# Structural Engineer Dublin | Chartered Structural Engineers > Chartered structural engineer in Dublin for extensions, wall removal, attic conversions, cracks and surveys. Fixed fee in writing before the visit. Call today. URL: https://structuralengineer.ie/ Chartered Engineer · CEng MIEI # StructuralEngineer.ie: Chartered Structural Engineer in Dublin A structural engineer in Dublin for extensions, knock-throughs, attic conversions and cracks. The Chartered Engineer who sizes your steel is the one who inspects it and signs the certificate your solicitor will ask for when you sell. [Call 01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764) [Get a fixed quote](https://structuralengineer.ie/contact/) - Chartered Engineer (CEng MIEI) - Fixed fee in writing before the visit - Dublin, Kildare, Meath & Wicklow - Callback the same working day _Image: Structural engineer checking a newly installed steel beam and padstone in a Dublin semi-detached house mid-renovation_ - I.S. EN 1990–1997 Eurocodes - TGD A Structure - TGD B Fire Safety - BCAR S.I. 9 of 2014 - I.S. 398-1 pyrite protocol - BRE Digest 251 crack categories - S275 / S355 structural steel - LCLRA 2009 party structures Where most jobs start ## What usually brings people to a structural engineer ### A wall is coming out The builder needs a steel size, a padstone detail and a propping plan before anything is demolished. Guesswork here shows up later as cracked ceilings. ### The extension is about to start A Commencement Notice goes in 14–28 days before work starts. For extensions over 40 m², the designer and assigned certifier must be named on it. ### Cracks have appeared Most cracks are cosmetic. A minority come from ground or foundation movement, and finding the cause early is what keeps the repair small. ### A sale needs a certificate The buyer's solicitor wants an engineer's opinion of compliance for the extension or knock-through. Work that is already plastered over is hard to certify. Services ## Structural engineering for homes in the Greater Dublin Area Design, calcs, inspection and sign-off for the structural work Irish homeowners and builders actually do. [_Image: New steel beam on concrete padstones across a kitchen knock-through in a Dublin semi, props still in place_ Most requested ### Load-Bearing Wall Removal Steel beam and padstone design, propping, inspection and a signed certificate for knock-throughs. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/load-bearing-wall-removal/) [_Image: Foundation excavation in boulder clay for a rear extension behind a Dublin semi-detached house, mini digger on the lawn_ Most requested ### Extensions Foundations, steel and BCAR sign-off for rear and side extensions, including the new 45 m² exemption. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/structural-engineer-for-extensions/) [_Image: New C24 floor joists and a steel beam in an attic conversion in an Irish semi-detached house_ Most requested ### Attic Conversions Floor joist upgrades, truss alterations and dormer steel for habitable attics. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/attic-conversion-structural-engineer/) [_Image: Crack-width gauge held across a stepped crack in rendered blockwork on an Irish house_ Most requested ### Crack Inspections Diagnosis of cracks by category and cause: thermal, settlement, subsidence or heave. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/structural-crack-inspection/) [_Image: Blockwork infill wall being built across a former garage door opening on an Irish estate house_ ### Garage Conversions Door infill walls, lintels and floor build-ups for converting an integral garage. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/garage-conversion-structural-engineer/) [_Image: Corner of a pebbledash Dublin house beside a mature tree, the setting where clay shrinkage subsidence is investigated_ ### Subsidence Surveys Investigation, monitoring and insurer-ready reports when the ground is moving. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/subsidence-survey/) [_Image: Engineer inspecting roof timbers by torchlight in an attic during a pre-purchase structural survey_ ### Structural Surveys Pre-purchase structural survey with clear limits and a written report before you sign. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/structural-survey/) [_Image: Engineer inspecting the junction of a rear kitchen extension and the original house in Dublin_ ### Opinions of Compliance Engineer's certificate for past works when you sell, remortgage or regularise an extension. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/opinion-of-compliance/) [_Image: Timber needles and adjustable steel props supporting a brick wall above a new opening_ ### Temporary Works Propping, needling and demolition sequences designed before anything comes out. