Your lender wants a structural report: what happens next

Updated 29 September 2026

You’ve had an offer accepted, the lender’s valuer has visited, and the valuation comes back with a condition: a structural engineer’s report before the money is released. Here’s what that usually means and how to deal with it without losing the purchase.

Why lenders ask for one

The valuer’s job is to protect the lender. If they see signs of movement (cracking, a leaning wall, distortion around windows, evidence of past subsidence) or alterations that may not have been done properly, they may recommend further investigation.

RICS, the surveyors’ professional body, requires its members to do exactly that: where a visible defect suggests a problem that might affect other parts of the building, “an RICS member must recommend that a further investigation is undertaken” (RICS Home Survey Standard, section 4.9).

The lender may then hold back some or all of the loan (a “retention”). It can be a full retention, where no funds are released until the problem is resolved, and this is “usually issued pending a report by a structural engineer” (Online Mortgage Advisor).

What the report covers

A structural engineer visits the property and looks at the specific concern, and usually the structure around it: walls, roof, foundations, cracks and signs of movement. The report typically says:

• what’s causing the defect;
• whether the movement is historic (stable) or ongoing;
• whether repairs are needed, and what;
• sometimes, whether monitoring over a few months is advisable before deciding.

The lender, or its valuer, then decides whether to release the retention, reduce it, or keep it until repairs are done.

Does the engineer have to be chartered?

Check the exact wording of your lender’s condition, and ask your broker or the lender if it’s unclear. We haven’t found a public lender, UK Finance or RICS source that requires a chartered engineer in every case. The RICS standard asks surveyors to give “a broad indication of who should carry out the further investigation (for example their qualifications, membership of a trade body…)”, without naming one route (RICS).

If the condition names a qualification, such as a chartered engineer (MIStructE, MICE or CEng), book someone who has it, and check before you book. You can check CEng and IEng registration on the Engineering Council’s RegCheck.

What it costs

Published guides put a structural report at around £700 plus the site visit (about £300), or £500 to £2,000 depending on scope (Checkatrade, MyBuilder, HomeOwners Alliance). More on structural engineer fees.

How to move quickly

1. Get the valuer’s exact wording from your broker or lender. It tells the engineer what to look at.
2. Tell the engineer it’s for a lender and ask how quickly they can visit and report.
3. Ask the seller whether they already have a report, monitoring results or a building control completion certificate for past work.
4. Send the report to your lender (usually via your broker or conveyancer) as soon as it arrives.

On each town page you can filter for engineers who say they do mortgage or lender reports.

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