Knock-through walls in Shenstone

Planning your knock-through in Shenstone

There's no planning application for internal work in Shenstone, 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.

Internal alterations to a listed building need listed building consent from Lichfield District Council.
A beam bearing on a wall shared with a neighbour needs party wall notice at least two months before work.
Textured ceilings applied before 2000 should be tested for asbestos before they're cut or disturbed.

Postcode district: WS14
Planning and building control: Lichfield District Council
From our West Bromwich base: 10 miles

Options to consider in Shenstone

Kitchen into dining room

A very common knock-through in older houses, creating one sociable room for cooking and eating. It often goes alongside a new kitchen, so the steel position, lighting and sockets are planned with the kitchen layout in mind. Radiators and doors may move to make the most of the longer wall space.

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 Shenstone

Guide prices start at £1,200 and run to £14,000 depending on size and specification. Opening up a 3.5 m load-bearing wall between kitchen and dining room in a semi: around £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 Shenstone address.

Before you book in Shenstone

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.

Which postcodes in Shenstone do you work in?

We cover WS14 and the streets around them. If you're on the edge of Shenstone, neighbouring Four Oaks and Lichfield 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 work we do in Shenstone

Planning a new kitchen too? Tell us both jobs and we'll quote them together, so the steel and the layout fit.