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/temporary-works-design/) [_Image: Bolted end-plate connection between a steel beam and column in a fabrication workshop_ ### Steel Connection Design End plates, fin plates, base plates and bolt groups to EN 1993-1-8 for fabricators. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/steel-connection-design/) [_Image: Steel universal beam with end plates delivered to a Dublin driveway beside concrete padstones_ ### RSJ Calculations Beam and padstone calcs and a steel schedule for builders who already know what they need. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/rsj-calculations/) [_Image: Ground-floor chimney breast removed with a steel beam supporting the breast above in a Dublin house_ ### Chimney Breast Removal Gallows brackets or a beam when the breast comes out downstairs but the stack stays. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/chimney-breast-removal/) [_Image: Steel goalpost frame in a widened rear wall opening ready for sliding doors in an Irish semi_ ### Openings for Sliding Doors Widening a rear wall for sliding or bifold doors: goalpost frames and lintels. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/rear-wall-opening-for-sliding-doors/) [_Image: Cracked, lifted floor slab and a crack at the base of an internal wall in a 2000s Irish house_ ### Pyrite Assessment Building condition assessment to I.S. 398-1 for homes built on suspect hardcore. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/pyrite-assessment/) [_Image: Victorian red-brick terrace over basements with cast-iron railings on a south Dublin street_ ### Period Properties Georgian and Victorian houses, basements and protected structures. Details](https://structuralengineer.ie/period-property-structural-engineer/) Why homeowners call us ## One engineer, from first visit to sign-off StructuralEngineer.ie is a Chartered structural engineering practice based in Blackrock, serving Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. The engineer who visits is the engineer who designs, inspects and signs. - ### Chartered, so BCAR-eligible Joachim Louw is a Chartered Engineer (CEng MIEI), so he can act as designer and assigned certifier for extensions over 40 m² under the Building Control Regulations. - ### Fixed fee before the visit You know the engineering cost in writing before anyone comes out. There is no hourly meter running. - ### Calcs a builder can build from Beam sizes, padstones, foundation details, a propping sequence and a steel schedule your fabricator can price. Not a vague letter. - ### Three countries' experience Structural engineering experience in Ireland, South Africa and the UK, applied to Irish Building Regulations and the Eurocodes. How it works ## From first call to signed certificate - 01 ### Call and fixed quote Describe the job by phone or form. You get a fixed engineering fee in writing. - 02 ### Site visit The engineer checks what the structure is carrying, the ground and the bearings, and agrees the scope with you. - 03 ### Design and calcs Calcs, drawings and a steel schedule, issued to you and your builder. - 04 ### Inspection and sign-off Key stages are inspected before they are covered, then the signed certificate is issued. Knocking a wall or starting an extension? Fix the engineering first. With calcs in hand, every builder prices the same design, so quotes can be compared like for like. [Call 01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764) [Request a fixed quote](https://structuralengineer.ie/contact/) Typical costs ## What structural engineering costs in Dublin These are published 2026 Irish market ranges with sources. A pricing range answers the first question better than a sales call. Engineer's fee, one wall €400–€900 Whole job €2,500–€7,000+ Source: Cork Demolitions; BuildTech cost guides, 2026 Extension structural design €1,200–€3,500 Single storey from about €1,200 Source: BuildTech; Banrach cost guides, 2026 Pre-purchase structural survey €400–€800 Larger and period houses higher Source: Banrach cost guide; GetHouseSurvey.ie, 2026 What changes the price - Span and number of storeys above - Chimney breasts, roof struts and point loads - Party walls and neighbour notices - Trial holes or site investigation - BCAR certification on extensions over 40 m² - Period houses and protected structures [Estimate your fee](https://structuralengineer.ie/tools/structural-engineer-cost-estimator/) These are published Irish market ranges, not our quote. Your fee is fixed in writing before the visit. Off-hours? Leave the details and get a callback Calls are the fastest route: [01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764). Outside Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00, the form reaches the engineer directly. Get a fixed engineering