Structural Engineers in Brighton & Hove

Structural design, calculations and drainage for homeowners, architects, builders and developers across Brighton, Hove, Portslade, Kemp Town, Hanover, Preston Park, Patcham and Rottingdean. We design steel beams for wall removals, loft conversions, extensions and new homes, with the calculations and drawings Building Control needs.

Get a quote or call 020 3835 2633

What we design in Brighton & Hove
• Load-bearing wall removals and steel beams, for open-plan kitchens and living spaces
• Loft conversions, including rear dormers, hip-to-gable and rooms over the outrigger
• Rear, side and wrap-around extensions
• Chimney breast removals
• New homes and infill developments
• Below-ground drainage, soakaways and SuDS, and sewer connections with Southern Water
• Structural surveys and crack reports

Building in Brighton & Hove
Brighton’s buildings bring their own challenges, and knowing them makes for a design that gets through Building Control and works on site:
• Regency and Victorian terraces: many have been altered over the years, so we check what’s really holding up the floors and roof before designing a new opening.
• Bungaroosh: a mix of flint, brick rubble and lime found in many older Brighton walls. It can be weak and hard to build off, so new beams often need padstones or extra support, and we check the walls carefully at the site visit.
• Conservation areas: Brighton & Hove has more than 30, from Brunswick Town to Kemp Town and Preston Park, which affects what can change outside and how dormers and extensions are designed.
• Sloping streets: in Hanover, Elm Grove and around the Downs, extensions often need stepped foundations or retaining walls.
• Sea air: near the seafront, salt speeds up corrosion of steel and wall ties, so we specify protection to suit.
• Chalk ground: most of the city sits on chalk, which often suits soakaways, but it’s also an important source of drinking water, so drainage near Source Protection Zones needs care.

Featured project: Thornhill Close, Hove
A ground-floor load-bearing wall was removed to create an open-plan kitchen and dining room, supported on new steel beams. A new lintel over the rear opening brings more light into the back of the house, and the roof was strengthened to stop it spreading.

Steel beams in place for the open-plan kitchen · the new lintel over the rear doors · the finished kitchen taking shape · the rear of the house during the works · rafters strengthened to stop roof spread

Our work in Brighton & Hove
• Tivoli Road, Brighton: internal remodelling, with structural steelwork to remove load-bearing walls at ground floor for an open-plan kitchen and dining room.
• Hendon Street, Brighton: beam and lintel calculations for a new door opening and the removal of a load-bearing wall.
• Rotherfield Close, Brighton: structural design for a new-build house on an infill site, with below-ground drainage and a Section 106 sewer connection application to Southern Water.
• Old Shoreham Road, Hove: loft conversion and side extension, with load-bearing walls removed at ground and first floor.
• Poynter Road, Hove: structural calculations for a loft conversion with a rear dormer, and a second room above the existing outrigger.
• Nevill Avenue, Hove: internal remodelling, with structural steelwork to remove a load-bearing wall.

Nevill Avenue, Hove: the widened opening during the works, with the new support specified to carry the wall above.
• Thornhill Close, Hove: removal of a ground-floor load-bearing wall for an open-plan kitchen and dining room, a new lintel to bring more light into the rear, and roof strengthening to stop roof spread.
• Livingstone Road, Hove: structural calculations for a chimney breast removal.
See our projects →

Guide prices
• Load-bearing wall assessment: £600 inc. VAT
• Chimney breast removal design: £850 inc. VAT
• Dormer loft conversion calculations: typically £900 – £1,400 inc. VAT
Extensions, new builds and drainage are quoted to suit the project.

How it works
1. Send us your drawings or a description of what you want to do.
2. We give you a fixed quote and, where needed, visit to inspect the existing structure.
3. We send the calculations and drawings for Building Control and your builder.
4. We answer any questions from Building Control and your builder during the work.

Common questions

Do you visit sites in Brighton and Hove?
Yes. We work across Brighton, Hove and the surrounding area, and visit to check the existing structure wherever the design depends on it.

My house is in a conservation area. Does that affect the structure?
Not usually the structural design itself, but it can affect what changes are allowed outside, such as dormers, windows and extensions. We work with your architect or designer so the structure suits what the council will approve.

Can you design a steel beam for a Regency or Victorian house?
Yes. Older Brighton houses often have bungaroosh or rubble walls, timber lintels and past alterations. We inspect them first, so the beam and its bearings are designed for what’s actually there.

Do I need a party wall agreement?
Often, in terraced and semi-detached houses, for example when a beam bears on the party wall or a chimney breast is removed. We don’t provide party wall services, but we share our design with your party wall surveyor.

Will a soakaway work on my site?
Often, on the chalk, but only a percolation test will confirm it. We carry out the testing and design the soakaway or alternative.

12+ years’ experience · £1,000,000 PI insurance

Structural surveys in Brighton & Hove →
Drainage and SuDS design in Brighton & Hove →
Drainage and SuDS design in Sussex →
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Structural engineers across Sussex →
Get in touch or call 020 3835 2633