Structural inspection of buildings in Batumi: foundation, walls, floors, roof
A structural inspection of buildings in Batumi shows what condition a house is in and what can be done with it: buy, renovate, add a storey or strengthen it first. We check the foundation with trial pits, the concrete and rebar with instruments, put tell-tales on cracks and inspect the roof and steelwork. The structural engineer calculates whether the building can take the new load and seismic forces. A house inspection with a report from 2 820 ₾.
from 2 820 ₾/projectinspection of an existing house with a report on earthquake resistance. The final price is confirmed once agreed.
- Timeline: a pre-purchase inspection takes 1–3 days, a full inspection with calculations usually 2–3 weeks
- Warranty: We stand behind the conclusions in our report
Who it’s for
You are buying an old house and want to know what you are getting into
You plan to add a storey or an attic floor
Cracks have appeared on the walls and they are growing
You are going to renovate an old house from top to bottom
The house was damaged by an earthquake, fire or water
What’s included
- review of documents and the history of the house
- inspection of the foundation with trial pits
- checks of walls, frame and floors
- non-destructive testing of concrete and rebar
- tell-tales and settlement markers on cracks
- inspection of the roof and steelwork
- calculations for new loads and seismic forces
- a report with a list of work
Structural inspection of buildings in Batumi: why and when
A structural inspection of buildings in Batumi answers the question of what condition a house is in and what can be done with it. Buy it and live in it, renovate it, add a storey, turn it into a guesthouse, or strengthen it first. The engineer inspects the foundation, walls, floors, roof and steelwork, opens up details, checks the concrete and rebar, and puts tell-tales on cracks. The report says what is fine, what needs repair, what is dangerous and what work is needed.
When an inspection is needed
- before buying an old house or a resale apartment;
- before adding a storey, an attic floor or an extension;
- before a major renovation or a layout change;
- when cracks, sagging or distortion appear;
- after an earthquake, a fire or a flood.
Before buying, the inspection is best done before the deposit, while the price and terms can still be discussed. How we check documents and support a purchase is on the transaction support page.
What we look at
We check the foundation with trial pits: depth, material, cracks, signs of water. In walls and the frame we look at cracks, deviation from vertical, the condition of masonry and concrete, rebar spacing and corrosion. We check floors for sagging and cracks, and timber floors for rot and woodworm. We inspect the roof by going up on it; more on roof repairs on the roof repair page. We check steel beams, stairs and balconies for rust; more on protecting steel by the sea on the corrosion protection page.
Cracks: dangerous or not
Not every crack is dangerous. Shrinkage cracks in plaster occur in almost every house and mean nothing. Diagonal cracks from window corners, cracks that widen over time and different levels at the corners of the house point to movement of the ground. To understand whether the house is moving, we install tell-tales and settlement markers and repeat the measurements a few weeks later. If there is movement, a strengthening design is needed; more on the foundation strengthening page.
Adding a storey and seismic loads
Many people want to add a storey to an old house, but not every house can take it. The structural engineer calculates whether the foundation and walls can carry the new load and seismic forces, and what needs strengthening: the foundation, corners, floors, added ring beams or a frame. Adjara is in a seismic zone, and old houses without ring beams and ties are especially vulnerable. How houses are built for earthquakes is on the earthquake-resistant construction page.
If there are no drawings
Most old houses in Adjara have neither a design nor as-built drawings, and what is in the registry often does not match reality. In that case we first take measurements: floor plans, sections, the position of load-bearing walls and columns. These drawings are needed for the calculations, for a renovation or extension design, and will be useful when the house is sold.
How much an inspection costs
An inspection of an existing house with a report on its earthquake resistance costs from 2 820 ₾. A pre-purchase inspection of an apartment or house with a report from 660 ₾, a structural survey for an extra storey or reconstruction with calculations from 4 200 ₾. A roof inspection with photos and a report from 330 ₾, a corrosion survey of steelwork from 720 ₾, monitoring of settlement and cracks from 420 ₾ per measurement cycle, a concrete strength test from 120 ₾ per area. The final cost is set after inspecting the building and agreeing the scope of work.