fee Two short steps. We call back the same working day with a fixed fee, or questions if we need them. Prefer to talk? [Call 01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764). A live person answers during office hours. Compare ## Builder's guess, online calcs or a Chartered Engineer? The cheapest option is rarely the cheapest by the time you sell. | Check | Builder sizes it by eye | Online calcs, no visit | Chartered Engineer on site | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Visits and checks what the structure carries | No | no (relies on photos) | Yes | | Written calcs to the Eurocodes | No | Yes | Yes | | Foundations and bearings checked on site | No | assumed | Yes | | Temporary works and propping specified | builder's judgement | sometimes | Yes | | Work inspected before it is covered | No | No | Yes | | Certificate a buyer's solicitor will accept | No | limited | Yes | | Can act as BCAR assigned certifier | No | No | Yes (CEng) | Service areas ## Structural engineer across the Greater Dublin Area From the Blackrock office to Fingal, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. Each area page covers the local ground, housing stock and council rules. [All service areas](https://structuralengineer.ie/service-areas/) [_Image: Estate street of 1980s and 1990s semi-detached houses in Swords, north County Dublin_ ### Swords Fingal, Co. Dublin Pyrite checks on boom-era estates, extensions and knock-throughs on 1970s–80s semis.](https://structuralengineer.ie/service-areas/swords/) [_Image: Row of 2000s semi-detached houses with integral garages in Naas, County Kildare_ ### Naas Co. Kildare Garage conversions and extensions on 1990s–2000s commuter estates; canal-side ground.](https://structuralengineer.ie/service-areas/naas/) [_Image: Victorian terraces facing the seafront in Bray, County Wicklow, with Bray Head behind_ ### Bray Co. Wicklow Victorian seafront terraces, Dargle flood history and Bray Head erosion.](https://structuralengineer.ie/service-areas/bray/) [_Image: 2000s housing estate of semi-detached homes in Navan, County Meath_ ### Navan Co. Meath Meath pyrite, Boyne and Blackwater river ground, and fast-grown 2000s estates.](https://structuralengineer.ie/service-areas/navan/) [_Image: Victorian terrace over basements in Dún Laoghaire with the harbour at the end of the street_ ### Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Georgian and Victorian houses over basements, protected structures and ACAs.](https://structuralengineer.ie/service-areas/dun-laoghaire/) Questions ## Questions homeowners ask first **How much does a structural engineer cost in Dublin?** Published 2026 Irish cost guides put the engineer's fee for a single wall removal at €400–€900, extension structural design at €1,200–€3,500, and a pre-purchase structural survey at €400–€800. Hourly rates run €90–€180. StructuralEngineer.ie quotes a fixed fee in writing before the visit, so you know the cost before anyone comes out. **Do I need a structural engineer to remove a wall?** If the wall is load-bearing, yes in practice. Building Regulations Part A requires the new opening to be structurally adequate, and when you sell, the buyer's solicitor will want an engineer's opinion of compliance. An engineer can only certify steel they designed, or inspected before it was covered. **Do I need planning permission for an extension in 2026?** Not for a rear extension up to 45 m² that meets the other conditions. That limit rose from 40 m² on 27 July 2026, and extensions built since October 1964 count toward it. Side and front extensions still need permission, and the Building Regulations apply either way. **Can you act as assigned certifier for my extension?** Yes. Extensions over 40 m² need a Commencement Notice with compliance documentation, naming a designer and an assigned certifier, unless the owner opts out. Joachim Louw is a Chartered Engineer (CEng MIEI), one of the professions the Building Control Regulations allow to take both roles. **Are cracks in my walls serious?** Usually not. Most are hairline shrinkage or thermal cracks. Cracks over about 5 mm wide, stepped cracks through blockwork, cracks wider at one end, or doors and windows that start sticking point to movement and need an engineer. BRE Digest 251 grades crack damage from category 0 to 5. **What areas do you cover?** Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area (Kildare, Meath and Wicklow). That includes Swords, Naas, Bray, Navan, Dún Laoghaire, Maynooth, Greystones and Lucan. The office is in Blackrock. Get the engineering right before the builder starts. Fixed fee in writing. Calcs your builder can price from. A certificate that stands up when you sell. [Call 01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764) [Request a fixed quote](https://structuralengineer.ie/contact/)