Inspection and report
Structural inspection and report in Canberra
An engineer visits, inspects the house and gives you a written report with the findings, the likely cause and what to do next. If photos would answer your question, we say so and quote a desktop review instead.
- From $1,090 + GST ($1,199 inc GST), fixed before we start
- Fixed quote in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours
- Desktop reviews from $390 + GST when photos or plans are enough
Prefer to talk? Call 02 6189 9876
Or email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm
- Engineering onlyWe never sell the repair or the build.
- From $1,090 + GST($1,199 inc GST), confirmed before we start.
- Fixed quote in under 20 minutes on averageDuring business hours, Monday to Friday.
- Canberra and the Queanbeyan sideEvery district, plus Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong.
In short
A structural inspection and report in Canberra costs from $1,090 + GST ($1,199 inc GST). An engineer visits, inspects the house and gives you a written report with the findings, the likely cause and what to do next. If clear photos are enough, a desktop review costs $390 + GST ($429 inc GST). The same prices apply across Canberra, Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong.
- Inspection and full report
- From $1,090 + GST ($1,199 inc GST)
- Site visit with a letter
- From $650 + GST ($715 inc GST)
- Desktop review
- From $390 + GST ($429 inc GST), no visit
- You receive
- A written report: findings, likely cause, next steps
- Quote
- Fixed, in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours
- Area
- Every Canberra district, plus Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong
What does a structural inspection report include?
The findings, the likely cause and what to do next, in writing. An engineer visits and inspects the house before writing it.
A structural inspection is for a specific worry, or for a check of the whole structure. The engineer looks at the walls, floors, framing and footings they can see and safely reach, and at the signs of movement that brought you to us.
Your report covers three things:
- Findings. What we saw and where, from cracks and gaps to floors that slope or sag.
- The likely cause. For example clay that shrinks and swells, a leaking pipe, a tree, poor drainage or settling fill.
- What to do next. Whether to repair, monitor or leave it, and what kind of repair the structure needs.
What it isn't
It isn't the seller's building and compliance report, and it isn't a building and pest inspection. We don't write the seller's report or do pest inspections. Buying a home? Our pre-purchase structural inspection is set up for that.
Desktop review, site visit or full report: which do you need?
Pick by the question you need answered. If you're not sure, send photos and we'll tell you which fits before you book anything.
| Option | What you get, and when it fits | From, ex GST | Inc GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop review | We review the photos, plans or reports you send and give written advice. No site visit. Fits one crack you can photograph clearly, a report you want explained, or a repair quote you want checked. | $390 + GST | $429 |
| Site visit with a letter of advice | An engineer visits, looks at the specific issue and gives a written letter of advice. Fits one question about one thing, such as a single crack, a sagging beam or a leaning wall. | $650 + GST | $715 |
| Structural inspection and full report | An engineer visits, inspects the house and gives a written report with the findings, the likely cause and what to do next. Fits movement in several places, a decision about repairs, or a report you need to give to someone else. | $1,090 + GST | $1,199 |
From prices for a typical house. Your fixed quote confirms the price before anything is booked. See all our prices.
When do you need a structural engineer rather than a builder?
When the question is about the structure itself: whether part of the house is moving, why, and what will stop it.
A builder can repair a crack. An engineer tells you whether the crack is the problem or a symptom of one. These signs are worth an engineer's look:
- Cracks that keep growing, or reopen after they've been patched
- Doors and windows that start to stick or won't latch
- Floors that slope, bounce or have dropped near a wall
- Gaps opening at the cornice or above the skirting
- A retaining wall that leans or bulges
- A sagging roof line, ceiling or verandah beam
If cracks are what worry you, our guide to cracks in walls in Canberra explains which patterns point to movement, and what to photograph before you get in touch.
If you're planning work rather than worrying about damage, such as removing a wall or adding a storey, you need design rather than an inspection. Do I need a structural engineer? sets out who does what, from the engineer to the certifier.
Why can two houses on the same street behave differently?
Because the ground under them can change within a few metres. That's why we inspect your house, not a suburb average.
