Steel BeamInstallers
Finished open-plan kitchen diner with a plastered boxed beam across the ceiling

Kitchen-diner knock-throughs · Poole

Kitchen-diner knock-throughs in Poole

Steelwork, approvals and making good for kitchen-diner knock-throughs in Poole and nearby.

  • Survey, design and installation in one
  • Covering BH12, BH13, BH14
  • Inspected before it is covered

Free survey in Poole

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  • Free survey visit
  • Engineer's calculations arranged
  • Building control handled
  • Fixed written price once scope is agreed
  • England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI

What kitchen-diner knock-throughs involve in Poole

If you live in Poole, kitchen-diner knock-throughs can usually be planned and priced after a single survey visit. Our coverage runs across Dorset, so nearby villages are included too. We cover BH12, BH13, BH14, BH15 and BH17, and we fix the price in writing once the layout and scope are agreed.

We plan the structural work alongside your kitchen design so the beam, any column and the services all land in the right place before units are ordered. A survey visit, engineer's calculations, building control, propping, the steel and making good are all covered in one itemised written quote, with the price fixed in writing once the layout and specification are agreed.

What to expect

  • Settle the kitchen layout before the steel is designed. If the engineer needs a column or a deeper beam, it is far easier to plan an island, tall units or the hob position around it at drawing stage than after the units are ordered.
  • A flush beam sits up within the depth of the ceiling so the kitchen and dining ceilings run as one flat surface. It suits continuous downlights and long runs of wall units, but each joist has to be connected into the beam, which adds labour.
  • Keep the structural calculations, the building control completion certificate and any gas or electrical certificates together. When the house is sold, the buyer's solicitor will usually ask for evidence that the knock-through was approved and signed off.
  • Taking the wall out removes the switches and sockets on it, and an open-plan room usually needs a new lighting layout. Electrical work in England must comply with Part P of the building regulations where it is notifiable, so rewiring is planned early.
  • In many houses the kitchen and dining room wall carries the bedroom floor joists, and sometimes a bathroom wall above. Lifting a floorboard upstairs to see which way the joists run is a useful first look, though the engineer confirms what the wall actually supports.

How the job runs in Poole

  1. Free visit

    A short visit to Poole to see the job, agree what you want and check the bearings, floors and services that affect the design.

  2. Calculations

    The engineer's calculations and a simple drawing are prepared for your opening and shared with you before anything is ordered.

  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. 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 kitchen-diner knock-throughs cost in Poole?

As a guide, budget £2,600–£6,200 including VAT for kitchen-diner knock-through in Poole, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South West (+3%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
Kitchen-diner knock-through£2,600–£6,200Internal structural wall between kitchen and dining room, steel beam, approvals and making good (kitchen fitting extra)
Through-lounge knock-through£2,600–£5,650Wall between front and back reception rooms, steel beam, approvals, plastering and floor infill
Steel column or post£520–£1,540 per columnColumn supplied and fitted with base and cap plates on a pad foundation
Load-bearing wall removal with steel beam£2,050–£5,150Typical internal wall up to about 4 m: calculations, building control, propping, steel, padstones, fitting, fire protection and making good

Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South West (+3%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.

Approvals in Poole

For Poole, building control is provided by the local council's building control team, or by a registered building control approver if preferred. We send them the engineer's calculations with a building notice or full plans application and book the inspections. Work done without approval can cause problems at sale and is far dearer to put right later.

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

Kitchen-diner knock-throughs near Poole

Questions about kitchen-diner knock-throughs in Poole

Do you cover Poole for kitchen-diner knock-throughs?

Yes. We carry out kitchen-diner knock-throughs in Poole and the BH12, BH13, BH14, BH15 and BH17 postcode districts. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.

Can I stay at home while the work is done in Poole?

Usually, yes. The work area is screened and floors are protected. The rooms either side of the opening are out of action for a few days, and there is some noise and dust while the masonry comes out.

How long will I be without a kitchen?

The structural work itself usually takes three to six working days, and the kitchen is out of action during that time. After that come plastering, drying, flooring and the kitchen fit, so the overall period without a finished kitchen depends mostly on your fitter's programme and when the units are delivered.

Can I knock my kitchen and dining room into one?

In most houses, yes. The wall can be removed even if it is load-bearing, as long as a steel beam designed by a structural engineer takes over the load and building control approves the work. The main things to check early are what the wall carries, where services run, and whether the layout still works around any column.

Do I need building regulations for a kitchen-diner knock-through?

Yes, if the wall is structural. In England it needs building regulations approval through a full plans application or a building notice, in Wales an application under the Welsh regulations, and electrics and any change to fire escape routes are checked too. Scotland requires a building warrant before work starts, and Northern Ireland requires an application to council building control. We handle the application or notice.

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.