Basement & cellar steels · Exeter
Basement & cellar steels in Exeter
Steelwork, approvals and making good for basement & cellar steels in Exeter and nearby.
- Survey, design and installation in one
- Covering EX1, EX2, EX4
- Inspected before it is covered
- Free survey visit
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control handled
- Fixed written price once scope is agreed
- England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI
Basement & cellar steels in Exeter: how it works
If you live in Exeter, basement & cellar steels can usually be planned and priced after a single survey visit. We also cover the surrounding towns and villages in Devon. We cover EX1, EX2 and EX4, and we fix the price in writing once the layout and scope are agreed.
Turning a cellar into a habitable room, or digging a new basement, nearly always means moving or removing walls that hold up the rest of the house. Steel beams and columns take over that support, often while the existing walls are being deepened by underpinning and the space is protected against water.
Things to plan for
- A basement room needs a safe way out in a fire, which affects the stair, the doors and sometimes an escape window into a lightwell. Steel in the basement ceiling also commonly needs fire protection to the standard building control asks for.
- Headroom is precious below ground, and a deep downstand beam can make a room feel cramped. The engineer may use a shallower but heavier section or set the steel into the ground floor zone, and that choice is made at design stage.
- Basement steel frames often rely on columns because there is nowhere else to land the load. Each column sits on its own foundation or a thickened part of the slab, and its position needs agreeing early so it does not end up in the middle of a room.
- Underpinning deepens the existing foundations so walls can go lower, and a specialist carries it out in a strict bay-by-bay sequence. Steelwork has to fit around that sequence, which is why the engineer plans the two together from the start.
- Getting steel into a basement means lowering it through a lightwell, a stair opening or a temporary hole in the ground floor. Long beams may be designed in bolted sections so they can be handled in tight below-ground spaces.
How the job runs in Exeter
Free visit
A short visit to Exeter to see the job, agree what you want and check the bearings, floors and services that affect the design.
Calculations
The engineer's calculations and a simple drawing are prepared for your opening and shared with you before anything is ordered.
Building control
We submit a building notice or full plans application to the local council's building control team, so approval is in place before the wall is touched.
Steel in, made good
On site we prop, open up, fit and pack the steel, then fire protect, box in and plaster once the inspection is done.
What do basement & cellar steels cost in Exeter?
As a guide, budget £2,600–£6,700 including VAT for basement or cellar steelwork in Exeter, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South West (+3%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Basement or cellar steelwork | £2,600–£6,700 | Beams and columns with pad foundations under the floor above (excavation and waterproofing extra) |
| Temporary works and propping | £150–£520 | Props, spreaders, needles and sole plates for a typical opening, installed and struck |
| Steel column or post | £520–£1,540 per column | Column supplied and fitted with base and cap plates on a pad foundation |
| Party wall surveyor (agreed surveyor, per neighbour) | £930–£2,060 per neighbour | Schedule of condition and award where a neighbour dissents; serving notice alone, where the neighbour consents, costs far less (England and Wales only) |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South West (+3%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Approvals in Exeter
In England, taking out a load-bearing wall or putting in a beam is building work under the Building Regulations 2010. It needs approval from building control, either the local council's building control team or a registered building control approver, through a full plans application or a building notice. Part A covers the structure and Part B covers fire safety, which is why steel in homes is usually fire protected.
If the beam bears into a wall you share with a neighbour, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies, and a party structure notice must be served at least two months before that work starts. We arrange this through a party wall surveyor.
Local questions answered
Do I need a party wall agreement for basement & cellar steels in Exeter?
Yes, if the beam bears into a shared wall: the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England and Wales, and a party structure notice must be served at least two months before that work starts. We arrange it through a party wall surveyor.
Do you cover Exeter for basement & cellar steels?
Yes. We carry out basement & cellar steels in Exeter and the EX1, EX2 and EX4 postcode districts. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.
How is steel protected from damp in a basement?
Steel below ground is protected against corrosion as the engineer specifies, which may mean a heavier-duty paint system or galvanising. It is also kept on the dry side of the waterproofing where possible, and fixings through the waterproofing are detailed so they do not let water in.
How long does it take to fit steels in a basement?
Each stage of steelwork usually takes a few days, but it happens at several points through a basement project rather than all at once. The overall programme is set by the excavation, underpinning and waterproofing, and the steel is installed whenever the sequence reaches it.
Do you do the underpinning for a basement?
Underpinning is specialist work, and we coordinate the steelwork with the underpinning contractor rather than carrying it out ourselves. The engineer designs the steel and the underpinning sequence together, so beams, columns and new foundations fit the order in which the walls are deepened.
How much do basement & cellar steels cost in Exeter?
As a guide, budget £2,600–£6,700 including VAT for basement or cellar steelwork in Exeter, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South West (+3%). The exact figure depends on the span, what the wall carries, access and the finish, and is fixed in writing once the scope is agreed.