Structural Engineers in Hastings & St Leonards

Structural design, calculations and drainage for homeowners, architects, builders and developers across Hastings, St Leonards-on-Sea, Ore, Hollington, Silverhill, Fairlight, Battle and Bexhill. 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 Hastings
• Load-bearing wall removals and steel beams, for open-plan kitchens and living spaces
• Loft conversions, including rear dormers and hip-to-gable conversions
• Rear, side and wraparound extensions, including on sloping plots
• Retaining walls and stepped foundations
• Chimney breast removals
• New homes and small developments, including brownfield sites
• Below-ground drainage, soakaways and SuDS, and sewer connections with Southern Water
• Structural surveys and crack reports

Building in Hastings
Hastings has some of the most varied ground and buildings in Sussex, and knowing them makes for a design that gets through Building Control and works on site:
• Steep sites: across the Old Town, Ore, West Hill and St Leonards, extensions often need stepped foundations, retaining walls or careful excavation next to neighbouring houses.
• Clay and sandstone: the Hastings Beds mix sandstone with clays such as the Wadhurst Clay. Where clay is present, especially near trees, foundations may need to go deeper, and on slopes we check the ground is stable before designing.
• Old buildings: from timber-framed houses in the Old Town to the Regency terraces of St Leonards and Victorian villas, many have been altered over the years, so we check what’s really holding up the floors and roof before designing a new opening.
• Conservation areas and listed buildings: the Old Town and much of St Leonards are protected, which affects what can change outside and how dormers and extensions are designed.
• Sea air: near the seafront, salt speeds up corrosion of steel and wall ties, so we specify protection to suit.
• Drainage: soakaways often struggle on clay, so we test the ground and design an alternative where needed. Drainage and SuDS design in Sussex →

Our work in Hastings
• Downey Close, Hollington: structural and civil engineering for a new townhouse development on a brownfield site.
• Combermere Road: structural design and below-ground drainage specification for a new-build house, plus help discharging the planning conditions. Civil engineering →
• Langham Road: structural design for a front extension, loft conversion and garage conversion. Loft conversions →
• Crecy Close: beam and lintel specification to remove a load-bearing wall and widen a door opening. Wall removals →
• St Helens Wood Road: structural and civil engineering design for a 3m rear extension and loft conversion. We also helped the client obtain planning permission.
• St Helen’s Road: structural design for a single-storey wraparound extension, creating a new sitting room and utility room.
• Battle Road: structural survey of a two-storey side extension built by a previous owner without Building Control approval.
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, retaining walls, 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 Hastings?
Yes. We work across Hastings, St Leonards, Bexhill, Battle and the surrounding villages, and visit to check the existing structure wherever the design depends on it.

My garden slopes steeply. Can I still extend?
Usually, yes. We design the foundations and any retaining walls for the slope, and check how the excavation affects your house and your neighbours’ during the work.

My retaining wall is leaning. Can you design a new one?
Yes. We inspect the existing wall, find out why it’s moving (often poor drainage behind it) and design a repair or replacement, with drainage to stop it happening again.

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 foundations are dug close to a neighbour’s. We don’t provide party wall services, but we share our design with your party wall surveyor.

Will a soakaway work on my site?
It depends on the ground. On the sandstones they often work; on clay they often don’t. Only a percolation test will confirm it, and we carry out the testing and design the soakaway or alternative.

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

Structural surveys in Hastings →
Retaining walls and sloping sites in Hastings →
Structural surveys in Eastbourne & Bexhill →
Structural engineers in Brighton & Hove →
Get in touch or call 020 3835 2633