Kitchen-diner knock-throughs · Chatham
Kitchen-diner knock-throughs in Chatham
Kitchen-diner knock-throughs for homes in ME1, ME2, ME4, designed by a structural engineer.
- Survey, design and installation in one
- Covering ME1, ME2, ME4
- 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
Kitchen-diner knock-throughs in Chatham: how it works
Our kitchen-diner knock-throughs service in Chatham covers everything from the first visit to the completion paperwork. The wider Kent area is covered as well. Postcode districts we cover here include ME1, ME2, ME4, ME5 and ME7.
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.
Key points for your project
- 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.
- Where the wall stood there is usually a strip of footing or a change in floor level between the two rooms. It is levelled with screed or timber so one continuous floor finish, such as tiles or engineered boards, can run straight across.
- Sinks and dishwashers usually sit on an outside wall, but supply pipes and waste runs sometimes cross the internal wall. Moving the sink to an island means planning a waste route with enough fall under the floor, which affects how the floor is prepared.
- Cooker hood ducting that currently runs out through the wall may need a new route once the wall goes. Ducting can often be run in the ceiling void alongside the beam, but the beam's position and depth need to be known first.
- 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 Chatham
Free visit
A short visit to Chatham 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 Medway Council, 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.
How much should I budget in Chatham?
As a guide, budget £2,800–£6,700 including VAT for kitchen-diner knock-through in Chatham, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South East (+12%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen-diner knock-through | £2,800–£6,700 | Internal structural wall between kitchen and dining room, steel beam, approvals and making good (kitchen fitting extra) |
| Structural calculations for a beam | £280–£840 | Site measure or photos, beam and padstone design and calculations for building control |
| Through-lounge knock-through | £2,800–£6,150 | Wall between front and back reception rooms, steel beam, approvals, plastering and floor infill |
| Steel column or post | £560–£1,680 per column | Column supplied and fitted with base and cap plates on a pad foundation |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South East (+12%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Approvals in Chatham
Structural openings in English homes need building regulations approval before work starts. Medway Council 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.
Kitchen-diner knock-throughs near Chatham
- Rochester 1.1 mi
- Gillingham 1.1 mi
- Strood 2.4 mi
- Maidstone 7.8 mi
- Gravesend 8.0 mi
- Sittingbourne 9.2 mi
Local questions answered
Can I stay at home while the work is done in Chatham?
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.
What does a kitchen-diner knock-through quote include?
Our written quote is itemised: survey, engineer's calculations, building control, propping, removal of the wall, steel and padstones, fire protection, floor levelling and making good, with any gas, plumbing or electrical rerouting listed separately. Once the layout, specification and scope are agreed, the price is fixed in writing.
Do I need permission from my landlord or freeholder to open up a kitchen?
If you own a leasehold flat, usually yes. The lease will normally require the freeholder's or landlord's written consent for structural alterations, so get that before any work is booked. Freehold houses do not need this, and planning permission is not normally needed for internal changes unless the building is listed.