Drawings & design · Existing structures

Structural evaluation and assessment of existing buildings

For owners planning to extend, alter or re-use a building, and for those facing cracks, corrosion or the new building quality and safety requirements. We coordinate the survey, testing and engineering report, and the approvals that depend on it.

Every alteration to an existing building asks the same quiet question: can the structure that is already there carry what you are about to add, remove or change? A structural evaluation answers it with evidence rather than assumption.

In Dubai, that question now comes from two directions. Owners still need structural assessments when they plan an extension, take out a wall, install a mezzanine or change a unit's use. And since 2026, a new emirate-wide law on the quality and safety of buildings requires older buildings to be assessed by an engineering firm before a quality and safety certificate can be issued.

We organise the evaluation: reviewing records, surveying the structure, arranging testing through accredited laboratories, and preparing or coordinating the engineering report and any strengthening design. The permit authority decides whether the proposed works, or the building, are acceptable. Where the law or the authority requires a licensed and appropriately classified engineering firm to sign the report, we coordinate through one.

When a structural evaluation is needed

Extensions and added floors

A new room over a garage, a roof extension or an extra floor puts new loads on columns and foundations designed for something else. The permit authority will expect evidence that they can take it.

Removing walls and new openings

Opening up a villa's ground floor or cutting a new doorway in a load-bearing wall changes the load path. Beams, lintels and transfer details have to be checked or designed.

New loads in commercial units

Mezzanines, heavy racking, plant on the roof, water tanks, server rooms and gyms with heavy equipment all add load beyond what the slab may have been designed for.

Visible defects

Cracks, spalling concrete, rust stains, deflecting slabs, leaks into the structure or settlement around the building are signs that the structure should be inspected.

Evaluations are also common before a change of use, when buying an older building, and when regularising works a previous owner built without approval. In that last case, an as-built survey usually comes first, so the engineer is assessing the building as it actually stands.

Law No. 3 of 2026 on the quality and safety of buildings

Law No. (3) of 2026 Concerning the Quality and Safety of Buildings in the Emirate of Dubai sets up a regime of periodic assessment for existing buildings. Its main points, from the published text:

Wide scope. It applies to buildings across the emirate, including special development zones and free zones such as DIFC. Dubai Municipality is the main competent entity, with the zone authorities acting in their own areas.
Quality and Safety Certificate. Owners must obtain a certificate issued by the competent entity confirming the building's quality, safety and suitability for use, once the building reaches 20 years from its completion certificate.
Engineering firm assessment. The owner appoints an engineering firm to assess the building and issue a technical report. The firm must hold a classification appropriate to the building's height and use accredited laboratories.
What the report covers. The assessment follows a technical checklist approved by Dubai Municipality, covering structural integrity, exterior cladding, electrical and mechanical installations, windows, doors and façade safety barriers, Civil Defence requirements and CCTV requirements.
Rectification. Defects in the technical report are rectified by a contractor under engineering supervision, followed by the competent entity's final inspection.
Younger buildings. Buildings under 20 years must still be maintained periodically.
Certificate validity. 10 years for buildings whose completion certificates were issued less than 40 years ago, and 5 years for buildings 40 years old or more.
Penalties. Fines from AED 100 to AED 1,000,000, doubled for a repeat violation within two years up to AED 2,000,000, with possible suspension of permits and transactions.
Timing. The law comes into force 60 days after publication in the Official Gazette, and owners have one year from that date to comply, with extensions possible at the competent entity's discretion.

How a structural evaluation is carried out

Define the question

An extension check, a defect investigation and a quality and safety assessment need different scopes. We agree what the report must answer and who will rely on it.

Owner · our team

Collect records

Approved structural drawings, calculations, soil reports, completion certificate and any previous repairs. Missing records mean more testing.

Owner · our team

Visual condition survey

The engineer inspects accessible elements, maps cracks and spalling, measures deflections and notes signs of water ingress, corrosion or settlement, with a photo record.

Structural engineer

Testing

Where needed, an accredited laboratory carries out tests such as concrete cores for strength, rebound hammer and ultrasonic readings, cover and reinforcement scanning, and carbonation and chloride tests for durability. Foundations may need trial pits.

Accredited laboratory

Analysis and report

The engineer checks the structure for the existing and proposed loads under the Dubai Building Code and the referenced design standards, and sets out findings, capacity, risks and recommendations.

