Need it done by a professional? THS Concepts carries out structural monitoring for architects, engineers and contractors.
Structural monitoring is usually priced in three parts: a one-off setup, a charge for each monitoring visit, and a weekly charge for any automated sensors. This guide sets out what we charge for each, with worked examples, so you can budget before you ask for a quote.
Quick answer: setup, including the baseline readings, is usually £600 to £1,200. Each monitoring visit, including the report, is usually £200 to £400. Automated sensors cost about £30 per sensor per week, including the dashboard and alerts. Automated total stations are priced per project. All prices exclude VAT.
Monitoring prices at a glance
| Item | Typical price (excluding VAT) |
|---|---|
| Setup, including baseline readings | £600 to £1,200 |
| Monitoring visit, including the report | £200 to £400 |
| Automated sensors (tilt, vibration, crack), with dashboard and alerts | About £30 per sensor per week |
| Automated total station | Priced per project |
| Removing targets and sensors at the end | One visit fee |
What the setup covers
Setup is the first and most important visit. We fix targets, prisms, crack studs or sensors in the agreed positions, establish a control network outside the zone of influence of the works, and take the baseline readings that every later reading is compared against. For most jobs setup takes about six hours on site. The baseline is part of the setup price, not an extra.
What a monitoring visit costs
Routine visits usually take one to three hours on site, depending on the number of targets and how easy they are to see. Each visit includes a PDF report within 24 hours, comparing every target with the previous reading and the baseline. Visit frequency is set by the works, not the calendar: typically weekly during excavation, piling and underpinning, then fortnightly or monthly as the risk drops.
Automated sensors
Where readings are needed more often than a surveyor can visit, or out of hours, we install automated sensors such as tilt sensors, vibration monitors and electronic crack gauges. These cost about £30 per sensor per week, including access to our in-house dashboard and SMS and email alerts if a trigger level is crossed.
Automated total stations read a network of prisms on a schedule, often hourly. They are priced per project.
Worked examples
These examples use the mid-range of our prices to show how the costs add up. Your quote will depend on the site and the specification.
Residential basement, manual monitoring for six months. Setup at £900, weekly visits for the first three months (13 visits), fortnightly visits for the next three months (7 visits), and one removal visit. At £300 a visit that is £900 + (21 x £300) = about £7,200 plus VAT.
Party wall works with four tilt sensors for 12 weeks. Setup at £900, then 4 sensors x £30 x 12 weeks = £1,440, plus one removal visit at £300. That is about £2,640 plus VAT, before any manual visits the engineer asks for.
What changes the price
- Number of targets and sensors. More points take longer to install, read and report.
- Visit frequency and duration. Most of the cost of a long job is the visits, so agree a schedule that steps down as the risk falls.
- Access. Targets on neighbouring buildings, roofs or high facades, lightwells and restricted working hours all add time.
- Method. Crack gauges and tell-tales are the cheapest; total station and precise levelling surveys sit in the middle; automated systems cost more but give continuous data.
- Reporting. Extra report formats, third-party submissions or attending meetings are quoted separately.
Getting an accurate quote
Send us the engineer’s monitoring specification if there is one, or a site plan with the structures to be monitored, the start date and the expected length of the works. If there is no specification yet, we can write one with you. See our structural monitoring service or get a quote.