Structural Engineers in Pimlico, Westminster & Victoria
Our office is on Warwick Way in the heart of Pimlico, SW1V. Structural surveys, calculations, basement design and engineering-led repairs, with an engineer minutes from your property rather than across the city.
EMA Structures is a structural engineering consultancy based at 122 Warwick Way, Pimlico, London SW1V 4JA. Much of Pimlico, Victoria, Westminster and Belgravia is within walking distance of our door, and we work daily on exactly the buildings these areas are made of: nineteenth-century stucco terraces, listed and conservation-area properties, and the alterations, basements and repairs they need. Send us your project details or call 020 8088 0707.
Built for Pimlico's building stock
Pimlico and its neighbours were largely laid out by Thomas Cubitt in the early to mid nineteenth century: white stucco terraces over brick, timber floors, and gardens that have since become some of the most valuable basement space in London. Beautiful buildings, but structurally they come with a familiar set of questions.
- Cracking and movement. These terraces sit on London clay, which shrinks and swells with the seasons and with nearby trees. Telling harmless seasonal movement apart from genuine subsidence is one of the most common jobs we do, and it starts with a proper structural inspection rather than guesswork.
- Party walls everywhere. Almost every structural alteration in a terrace, from a wall removal to a rear extension, touches structure shared with the neighbours. We design the works and the temporary support with that in mind.
- Period fabric. Alterations must respect how these buildings actually carry load, which is often not how a modern building would. Our engineers inspect and design from the building in front of them, not from assumptions.
Basements in Westminster: engineered for the rules
Basement extensions are popular in SW1, and Westminster has some of the most specific basement planning rules in London. The City Plan generally limits new basements to a single storey below the lowest original floor and to part of the garden, a borough-wide Article 4 direction means basement excavation normally needs planning permission, and applications are generally expected to include a Structural Methodology Statement prepared and signed by a chartered engineer.
This is home ground for us. EMA's practice includes an in-house chartered engineer (CEng MICE), and we provide the structural design, calculations and supporting information for basement extensions and basement construction, alongside underpinning and groundworks where the scheme needs them. Planning policies are updated from time to time, so requirements are always confirmed against the council's current guidance for your application.
What we do locally
- Structural inspections and surveys with defect diagnosis, cracks, movement, bulging walls, sagging floors
- Structural calculations for wall removals, openings, extensions and loft conversions
- Basement design with the structural information Westminster expects
- Engineering-led structural repairs, diagnosed before they are specified
- Pre-sale structural surveys for sellers, agents and conveyancers
Fees are published openly, a site advice visit is £265 + VAT and a structural inspection with report is £495 + VAT, see the full cost guide.
EMA Structures in Pimlico, key facts:
- Office: 122 Warwick Way, Pimlico, London SW1V 4JA, minutes on foot from Victoria, Belgravia and Westminster.
- Areas served locally: Pimlico, Victoria, Westminster, Belgravia, St James's and Millbank (SW1V, SW1W, SW1P, SW1E).
- Local specialisms: period stucco terraces, conservation-area and listed properties, cracks and movement on London clay, basements under Westminster's rules.
- Credentials: qualified structural and civil engineers, with an in-house chartered engineer (CEng MICE) and professional indemnity insurance to £5 million.
- Getting started: send photos or drawings and we confirm the right service, fee and timescale in writing.
Selfridges D'Otto display, Oxford Street
Structural design for a bespoke retail display structure inside one of Westminster's most famous buildings.
Not every structural job in Westminster is a terrace. EMA designed the structure for the D'Otto display at Selfridges, engineering a striking retail installation to be safe, buildable and precise inside a busy landmark store. The same engineering-first approach applies whether the structure is a display, a steel beam over your kitchen, or a basement under your garden.
View the Case Study
Local questions
Do you have a structural engineer near Pimlico or Victoria?
Yes. EMA Structures is based at 122 Warwick Way in Pimlico, SW1V, so much of Pimlico, Victoria, Westminster and Belgravia is within walking distance of our office. That makes site visits, inspections and follow-ups straightforward to arrange, and it means the engineer looking at your property knows the local building stock first-hand.
My property is in a conservation area. Does that change the structural work?
It changes the approvals more than the engineering. Most of Pimlico and a large part of Westminster sit within conservation areas, and many buildings are listed, so external alterations, roof changes and some internal structural works can need planning permission or listed building consent alongside Building Regulations approval. We design the structural work and provide the calculations, and we advise where consents are likely to be needed so you can involve the council or a heritage consultant at the right time.
Can you handle Westminster's basement rules?
Yes. Westminster's City Plan restricts basement development, generally limiting basements to a single storey below the lowest original floor and to part of the garden area, and a borough-wide Article 4 direction means basement excavation normally needs planning permission. Applications are generally expected to include a Structural Methodology Statement prepared and signed by a chartered engineer. EMA's practice includes an in-house chartered engineer (CEng MICE), and we design basements and prepare the supporting structural information. Policies change over time, so requirements are always confirmed against the council's current guidance for your specific application.
Do you work on listed buildings?
Yes, we regularly work on period and listed properties. Structural alterations and repairs to listed buildings usually need listed building consent, and the engineering has to respect the original construction, for example repairing rather than replacing historic fabric where possible. We inspect, diagnose and design accordingly, and we advise when consent is likely to be required.
What does a structural engineer cost in Pimlico or Westminster?
Our standard London fees apply: a site advice visit costs £265 plus VAT including a written email summary, a structural inspection with a full report costs £495 plus VAT, and structural calculations for a straightforward internal wall removal start at £495 plus VAT. Fees are correct as of July 2026 and every job is confirmed with a written quotation. See our full cost guide for loft, extension and basement figures.
Need a structural engineer in SW1?
We are on Warwick Way. Send photos, drawings or a description of the issue and we will confirm the right next step, usually the same working day.