Most Canberra suburbs sit on the Williamsdale soil landscape, and its official soil report lists a "widespread foundation hazard". The same report notes that "a considerable range in profile form occurs within a small area".
The rock below is just as variable. Canberra's rock is often deeply and unevenly weathered. Rock can be near the surface on one part of a block and metres down on another.
So a neighbour's cracks, or a neighbour's clean bill of health, tells you little about your own footings. That holds for a 1920s cottage in the Inner North as much as a 1970s brick-veneer house in Belconnen.
What should you send, and what do we check before we visit?
A few photos and a sentence about the problem are enough for a fixed quote. Before visiting an older home, we check one public register.
- Photos of the problem, close up and from further back, so we can see where it sits in the house
- When you noticed it, and whether it has changed since
- The suburb and, if you know it, roughly when the house was built
- Anything you already have: earlier reports, plans or a contractor's quote
Add up to 5 photos or plans with the form at the top of this page.
Pre-1985 homes and loose-fill asbestos
Before visiting a home built before 1985, we check the ACT's loose-fill asbestos Register. It listed 17 remaining affected houses at 8 October 2026. We never enter the roof space or subfloor of an affected house, and we don't test for asbestos.
Who uses a structural report?
You do, then anyone who needs to act on it. The report is written so that someone who wasn't there can follow it.
You
To decide whether to repair, monitor or leave it, and what to ask for when you get quotes.
Your builder or repairer
To price the work the report describes. We don't recommend who does it.
Your insurer
To see what was found and the likely cause, in writing, from an engineer.
A certifier
If the repair needs building approval, the certifier works from the engineering.
We're engineers only. We don't sell, carry out or recommend repairs, so nothing in the report is shaped by what you might buy next.
If cracking is the main worry, a crack and footing movement report costs the same and focuses on the cause. Already quoted for underpinning? Start with an independent second opinion on the quote. For faults in a newer home, see building defect reports.
What happens next?
Three steps, and you know the price before anything is booked.
Send photos or plans
Use the form at the top of the page, or email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au. Add up to 5 photos or plans.
Get a fixed quote
We reply with a fixed quote in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours. If a desktop review or a site visit would answer your question, we say so.
Inspection and report
An engineer inspects the house, then sends your written report with the findings, the likely cause and what to do next.
Often needed alongside an inspection
Every service is quoted at a fixed price before we start. Send photos or plans and we reply in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours.
Cracks & footing movement
Stepped cracks, sticking doors, gaps at the cornice. An engineer finds the cause and tells you whether it matters.
$1,090 + GST($1,199 inc GST) See the serviceBuilding defect reports
Structural defects in new and recent homes found, documented and explained, with the ACT warranty periods in mind.
$1,290 + GST($1,419 inc GST) See the service
Underpinning: independent second opinion
Quoted for underpinning or resin injection? An engineer checks whether the movement calls for it and whether the scope fits, with no repair to sell.
$390 + GST($429 inc GST) See the serviceStructural inspection questions
Something else on your mind? Call 02 6189 9876, email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au or send photos for a fixed quote.
How much does a structural engineer inspection cost in Canberra?
From $1,090 + GST ($1,199 inc GST) for an inspection and full written report. A site visit with a letter of advice is $650 + GST ($715 inc GST), and a desktop review of photos or plans is $390 + GST ($429 inc GST). Your quote is fixed before we start.
What does a structural engineer's report include?
The findings, the likely cause and what to do next. An engineer visits, inspects the house and puts it in writing, so you and anyone you share it with can act on it.
Is a structural inspection the same as a building and pest inspection?
No. A structural inspection looks at the structure and the cause of any movement. We don't do pest inspections, and we don't write the seller's building and compliance report.
Will you go into the roof space of a Mr Fluffy house?
No. Before visiting a pre-1985 home we check the ACT's loose-fill asbestos Register, and we never enter the roof space or subfloor of an affected house.
Can a desktop review replace an inspection?
Sometimes. One clear crack, a report you want explained or a repair quote you want checked can often be answered from photos for $390 + GST ($429 inc GST). Movement in several places usually needs someone on site.