Guidance

Structural assessments and investigations

Published 11 December 2025

Applies to England

Main points

It is a statutory requirement to have structurally safe buildings. Responsible bodies must ensure their estates are safe and well maintained. You may need to seek professional advice from a structural engineer to do this.

Any engineer providing professional advice should have appropriate skills, knowledge and experience of working in the education sector on similar types of building. This guide gives information on how to select an engineer with the correct expertise.

The extent of the engineer’s work should be tailored to meet the responsible body’s needs. A staged approach will often provide the best value for money. This guide sets out common stages for an engineering assessment, including anticipated outputs.

In cases where professional advice recommends a space be taken out of use, it may be appropriate to seek a second opinion due to the potential costs and disruption to education.

Introduction

Responsible bodies may need to seek advice from a structural engineer for a range of reasons, including:

• addressing safety concerns about a building’s integrity or durability
• planning ongoing maintenance activities
• planning changes of use (for example where floor loads may change)
• planning an extension
• planning for modifications to address climate change (such as installation of photovoltaic panels)
• providing supporting evidence for capital funding applications (there may be specific requirements for qualification levels or the format of evidence provided depending on the programme)

When seeking professional advice, you should work with an engineer who has relevant knowledge, experience and skills and who is familiar with the education sector. This ensures their advice is proportionate and considers constraints in educational settings.

The responsible body and engineer should be clear on the brief (client requirements), scope (engineer’s response) and approach being taken. This way fees and output, or deliverables, from the work are clearly understood by everyone. This should include the timescale for the advice being given.

Terminology

The term ‘structural survey’ is not clearly defined and can be open to interpretation. It should be avoided. In this guidance the terms structural assessment and structural investigation are used.

Further information, from the Construction Industry Council, is available in Definitions of Inspections and Surveys of Buildings. This demonstrates the need to discuss with the structural engineer what they will be doing and how the work will be caried out.

In this guidance the terms structural engineer and engineer are used interchangeably. Where other engineering disciplines are mentioned (such as building service engineer), these are specifically identified.

Seeking urgent advice

Responsible bodies may need to consult an engineer due to safety concerns with a building. While there is an increased urgency in these situations, it is still important that a brief, approach and timings are discussed in advance to avoid unexpected consequences.

Where an engineer recommends spaces be taken out of use, it may be necessary to seek an independent opinion (once the initial advice has been followed) as part of planning next steps. This may be from:

• the engineer’s own organisation
• a third party

Further information is available later in this guidance.

Further guidance

Information on estate management is available in the department’s Good estate management for schools guidance. For older buildings, such as those built between 1945 and the 1970s, further guidance is available in Managing older buildings.

Finding and selecting a structural engineer

There is no minimum standard or qualification needed for an individual to call themselves a structural engineer. This means there is a wide range of knowledge, skills and experience across the profession.

You should employ a structural engineer who is a chartered member of a relevant institution, such as the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) or Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE).

‘Chartered engineer’ is a protected title and can only be used by people who have met strict criteria. Structural engineers affiliated with IStructE are bound by the institute’s code of conduct and ethics.

Anyone acting as a structural engineer who is not affiliated to a professional body may not be bound by a code of conduct.

While being a chartered member of IStructE shows that the engineer holds a professional qualification, it does not demonstrate experience of working on building types found in the education estate.

You should therefore request a CV or capability statement prior to appointment, particularly when assessing existing buildings. The CV or capability statement should set out the engineer’s recent experience of working on similar commissions and similar types of building. It should also confirm the amount of continuing professional development (CPD) that the engineer has carried out in recent years. This will ensure the engineer is familiar with recent industry developments. You may need to seek more than one submission to compare skills and experience.

When selecting an engineer, use the members directory to check they are registered with IStructE. You can also use IStructE’s Find an engineer for a list of engineering practices. All those listed employ at least one qualified Member (MIStructE) or Fellow (FIStructE) of IStructE. The list can be filtered by location and specialist skill.

For buildings of historic significance, especially listed buildings, you should seek advice from a member of the Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers (CARE). These engineers have acknowledged expertise in the assessment of existing buildings, separately verified through interviews and submission of case studies.

