Structural Engineering Guides for Irish Homeowners
Costs, planning and BCAR rules, cracks and certificates. Each guide answers one question directly, then gives the detail and the sources.
StructuralEngineer.ie publishes these structural engineering guides so homeowners can understand costs and rules before calling anyone. Figures come from published Irish sources, cited on each page, and every guide is reviewed by Joachim Louw, CEng MIEI.
Costs and choosing a structural engineer
- Cost GuideHow Much Does a Structural Engineer Cost in Dublin? (2026)Typical 2026 fees by job type, the three ways engineers charge, and what a complete quote should include, with sources for every figure.
- LearnWhat Happens on a Structural Engineer Visit?What the engineer looks at, how long it takes, what to have ready, and what arrives afterwards.
Load-Bearing Wall Removal
- Cost GuideCost to Remove a Load-Bearing Wall in Dublin (2026)Engineer's fee, steel, propping and making good, with the factors that move the price and sources for every figure.
- Decision GuideDo I Need a Structural Engineer to Remove a Wall?How to tell whether the wall is load-bearing, what the Building Regulations require, and why the certificate matters most when you sell.
- LearnParty Wall Works in Ireland: Putting a Steel Beam into a Shared WallIreland has no Party Wall Act like England's, but the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 sets out what you can do to a shared wall, and what you owe your neighbour.
Extensions
- Learn45m2 Extension Exemption: What Changed in July 2026Rear extensions up to 45 m² no longer need planning permission. Here's what the new limit covers, what it doesn't, and what still applies.
- Decision GuideBCAR Extension Rules: Assigned Certifier or Opt-Out Over 40m2?When the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations apply to your extension, what the certified route involves, and what opting out really means.
- Cost GuideExtension Engineer Fees in Ireland: What a Structural Engineer Charges (2026)What a structural engineer charges to design and sign off a house extension, how BCAR changes it, and what the fee should include.
Attic Conversions
- Cost GuideAttic Conversion Cost in Dublin (2026)What a habitable attic room costs in Dublin, where the money goes, and why dormers and trussed roofs move the price.
- LearnAttic Conversion Regulations in Ireland (2026)What it takes for an attic to be a legal habitable room: structure, headroom, fire, stairs and the July 2026 dormer exemption.
Crack Inspections
- LearnAre Cracks in Walls Serious? How to TellCrack width, pattern and whether it's moving: the three things that separate cosmetic cracks from structural ones.
- Decision GuideCracks in a New Build House: Normal or a Warranty Claim?New houses crack as they dry out. The question is which cracks are part of that, and which belong with the builder or the warranty provider.
Subsidence Surveys
- Decision GuideSubsidence Insurance Claim in Ireland: How It WorksWhat's covered, what the insurer's engineer does, why claims get disputed, and where an independent engineer fits.
- Cost GuideSubsidence Repair Cost in Ireland (2026)From the first investigation to underpinning: what each stage of a subsidence repair costs, and why most cases never need underpinning at all.
Structural Surveys
- Cost GuideStructural Survey Cost in Dublin (2026)What a pre-purchase structural survey costs in Dublin, what it covers, and how it compares with a building survey.
- Decision GuideStructural Survey vs Building Survey: Which Do You Need?Two different inspections by two different professionals. When one is enough, and when you need both.
Opinions of Compliance
- Decision GuideChartered Engineer vs Engineer: Who Can Sign Off Your Works?What the letters after an engineer's name mean, and why they matter for BCAR and for your buyer's solicitor.
- Decision GuideOpinion of Compliance vs Certificate of Compliance: The DifferenceOne is a professional opinion, the other a statutory certificate. Which one your works have, and what your buyer's solicitor will accept.
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