Knock-through walls in Lichfield

What should you know before starting in Lichfield?

There's no planning application for internal work in Lichfield, but Building Regulations still apply to structural changes, electrics, drainage and fire safety. We tell you at the survey which parts need approval or certification.

A beam bearing on a wall shared with a neighbour needs party wall notice at least two months before work.
Steel beams usually take one to two weeks to make once the calculations are approved.
If you have a loft conversion, opening the hallway may break your protected escape route, so the fire strategy needs checking first.

Postcode district: WS13
Planning and building control: Lichfield District Council
From our West Bromwich base: 13 miles

Which option fits your home?

Non-load-bearing partition removal

Stud or thin block partitions that carry no weight can be removed without steel, once we've confirmed what's above. The work is mostly making good: patching the ceiling and walls, filling the floor where the wall stood, and moving any sockets or switches. It's the quickest and cheapest kind of knock-through.

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.

Knock-through walls prices in Lichfield

Prices in Lichfield 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. We confirm a fixed price for the agreed specification after visiting.

Before you book in Lichfield

How do I know if a wall is load-bearing?

You can't be sure by looking, so we check on site. Clues include floor joists running across the wall rather than alongside it, a wall directly above on the next floor, or solid brick rather than hollow stud. Even a wall that seems light can carry a load in older houses. A structural engineer confirms it, and the calculations form part of the Building Regulations approval.

Which postcodes in Lichfield do you work in?

We cover WS13 and the streets around them. If you're on the edge of Lichfield, neighbouring Shenstone and Burntwood are covered too.

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.

Does Lichfield District 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 Lichfield District Council or a registered building control approver.

Nearby places we cover

Other home improvements in Lichfield

Book a free visit in Lichfield and we'll tell you whether your wall is likely to need steel before you commit to anything.