More complex work may need greater levels of experience or larger teams. In these cases, you should use suppliers who have already agreed terms and rates on a framework. There are several frameworks available, including:

• CPC Estates and Facilities Professional Services DPS
• Crown Commercial Services (CCS) framework RM6165 (Lot 1)

Organisations on these frameworks have other in-house built environment expertise, such as architecture, cost and programme management and building services engineering, that may also be required, depending on the project.

When selecting and employing a structural engineer, the responsible body should follow appropriate financial and commercial governance procedures. You should confirm that the engineer has appropriate professional indemnity insurance to protect their legal liabilities regarding their professional advice.

Appointment terms

There should be a signed contract between the employer (most likely the school, college or responsible body) and the engineer.

This should set out the:

• fee
• scope
• exclusions
• limit of liability

It does not need to be an extensive document. The engineer will likely have a template they use on other projects.

Template agreements are also available on the Association of Consulting Engineers website.

Scope of services

You should clearly set out the objectives of the engineer’s appointment at the start of their engagement.

Depending on the exact requirements, a staged approach may be best where fees are agreed for the initial stages, with an indication or range given for later work. This can help unnecessary work and excessive contingency costs.

The exact steps of the commission will depend on the advice being sought. IStructE’s Verification of existing building structures lists the common stages as:

• stage 1 – scoping/fee agreement
• stage 2 – desk study
• stage 3 – visual inspection/ assessment
• stage 4 – sampling and testing
• stage 5 – interpretation, analysis and recommendations
• stage 6 – as required (for example design, co-ordination and specification)

Stage 1 – scoping visit/fee agreement

An initial site meeting is the best way to ensure the engineer has a clear understanding of:

• what is required
• the size of the buildings
• any constraints or risks

While these can be conveyed by email or phone, it is beneficial to meet briefly on site so the engineer can get an early understanding of the requirement.

This will also allow the engineer to provide, or confirm, the fees for the early stages. Their confirmation should define what they will do (their scope), their deliverables and the timings for their work. It should also be clear what is not included in their fees (for example survey costs).

Stage 2 – desk study

A desk study allows the engineer to start understanding the building using record documents.

Engineers use a desk study to understand the building’s existing condition issues. They also identify characteristics, such as materials or construction techniques, that need further investigation.

During the desk study, the engineer will review:

• record information about the building, such as drawings and historical surveys
• publicly available information, such as historic maps, photographs and published literature

It is important to make as much information available as possible. Documents that may be of interest include, but are not limited to:

• drawings and other documentation from the time of construction
• drawings and other documentation from any refurbishment or modification, previous structural or condition survey reports
• the ground condition report

Where there is limited time or record information available, a desk study should always be performed using publicly available sources. This is an important first stage in understanding a building. A desk study can be conducted quickly, at relatively low cost and with little disruption. This means future assessments or investigations can be targeted.

The output from the desk study should be a technical note or report that:

• lists the information reviewed
• summarises the background to the building and its surrounds, including:
  • location
  • age
  • construction type
  • ground conditions
• identifies characteristics of the building that warrant further investigation

If appropriate, particularly for proposed refurbishment or extension works, there should be a description of the impact of the desk study findings on the original proposal.

Annex A includes a more detailed list of report headings that may be appropriate.

Asbestos

Your buildings may contain asbestos if any part was built before the year 2000. It is a legal requirements that any asbestos present in your estate is managed effectively. You should provide the engineer with the asbestos register and any asbestos management or refurbishment and demolition survey information as part of the desk study.

For further information consult the department’s guide Managing asbestos in your school or college as well as The duty to manage asbestos in buildings and Asbestos management checklist for schools both by the Health and Safety Executive.

Stage 3 – visual inspection and initial analysis

Following the desk study an engineer should visit the site to perform a visual inspection. This requires making observations and taking photographs and dimensions in critical areas. If appropriate asbestos records are available, then access may be required to the structural frame behind decoration and removable finishes, such as ceiling tiles. Depending on the exact works, the engineer may ask for small locations of fixed finishes (for example wall and ceiling finishes) to be removed to allow access.

It is unlikely that the engineer will remove these finishes or create the holes themselves. This will require a third party, such as a maintenance team or small contractor. The engineer should illustrate the size and location of the required openings on an ‘opening-up works’ drawing. Safe access (for example ladders or scaffolding towers) needs to be provided by the school or college so the engineer can do their inspection. The contractor or maintenance team should make provision for the repair and redecoration of these areas after the inspection.

