Load-bearing wall removal & steel beams in Burgess Hill
Knock-throughs and steel beam installation for Burgess Hill homes, planned with an engineer and finished by our own team.
Opening up a Burgess Hill home
Plenty of Burgess Hill homes were built with a separate front room, dining room and kitchen. Joining two of them, usually the kitchen and dining room, gives you the open-plan family space most people now want, without the cost of an extension. In Victorian and Edwardian terraces around Fairfield, the wall between the front and back reception rooms is often load-bearing and may carry a chimney breast above. In 1930s and post-war semis, the kitchen wall frequently supports the floor joists of the bedroom above. On newer estate homes, some internal walls are lightweight partitions and some carry real load, so nobody should assume either way.
Call Josh on 07518 403458 (Mon–Fri, 7:30am–6pm) or send us your details through our contact form. Quotes are free and without obligation.
Get a free quote in Burgess Hill
What the work involves
Taking out a load-bearing wall is structural work and needs Building Regulations approval from Mid Sussex District Council or a registered building control approver. A structural engineer works out the size and type of beam and what it needs to sit on, such as padstones or new piers, and building control will want to see those calculations.
- Temporary supports hold up the walls and floors above before any brickwork comes out.
- The wall is taken down in a controlled way and the bearings are prepared.
- The steel beam (often called an RSJ) is lifted in, packed tight and checked.
- Once the load is on the new beam, the supports come out.
- The steel is fire protected, usually boxed in with plasterboard, then plastered and decorated.
If the beam needs to bear into a wall you share with a neighbour, as it often does in a terrace or semi, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 usually means serving notice before work starts. Chimney breasts removed on one side of a party wall also need proper support for whatever remains above.
Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath
We carry out the same work in Haywards Heath, Hassocks and the villages in between. The process and approvals are the same across Mid Sussex, because Mid Sussex District Council handles building control for all of them. If your knock-through is part of a bigger plan, see our Burgess Hill extensions page: many extensions start by taking out the old back wall with a beam.
One team from the opening to the finish
Because our team includes carpenters, plasterers, electricians, plumbers and decorators, we do not leave you with a beam and a mess. Moving radiators and sockets, making good the ceiling and floor, and fitting a new kitchen can all be part of the same job. Jobs mentioned in our Google reviews include taking out a supporting wall between a kitchen and dining room using three steels.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a wall is load-bearing?
You cannot tell reliably by tapping it. Joist direction, what sits above and how the house was built all matter. We can take an initial look, and a structural engineer confirms it and designs the support.
Do I need planning permission to remove an internal wall?
Usually not for a house, unless it is listed. You do need Building Regulations approval, and flats may also need the freeholder’s consent.
Will I need a Party Wall notice?
If the new beam bears into a wall shared with your neighbour, or you cut into that wall, you will normally need to serve notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
How long does a knock-through take?
It depends on the size of the opening and the finishing work. We give you a clear programme with your quote.
Talk to us about your project
Call Josh on 07518 403458 (Mon–Fri, 7:30am–6pm) or send us your details through our contact form. Quotes are free and without obligation.
Related pages
Your next chapter
starts with a conversation.
Tell us what you have in mind. Let’s build it together.