Background
Chris was building a ground floor extension to his home with a budget of around £100,000. He was managing the build himself and had already started on site when he reached out, with steelwork due to be ordered imminently.
The structural plans had been prepared by a previous engineer, but when Chris asked Blue Engineering for help with drainage, they recommended he get the structure reviewed by Re-Structured first.
The priority was clear: identify any savings without changing the design or delaying the build.
Our assessment
We reviewed the plans within 48 hours and found that the specified steel was excessive. The rest of the structure was sound — no redesign needed.
Because the layout was already set and the contractor was progressing quickly, we focused on what could be simplified without disruption. With a few smart changes and fresh calculations, we were able to reduce the steel by 675kg (a 39% reduction) all without moving a single wall.