Stages and timelines
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Documents
1–2 days
Extract, designs, history of the house.
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Inspection
1–2 days
All floors, roof, basement.
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Opening up
1–3 days
Trial pits, details, concrete tests.
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Calculations
3–10 days
Loads, seismic forces, strengthening.
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Report
2–3 days
Condition, risks, list of work.
Local specifics in Batumi
In Batumi and the villages of Adjara there are many houses built without a design and extended one storey at a time over the years. Under one roof there can be stone masonry, brick and in-situ concrete, with different foundations under the old and new parts. Such houses settle differently, and cracks at the joints are common.
Humid sea air destroys steel and exposed rebar faster than in a dry climate, and timber floors in unventilated houses rot. Soils on the hills around the city lose strength after long rains. We take all of this into account in the inspection and in the conclusions: what to fix straight away and what can wait.
Materials and brands
A rebar detector, a rebound hammer and ultrasound for concrete, a moisture meter, a thermal camera, a laser level and distance meter, plumb lines, feeler gauges and crack gauges, tell-tales and settlement markers, an endoscope for cavities. Tools for trial pits and opening up. Concrete cores for laboratory tests when the exact concrete strength is needed. Photos linked to floor plans, measured drawings if there is no design, a structural model of the building for seismic analysis.
What makes up the cost
Timeline: a pre-purchase inspection takes 1–3 days, a full inspection with calculations usually 2–3 weeks
- area, number of storeys and scope of opening up
What raises the cost
- a large multi-storey house
- no design, measured drawings needed
- trial pits, opening up and laboratory tests
- calculations for an extra storey and seismic loads
What lowers the cost
- a small house or an apartment
- a pre-purchase inspection without calculations
We prepare the exact estimate from measurements and photos. It’s free and comes with no obligation.
Get an estimateGuarantees
We stand behind the conclusions in our report. If opening up during renovation shows a structure in worse condition than we wrote, and it could have been seen during the inspection, we add to the report and recalculate at our own expense.
Questions and answers
How much does a structural inspection of a building in Batumi cost?
An inspection of a house with a report on its earthquake resistance costs from 2 820 ₾, a pre-purchase inspection with a report from 660 ₾, a survey for an extra storey with calculations from 4 200 ₾. The final cost is set after inspecting the building and agreeing the scope of work; the total depends on area, number of storeys and opening up.
Can a storey be added to an old house?
Sometimes, but only after an inspection and calculations. The structural engineer checks the foundation, walls and floors, calculates the new load and seismic forces and says what needs strengthening. Sometimes strengthening costs more than the extra storey, and then it is wiser to rebuild the house or give up the extra floor.
How can I tell whether a crack is dangerous?
Shrinkage cracks in plaster are usually not dangerous. Be wary if cracks run diagonally, start from window corners, grow over time or the house is out of square. We install tell-tales and settlement markers and repeat the measurements a few weeks later: if nothing changes, the house is stable; if it changes, a strengthening design is needed.
How is a pre-purchase inspection different from a full one?
A pre-purchase inspection takes a day: the engineer looks at everything visible, checks damp, cracks, the roof and services, and writes a short report with risks and rough costs. A full inspection includes trial pits, opening up, concrete tests and calculations, and is needed before adding a storey or a major reconstruction.
Is an inspection needed after an earthquake?
If new cracks have appeared, doors have gone out of square or plaster has fallen, yes. The engineer checks whether the load-bearing structures are affected and says whether the house can be lived in and what to fix first. Small cracks in finishes can occur without damage to the frame, but that is better decided by measurement.
Further reading
Send the address, photos and what you plan for the house: we will price the inspection within 24 hours
We reply within an hour during business hours. Message us or leave a request: we’ll call you back, go over the details and suggest the next step.
Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat 11:00–16:00