The visual inspection allows the engineer to identify critical defects or features that require investigation. The information collected will allow preliminary analysis of the structural frame. Material testing is unlikely to be undertaken at this stage.

The output from this stage should be a report or technical note that includes commentary on the structural frame and substructure (foundations). This should be supported by photographs and marked-up sketches or floor plans. The deliverable should identify the types of construction in areas of interest and any areas that require further intrusive investigation works. There should be advice on next steps. Depending on the exact requirements this may include recommendations for repair or remedial works, intrusive investigations, modifications to original proposals or outline concept designs for refurbishment or extension works.

Where the report will be used as supporting evidence in capital funding applications there should be adequate photographs, sketches and marked-up drawings to show the extent and severity of any issues. There should also be sufficient technical discussion to demonstrate the scale of the issue and the proposals to address it.

Annex A includes a more detailed list of report headings that may be suitable.

Action when advised to take areas out of use

In some circumstances, during their visual inspection, an engineer may identify part of the building where they are concerned about the safety or integrity. They may advise that part of the building is taken out of use. It is important to establish how the engineer has reached this position and what alternative mitigations they have considered. These may include whether regular monitoring could be used to assess if any movement is ongoing and whether the causes of the issue are fully understood. It is also important to establish whether there have been calculations or analysis conducted to understand the behaviour and load capacity of the structural frame.

It is not anticipated that a responsible body will be able to interpret this analysis. However, you should be confident that the assessment has been sufficiently detailed to warrant the potential cost and disruption to education, staff and child welfare, and cost.

It may be worth seeking an independent opinion immediately after the space has been taken out of service as part of planning the next steps required.

Stage 4 – sampling and testing

In some instances, but not all, an engineer may need further information about the composition of the material in the structural frame, or its condition, they may suggest either on-site testing or removing samples for laboratory testing.

This is sometimes referred to as ‘intrusive investigation’.

Intrusive investigation can give useful information about hidden details and how the building might perform in the future. This can be time consuming, expensive and may cause disruption. The engineer should be clear on:

• what gap in their knowledge the testing is trying to fill
• exactly what the results will be used for
• their confidence that the test results will significantly improve the understanding of the building

To obtain reliable results, several samples may be required from various locations in the building.

An alternative to intrusive testing would be to consider a ‘lower bound’ approach. This is where the engineer would make a series of cautious assumptions in any future interpretation, analysis and design, using published references. Should this result in increased cost, for example in needing to use slightly more construction material in a refurbishment, it would be offset by savings from not doing intrusive investigation.

A specialist contractor is likely to be needed to conduct any sampling and testing. The specialist contractor would need to be directly employed by the responsible body.

The engineer should specify the testing and support the tender and delivery of the intrusive works. The specification provides a detailed schedule of the tests required. It should include:

• the locations for testing
• the objective of the tests
• the standard that tests should be carried out to
• the expected deliverables for each test (reports, sketches, photographs)
• the requirements for make good (for example, repairing plasterboard or paintwork) after samples have been taken

The engineer should recommend contractors to tender against the specification and should evaluate the tenders, considering the cost, quality and programme. The engineer should:

• liaise with the successful contractor, ensuring works can be carried out in the agreed timeframes
• periodically attend site to deal with queries
• confirm that agreed milestones have been reached and deliverables received before the contractor is paid

Stage 5 – interpretation, analysis and recommendations

At this stage the engineer interprets the findings from both the visual assessment and intrusive surveys and should carry out structural analysis. The exact scope will depend on the project requirements.

The engineer should provide a technical note or report that discusses the findings of their interpretation and detailed recommendations for next steps.

Detailed information about this is included in IStructE’s Verification of existing building structures.

Stage 6 – detailed design, co-ordination and specification of works

Based on the recommendations in stage 5, the engineer will carry out detailed design, co-ordination and specification of works, or recommended ongoing management. These will vary according to the project and are beyond the scope of this guidance.

Further advice about next steps can be sought from your structural engineer.

Annex A - reporting headings

The following report headings are recommended in IStructE’s Verification of existing building structures.

