviewWe assess walls, floors, roof, beams, lintels and foundations in the affected area, recording what is sound, what is repairable and what needs replacing, with photographs.
- Report and next stepsYou receive a written report with our findings and outline repair recommendations, ready for your insurer, loss adjuster or contractor, and we explain options for detailed repair design.
What you receive
Working with insurers and Building Control after damage
Insurers usually need an independent structural view before they agree the scope of repair. Our report is written to be shared with a loss adjuster and focuses on what was damaged by the event, distinguishing it from older defects that were already present. That distinction can matter to how a claim is settled. Where an element is clearly dangerous to the public, such as a damaged front wall or chimney over a pavement, the council may need to be involved, and a dangerous structure inspection covers that urgent scenario.
Structural repairs after damage generally need Building Control approval, especially where beams, lintels, floors or walls are being replaced. Temporary support while repairs are designed may need a temporary works and propping scheme, and our guide to propping explains how that works. Once the scope is agreed, detailed repair design follows through our remedial works design and specification service.
Not included
- Detailed repair design, which we can provide as a follow-on service
Frequently asked questions
Is my house safe to live in after a fire?
It depends on how far the fire spread and what it reached. Charred joists, distorted steel beams, cracked lintels and smoke-damaged roof timbers can all affect strength. Until a structural engineer has inspected, it is safest to stay out of fire-affected areas. We can usually tell you on the visit which parts can be used and which must stay closed.
Can a structural engineer help with my insurance claim?
Yes. Insurers often need an independent structural assessment to agree the scope of repairs. Our report records what the event damaged, separates it from older defects, and gives outline repair recommendations that can be priced. It can be shared with your loss adjuster, and we can answer their technical questions.
What should I do immediately after a car hits my house?
Keep everyone away from the damaged area, especially under any bay, lintel or upper wall above the impact. Do not move the vehicle if it is supporting the structure without advice. Contact your insurer and ask a structural engineer to attend quickly. Emergency propping may be needed before anyone works near the damage.
Do walls need to be replaced after flooding?
Often not. Brick and block walls usually recover once properly dried, though plaster, insulation and timber may need replacing. The structural concerns are softened ground under foundations, washed-out soil, rotting timber floors and corroded fixings. An assessment checks these so you only replace what has actually been weakened.