Structural engineer

[veryconfused8888]

I have cracks in three walls-two external walls and one internal wall, and in two ceilings in my house and I want to get a structural engineer to do a report. Could someone tell me how long an inspection of the whole house should take and how much I would be likely to be charged? Have been told by one firm that it would cost £400, but they said they would be here only 1 to 1 and a half hours and it would be a 'visual' inspection only, so I assume that they would not bring a ladder to look into the loft or to check upstairs window sills (the bathroom window sill is almost non existant and a builder said that that had caused thasat [particular wall to crack, because of water leaking into the wall.) I had thought that an inspection would take at least three hours. My house is a two bed terrace.

 

[^woody^]

15 minutes if he is any good.

 

[veryconfused8888]

Seriously?

 

[^woody^]

Seriously.

Every crack is a tell-tale to it's cause. It's relatively simple to look at the crack, in context to it's location, and come up with its most likely or actual cause.

Sometimes this can be done walking up the garden path. Other times a quick look around the back or in a few rooms can confirm initial thoughts.