Knock-through walls in Erdington

What should you know before starting in Erdington?

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

Removing a load-bearing wall needs a structural engineer's calculations and Building Regulations approval.
Internal alterations to a listed building need listed building consent from Birmingham City Council.
Steel beams usually take one to two weeks to make once the calculations are approved.

Postcode district: B24
Planning and building control: Birmingham City Council
From our West Bromwich base: 8 miles

Choices to weigh up in Erdington

Load-bearing wall with a steel beam

Where the wall supports floors, other walls or the roof, a structural engineer sizes a steel beam and the padstones that carry its ends. Temporary props hold everything up while the wall is removed and the beam goes in. The steel is then boxed in with plasterboard, usually fire-rated, and skimmed so it looks like part of the ceiling.

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.

Guide prices for Erdington

Prices in Erdington 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. Your fixed price for the agreed specification follows a free survey at your Erdington address.

Your questions answered

How messy is it, and can we stay at home?

You can stay at home, but expect dust and noise for a few days. We seal doorways with dust sheets and zip doors, protect floors, and take rubble straight out to a skip or bags. The two rooms being joined will be out of use, and the kitchen may be too, if the wall involved is the kitchen wall.

How do I book a survey in Erdington?

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.

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.

Who approves knock-through walls in Erdington?

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 Birmingham City Council or a registered building control approver.

Also covering nearby

More services in Erdington

Give us a call on 0800 088 6248, or send a photo of the wall and your postcode, and we'll take it from there.