Knock-through walls in Castle Bromwich

Planning your knock-through in Castle Bromwich

Work inside your Castle Bromwich home isn't development, so planning permission doesn't apply — the exception is a listed building, where Solihull Council would need to give listed building consent. Structural work, new electrics and drainage changes come under Building Regulations.

Textured ceilings applied before 2000 should be tested for asbestos before they're cut or disturbed.
Keep the completion certificate and engineer's calculations safe, as a buyer's solicitor will ask for them.
A beam bearing on a wall shared with a neighbour needs party wall notice at least two months before work.

Postcode district: B36
Planning and building control: Solihull Council
From our West Bromwich base: 9 miles

Which option fits your home?

Wide opening instead of full removal

Keeping short sections of wall at each end, or a bulkhead above, lets you open two rooms up while keeping some separation and somewhere to put furniture. It can mean a shorter, lighter steel, and it sometimes gives a better result where the two floors are at slightly different levels or the ceilings don't line up.

Through-lounge

Joining the front and back reception rooms gives one long room with light from both ends. The wall between them is often load-bearing, and on some houses a chimney breast sits nearby, which needs its own support if it's removed. A partial opening with nibs left either side can be a good compromise on cost and structure.

Knock-through walls prices in Castle Bromwich

Prices in Castle Bromwich match the rest of our area: £1,200–£14,000 depending on size and specification. Opening up a 3.5 m load-bearing wall between kitchen and dining room in a semi: usually £4,500–£6,800.

Guide prices for knock-through walls
Option	Guide price	Good to know
Non-load-bearing wall removed	£1,200 – £2,800	No steel, mostly making good
Load-bearing wall with steel beam (up to about 4 m)	£3,800 – £7,500	The usual kitchen-diner or through-lounge
Wide span, chimney breast or multiple steels	£7,500 – £14,000	Bigger steels, more propping and making good

Guide ranges include VAT where it applies. Access, parking and the state of what's there now can move the price — the survey settles it.

Your questions answered

Will I get a certificate for the steel beam?

Yes. When building control is satisfied, it issues a completion certificate for the work, and you should keep that with the structural engineer's calculations. A buyer's solicitor will ask for both when you sell, as unapproved wall removals are a common problem in house sales. Steel and other products carry their manufacturers' terms, which are set out in your quote.

How do I book a survey in Castle Bromwich?

Send the form on this page, use the guide-price tool or call 0800 088 6248 free. We'll ask a few questions about your knock-through and arrange a time to visit.

How much does it cost to knock through a wall?

In the West Midlands, a knock-through typically costs £1,200–£14,000 including VAT where it applies. Removing a non-load-bearing partition is usually £1,200–£2,800. Opening a load-bearing wall of about 3.5 metres between a kitchen and dining room, with an engineer-designed steel, building control and re-plastering, is typically £4,500–£6,800. Decorating and new flooring across both rooms are usually extra.

Does Solihull Council need to approve my knock-through?

Not for planning — internal work isn't development unless the house is listed. Building Regulations approval is needed for structural work such as removing a load-bearing wall, through Solihull Council or a registered building control approver.

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Use our guide-price tool for a knock-through in Castle Bromwich, then get a fixed price for the agreed specification after the survey.