Steel BeamInstallers
Ground-floor chimney breast removed with a short steel beam carrying the breast above

Chimney breast removal · Selby

Chimney breast removal in Selby

Chimney breast removal in Selby, from free survey to completion certificate.

  • Free survey visit in Selby
  • Engineer's calculations arranged
  • Building control handled for you

Free survey in Selby

Tell us about the chimney breast removal job in Selby.

Please enter your name.
Please enter a UK phone number.
Please enter a valid email.
Please enter a UK postcode.
Please tell us a little about the job.
  • Free survey visit
  • Engineer's calculations arranged
  • Building control handled
  • Fixed written price once scope is agreed
  • England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI

What chimney breast removal involves in Selby

For homes in Selby and the YO8 district, we handle chimney breast removal from survey to sign-off. It sits about 12.1 miles from York, which we also cover. The beam is sized by a structural engineer and inspected before it is boxed in.

We cover the survey visit, structural calculations from a qualified engineer, building control, party wall notices through a party wall surveyor where needed, temporary support, removal, the steelwork and making good. Whether you are taking out the ground-floor breast only or the full height, the itemised written quote shows each stage.

Worth knowing before you start

  • Some owners remove breasts in the loft to make space for a conversion while keeping the stack on the roof. That leaves the stack carried at loft level on steel or another support, which the engineer must design and building control must approve before work starts.
  • Removing a ground-floor breast with steel support typically takes two to four working days. Full-height removal including the stack and roof repair takes longer and depends on scaffolding, roofing access and the weather.
  • Gallows brackets are steel angle brackets fixed into the wall to hold a breast above. They are often not accepted where the remaining masonry is heavy or sits against the neighbour's breast, so the engineer and building control decide which support method is suitable.
  • Removing only the ground-floor breast leaves the upper breast and stack in place, so they must be supported. Taking the breast out on every floor and removing the stack above the roof avoids that load entirely, but involves roofing work and more disruption.
  • Chimney brickwork is heavy and dirty. Even a single breast produces a lot of rubble and soot, so a skip or waste collection is planned in advance, and floors, stairs and furniture along the route out are protected.

How the job runs in Selby

  1. Look and measure

    We check the wall, the span you want and what the wall is carrying, and photograph anything the engineer needs to see.

  2. Design and price

    Calculations come back from the engineer and we confirm your fixed written price, line by line.

  3. 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.

  4. Fit, inspect, finish

    The work is propped and the steel installed and packed tight. After inspection the opening is boxed, plastered and left clean.

Guide prices for chimney breast removal in Selby

As a guide, budget £1,400–£2,850 including VAT for chimney breast removal (ground floor) in Selby, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in Yorkshire and the Humber (-5%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
Chimney breast removal (ground floor)£1,400–£2,850Ground-floor breast removed, steel to support the breast above, building control and making good
Loft conversion steels£2,400–£5,700Supply and fit of floor and ridge steels on padstones, including lifting into the roof space
Structural calculations for a beam£240–£710Site measure or photos, beam and padstone design and calculations for building control
Plastering and making good£280–£1,140Boxing the beam, bead and skim, reveals, floor infill where the wall stood and tidy-up

Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in Yorkshire and the Humber (-5%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.

Building control and neighbours in Selby

Structural openings in English homes need building regulations approval before work starts. The local council's building control team can deal with it, or you can use a registered building control approver. Either way the steel is inspected before it is covered, and a completion certificate is issued at the end. Keep it safe for when you sell.

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.

Building rules in England

Chimney breast removal near Selby

Local questions answered

Do you also work near Selby?

Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Goole, Pontefract, York and Castleford.

How much does chimney breast removal cost in Selby?

As a guide, budget £1,400–£2,850 including VAT for chimney breast removal (ground floor) in Selby, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in Yorkshire and the Humber (-5%). 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.

How long does chimney breast removal take?

A ground-floor breast with a steel beam supporting the masonry above usually takes two to four working days, including propping, fitting the steel, removing the brickwork and basic making good. Full removal from ground floor to roof takes longer because of scaffolding, roofing work and weather, and plaster needs time to dry afterwards.

What is included in a chimney breast removal quote?

The itemised written quote covers the survey, engineer's calculations, building control, any party wall notices, temporary support, the steel or other support specified, removal and waste, venting or capping, and plastering and floor making good. Scaffolding and roof work appear as separate lines where the stack is involved, and the price is fixed in writing once the scope is agreed.

Are gallows brackets allowed for chimney breast support?

Sometimes, but not always. Gallows brackets are used for lighter loads in certain situations, yet many building control bodies will not accept them where the remaining breast is heavy, sits on a party wall or carries the neighbour's flues. The structural engineer proposes a method and building control decides whether it is acceptable.

Planning to take a wall out?

Book a free survey visit. You get an itemised written quote covering calculations, building control, steel and making good.