High-quality, fully managed design & build across Cheshire — Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Knutsford and Warrington.
Load-bearing walls, professionally removed.
High-quality, fully managed design & build across Cheshire — Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Knutsford and Warrington. Fully managed design & build across Cheshire and the wider North West.
The quiet discipline under every renovation
Most of our kitchen and extension projects hinge on a structural alteration somewhere — a knock-through between kitchen and dining, a goal-post steel for the full rear extension, a removed chimney breast on the first floor. We've done enough of them that the engineer, the steel supplier and the building control officer we work with are all on a first-name basis.
Whether it's a single RSJ above a reformation opening or a pair of spanning beams across a wide rear extension, the calculations, the steel order, the propping, the install and the making-good come from one team.
From calcs to cleaned-up skirting
The structural-alteration process has a lot of moving parts — engineer, building control, steel supplier, propping, plastering. We run them all.
- Engineer's Calculations — Structural engineer's report, calcs and drawings — specifying the steel, padstones and any temporary works.
- Building Control Submission — Building Notice or Full Plans submission, inspection coordination and final completion certificate.
- Temporary Propping — Acrow props, needle beams and lintels to support the wall safely before cutting.
- RSJ & UB Installation — Universal beam or RSJ lifted, seated on padstones, and packed with slate where needed.
- Goal-Post & Paired Steels — Full-width kitchen/dining openings with twin beams, vertical posts and welded cleats — engineered rigid.
- Fire Protection — Intumescent paint or plasterboard fire-casing to meet 30- or 60-minute fire resistance as required.
- Making-Good — Plastering, skirtings, architraves and flooring joined back in — the join should look like the wall was never there.
- Redecoration — Final coats and finishes so the room is handed back decorated, not just structurally complete.
Benefits of Structural Alterations
How We Handle Structural Alterations
Consultation
An initial conversation about your project — scope, brief, budget framing, and the outcome you want.
Site Visit
We come to the property to understand the existing space, take measurements, and discuss feasibility on the ground.
Quotation
A detailed written quotation covering every element of the work, with no hidden costs.
Design & Planning
Where required, we handle architectural drawings, planning permission, and Building Regulations in-house.
Full Project Delivery
Our long-standing in-house team — supported by trusted specialist subcontractors — delivers the entire build.
Completion
Final walk-through, sign-off, and your workmanship guarantee.
Ready for Structural Alterations?
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation site visit and a detailed written quotation. Cheshire-led, with Greater Manchester covered for the right projects.
Structural Alterations FAQs
Do I need an engineer's calc to remove a wall?
Yes — any load-bearing wall (and most internal walls built before the 1980s are) needs a structural engineer to calculate the replacement steel or lintel. We include the engineer's fees, calculations and drawings in our all-in quote.
Do I need building regulations approval?
Yes — building control must be notified and sign off load-bearing alterations. We submit a Building Notice or Full Plans application on your behalf, coordinate the inspection visits, and issue you the completion certificate at handover.
How much does a knock-through cost?
Every structural alteration is individually quoted — the cost depends on the span, the steel specification and the making-good required. After a free site visit we provide a fully itemised, all-in written quotation covering the engineer, building control and the build, with no hidden costs.
How long will the work take?
Lead times typically run from several weeks to several months, depending on the scope of the work. We confirm the programme as part of the written quotation following the site visit.
Can I stay in the house?
Yes. The rest of the house stays sealed and usable. You'll want to be out of the specific room for a short period while we're cutting and propping, but the rest of the property stays fully habitable.
Do you handle older houses with uncertain construction?
Yes — we work on Victorian terraces with lime-mortar solid-brick walls, 1930s semis with cavity brick, and stone-built Cheshire properties where the original build detail is anyone's guess until we open it up. Our engineer designs a solution once we've exposed what's actually there.