Two structural surveys and two different conclusions

TheGoldfish

Section62 said:

A chartered structural engineer has demonstrated competence through education and experience, and passed an assessment of competence, as well as committing to continuing professional development.

While I don't doubt his academic qualification I do question his experience. He started his own company six months after graduation. Everyone gets things wrong when starting a new career but starting out working with experienced people is how most get on the job experience. Mistakes he was making 10 years ago are potentially still being made if he has never been corrected. 

The Engineering Council (via IStructE) provide regulation of who can call themselves a chartered engineer, and there are disciplinary processes, but the regulation applicable at individual level doesn't mean they can't make mistakes.

Someone else could have the same level of education and experience but without EC and IStructE membership cannot call themselves 'chartered'.

I have contacted the first engineer to ask what organisations he is a member of as none are mentioned on his website. That seemed odd to me especially as he is quite happy to show off his "Houzz Service" awards. He advised he is a graduate member of IStructE. What's a graduate member? I hope it's not the obvious.

The EStructE membership directory states against each of the years  2022, 2023, 2024 something was "not received". Looking at other member's statuses, other possible wording is "submitted", "approved" or "refused". I have asked EStructE for clarification of what these mean but maybe you know?

A 'surveyor' isn't a structural engineer, but if they have been practicing for ~10 years then it doesn't seem likely that they are a total idiot.  Unless they have been very careful about the jobs they take on, and have always erred well on the side of caution, it would be reasonable to think that at least one of their mistakes by now would have left them in quite serious trouble. There's also the issue of professional indemnity insurance - if they have it, and what kind of work they told the insurer they are doing.

If it is mostly buyers that are asking for a structural report it's possible most sellers don't get to see the report. I only saw it as I agreed to pay 50% of the costs. At over £1000 a report few buyers will ask for a second opinion but simply move on and look for alternative properties as my buyers did.


The first engineer explained the cracks well but simply said they were the result of progressive subsidence and that the front and back walls required extensive underpinning. There was no explanation as to how he came to that conclusion. In my email to him I did ask him to explain but he declined to do so stating I wasn't his customer despite paying 50% of his fees directly to him. He said he needed to maintain "project privacy" for his client. 

The second report did explain why the engineer didn't believe the was progressive subsidence citing London clay soil, calcium silicate bricks, lack of property maintenance for 20 years and long term legacy of damage from window replacement 40 years ago. The second engineer was aware of the first report's contents. He did also doubt whether the first engineer would have insurance.

I appreciate there is no guarantee second is the correct report. 

Many thanks for you help. It's much appreciated.

Section62

TheGoldfish said:

I have contacted the first engineer to ask what organisations he is a member of as none are mentioned on his website. That seemed odd to me especially as he is quite happy to show off his "Houzz Service" awards. He advised he is a graduate member of IStructE. What's a graduate member? I hope it's not the obvious.

The obvious.  You can join IStructE as a 'student' if you are studying on a relevant course.  On graduation you can be upgraded to 'graduate member'.  But this isn't a grade which allows you to describe yourself as 'chartered' or 'qualified'.  As a graduate you are still subject to the rules of the institution, so if he is doing anything wrong a complaint could be made and he might be subject to disciplinary action.

TheGoldfish said:

The EStructE membership directory states against each of the years  2022, 2023, 2024 something was "not received". Looking at other member's statuses, other possible wording is "submitted", "approved" or "refused". I have asked EStructE for clarification of what these mean but maybe you know?

By the sound of it, that could be the 'Continuing Professional Development' (CPD) submission.  Not absolutely sure - it has been a long time - but I don't think there is a requirement for graduate members to make a CPD submission, so the "not received" probably isn't significant.