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Structural engineers in the West Midlands

Structural engineering, Building Control calculations and surveys for homes, developments and commercial projects across the West Midlands, delivered remotely nationwide with site visits arranged across the region.

Structural engineering across the West Midlands

The West Midlands centres on Birmingham and the wider conurbation of Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Coventry, and extends into the counties of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire. The stock ranges from Victorian and Edwardian brick terraces and back-to-backs, through inter-war and post-war suburban housing, to timber-framed black-and-white period property across the rural counties and a great deal of former industrial and commercial building now being converted or replaced. Each raises different structural questions, from a spine wall in a terrace to the floor loads in a converted works. The timber-framed black-and-white stock of the rural counties in particular needs care, since the frame, not the infill, carries the building.

We provide the full structural remit for West Midlands projects: Eurocode calculations and drawings for extensions, loft conversions, wall removals and new openings, structural surveys and defect reports, and design for new build, developer and commercial work. Desktop calculations and reports are delivered anywhere in the region, and where a survey or inspection is needed we arrange attendance across the West Midlands, from the Birmingham conurbation out to the Marches.

Mercia Mudstone, sandstone and mining legacy

West Midlands geology is largely Triassic: Mercia Mudstone, a firm but locally shrinkable clay-rich rock, and the Sherwood Sandstone that gives Birmingham and the Black Country much of their higher, better-draining ground. To the north and west lie Coal Measures across the Black Country, Cannock and north Warwickshire coalfields, along with older sandstones and limestones in Shropshire and Herefordshire. The industrial history leaves a significant legacy of shallow coal workings, foundries, made ground and, in the Black Country in particular, potential for old mine entries, limestone workings and unstable fill.

We design foundations to suit these conditions rather than assuming a standard depth, using strip, trench-fill, raft or piled solutions to match the bearing stratum. Where a Coal Authority search or ground investigation flags shallow workings, made ground or soft fill, common on former industrial land, we design the foundations to bridge or avoid the risk so the structure stays stable. Made ground depth often varies across a plot, so we do not assume it is uniform, and where limestone was worked for flux in parts of the Black Country we allow for the chance of shallow cavities beneath the footprint.

How we work with West Midlands clients

Most structural work is done from your drawings, photographs and survey information, so we turn desktop calculations and reports around quickly for clients across the region. We coordinate with your architect, builder and the local authority Building Control team or an approved inspector so the structure and the design agree before work is priced on site.

Where a physical inspection is needed, for a survey, a movement assessment or a check of existing structure, we arrange a visit across the West Midlands. Every output is tied to the Eurocodes and Approved Document A and backed by professional indemnity cover, and the same standards let us support clients across the UK.

the West Midlands

Local considerations.

What tends to govern a structural job in this area.

Victorian terraces, suburban housing and black-and-white timber frame
Mercia Mudstone and Sherwood Sandstone across the conurbation
Coal Measures and mining legacy in the Black Country and coalfields
Made ground and fill on former industrial land

Services

The full structural remit in the West Midlands.

Every service is available here. Choose one to read more, or tell us your project and location.

Selected work

Real structures, surveyed and engineered.

All work →

Sport and recreationCharlton Athletic FC, The ValleyTwo steel monopitch stand roofs rising to 27 metres were assessed for a proposed solar PV installation. Both were cleared to carry the arrays as they stand, and the fragile roofs were surveyed entirely by drone with nobody working at height.

Read →

Manufacturing and industrialWienerberger, Tamworth

EducationCarlisle College

Film and mediaDragon Studios, Pencoed

Questions

Common questions

Which areas of the West Midlands do you cover?

We cover the whole region, including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry and the Black Country, plus Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire. Desktop work is remote and site visits are arranged across the region.

Do you allow for mine workings and made ground?

Yes. On former industrial and coalfield land we review any Coal Authority search and ground investigation and design foundations to suit shallow workings, made ground or soft fill so the structure is not affected.

Do you need to visit my property?

Not always. Calculations for extensions, lofts and wall removals are usually prepared from drawings and photos. A visit is arranged where a survey, movement assessment or inspection of existing structure is needed.

Can you provide calculations for Building Control?

Yes. We prepare Eurocode structural calculations and drawings ready for your local authority Building Control or approved inspector, written to demonstrate compliance with Approved Document A and to be followed on site.

Elsewhere in the UK