Structural engineer

Strengthening design and approvals

If strengthening is needed (jacketing, steel plates, fibre-reinforced polymer wraps, new beams or foundations) it is designed and submitted with the permit application, then inspected during works.

Consultant · authority · contractor

What the structural assessment report contains

Scope and limitsWhat was inspected, what wasn't accessible and what the report can and can't be used for.
Building descriptionStructural system, age, approvals history and any previous modifications.
Condition surveyMarked-up plans of cracks, spalling and other defects, with photographs.
Test resultsLaboratory certificates and an interpretation of what they mean for strength and durability.
Capacity checksCalculations for the elements affected by the proposed works or the defects.
ConclusionsWhether the structure is adequate, adequate with conditions, or needs strengthening or repair.
RecommendationsRepair and strengthening options, priorities and any urgent safety measures.
Drawings for approvalWhere works follow, strengthening details and structural drawings for the permit package.

How the evaluation feeds the permit

The report rarely stands alone. For an extension or alteration, it forms part of the structural submission to the permit authority: Dubai Municipality for most mainland plots, or the relevant zone authority such as Trakhees or DDA. For a villa, it sits alongside the developer NOC and architectural drawings described on our villa renovation and extension page. For a warehouse mezzanine it supports the building and Civil Defence submissions covered under warehouse and industrial approvals.

Dubai Municipality also lists related services: a self-permit for structural maintenance of minor defects that don't affect safety, a service to verify critical structural defects found during construction (listed at 2 working days), and a site structural inspection of shoring works after excavation. Which applies depends on the building's stage and the seriousness of the defect.

Efficient, not inflated. In 2025 Dubai Municipality warned consultancies about villa structures designed well beyond what the Dubai Building Code requires. A good evaluation does the same for existing buildings: it justifies strengthening where it is needed and avoids recommending work that isn't.

What affects the cost and time

Purpose and scope. Checking one beam for a new opening is far smaller than assessing a whole building for a certificate.
Size, height and access. Taller buildings, basements and occupied premises take more planning.
Records available. Original drawings and calculations reduce the testing needed.
Testing programme. The number and type of laboratory tests is often the largest variable cost.
Findings. If strengthening is needed, design and approval of the repair add a further stage.

We quote the survey, testing and reporting separately, so you can see where the cost sits. Authority fees for any resulting permit are paid directly to the authority.

Common problems to avoid

Relying on a contractor's opinion. Authorities expect a proper engineering assessment, and so does anyone buying or insuring the building later.
Testing without a plan. Random cores cost money without answering the question. Testing should follow the visual survey and the specific concern.
Assuming the original design had spare capacity. Many buildings were designed closely to their original loads. Check before adding.
Patching visible cracks. Cosmetic repair over active corrosion or movement hides the problem until it is more expensive.
Waiting for the deadline. Owners of older buildings who plan the Law No. 3 assessment early can schedule testing and repairs rather than rushing them.

How we help

Scoping the evaluation so it answers the question the authority or buyer will ask
Records review, as-built survey and visual condition survey
Coordination of testing through accredited laboratories
Structural assessment report and strengthening design, through an appropriately classified engineering firm where required
Permit submissions for strengthening, extensions and alterations, coordinated through a registered consultant
Support for owners preparing for the quality and safety certificate

Structural evaluation FAQs

Does my villa need a structural assessment before an extension?

Usually, yes, if the extension adds load to the existing structure or changes it, for example building over a garage, adding a floor or removing walls. The permit authority needs structural drawings and justification for the new works and their effect on the existing building.

What is the Quality and Safety Certificate?

Under Law No. 3 of 2026, it is a certificate issued by the competent entity, mainly Dubai Municipality, confirming that a building is safe and fit for use after an engineering firm has assessed it. It is needed once a building reaches 20 years from its completion certificate, and is valid for 10 years, or 5 years for buildings 40 years old or more.

Do I need to test the concrete?

Not always. For a small alteration with good original drawings, calculations may be enough. Where records are missing, the building is old, or there are signs of deterioration, testing gives the engineer the actual strength and condition to work with.

Can a mezzanine be added to my warehouse?

Often, if the floor slab and foundations can take the column loads, or can be strengthened, and the fire strategy works. A structural check of the existing slab is the first step. Our guide to warehouse mezzanine approval explains the wider approval route.

What happens if the assessment finds serious defects?

The report sets out repair or strengthening options and their priority. Urgent safety risks need immediate measures. Repairs are designed, approved where required and carried out by a licensed contractor under engineering supervision.

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