These may be used or adapted as appropriate for the individual appointment.

Stage 2 – desk study

Heading	Description
Introduction	• details of the client and engineer • brief description of the building and the reason for appointment
Scope/terms of reference	• explain what scope has been agreed, the terms of reference and any key caveats/limitations of the work • list relevant building records, inspection methodology, asbestos notes and other inspection limitations
The building	• describe the building and its surrounding • describe its current and future use (if changing)
Summary of documents reviewed	• describe the documents reviewed (a list can be included in the appendices)
Observations/interpretation	• details of the likely structural form • background to the design/construction process that may have been employed • primary and secondary source findings
Conclusions	• what are the implications of findings of desk study? • have any potential vulnerabilities of the building been identified? • are there both risks and opportunities?
Recommendations	• describe recommended next steps: - the need for further research - visual assessment - any insights on potential investigation works
Appendices	• provide any useful supplementary information, including sources of information reviewed

Stage 3 – visual inspection and initial analysis

Heading	Description
Introduction	• details of the client and engineer • brief description of the building and the reason for appointment • include purpose, location and general description • provide area references and names for floor levels
Scope/terms of reference	• explain what scope has been agreed, the terms of reference and any key caveats/limitations of work
Inspection approach	• detail when the inspection was undertaken and who was involved (engineers, clients, specialists) • define the inspection methodology - was it undertaken at ground level or was high-level access provided? • detail any inspection limitations - for example, access restrictions, weather or lighting
Information reviewed	• reference the desk study information considered
Structural form	• describe the structural form (superstructure and substructure if possible) - note any differences for desk study findings • note any structural modifications and dependencies, where relevant • explain load transfer - for example, how the structure transfers the vertical and lateral loads to the foundation
Findings	• present inspection findings systematically, level by level, elevation by elevation, defect by defect (if applicable)
Discussions and conclusions	• describe the interpretation of the ‘findings’ sections, providing a clear separation between ‘facts’ and ‘opinions’ • the conclusions should present a clear and reasoned judgement based on findings
Recommendations	• clearly describe recommended next steps - this may be, for example, repairs or further investigations
Appendices	• provide any useful supplementary information, such as site notes, adequate photographs, sketches and marked-up drawings, to show the extent and severity of any issues and a structural risk register • this should include the sources of information reviewed

Stage 5 – analysis, evaluation and recommendations

Heading	Description
Introduction	• this should detail who commissioned the report and why, drawing on the purpose or client brief
Scope/terms of reference	• definition of scope of the report and terms of reference - this may include any specific references to correspondence that define the scope • the purpose of the report and aims of the verification/assessment process • define any caveats and limitations to the works undertaken
Site location	• building locations • the context of the site location, and any external factors that have been considered (for example, flooding) should be included
The structure	• describe the structure, its load bearing and stability system • describe, for example, the dates of construction or adaptation, or condition observed during the visual inspection • this should assume that the reader is unfamiliar with the structure and include: - brief description - images and diagrams (possibly) - ideally, a summary of the history of the structure’s construction and alterations details of past and present use • it will reference the later sections of the report
Background data	• key reference documents such as codes of practice, or guidance material that has influenced the verification process
Verification summary	• a useful summary is to describe the verification approach undertaken in response to the brief • this will not describe findings or outputs, but should summarise: - dates of inspection - weather and lighting conditions - factors affecting survey work - names of engineers and attendees
Intrusive investigation	• findings of the intrusive investigation, with intrusive investigation report located within the appendix
Analysis approach	• summary of the structural analysis approach - this may define, for example, the calculation methods used or modelling approach, and it should contain the codes of practice used and the methodology that these employ, such as limit state design
Assumptions	• what are the variables or assumptions being included in the analysis, and the implications? Include definition of, for example, the geometric, material assumptions
Results	• factual output from analysis (without interpretation, see later)
Interpretation	• interpretation of the results of the studies undertaken and analysis • references should be made to codes of practice or published references that have been used to support the interpretation
Conclusion	• the overall assessment of the process and the impact on viability in relation to, for example, the aims set out at the start of the appointment • this should include: - details of any uncertainties and need for further checks - firm, reasoned judgements based on information obtained - discussion of the accuracy and limitations of methods used