Steel BeamInstallers
Brickwork propped above a window while a cracked lintel is replaced

Lintel replacement · Bognor Regis

Lintel replacement in Bognor Regis

Lintel replacement in Bognor Regis, from free survey to completion certificate.

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

Free survey in Bognor Regis

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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 lintel replacement involves in Bognor Regis

We cover lintel replacement in Bognor Regis (PO21, PO22) and the streets around it. It sits about 13.5 miles from Worthing, which we also cover. Each job is designed by a structural engineer and approved through local building control before work begins.

A lintel is the short beam that carries the brickwork over a window or door. When it fails, the signs tend to show outside first: a crack stepping up from the corner of the frame, a dip in the brick courses, or a window that has started to bind. Timber, concrete and old steel lintels each fail in their own way, but the fix follows the same principle.

Key points for your project

  • Windows and doors can often stay in place during a lintel replacement, keeping the house secure and weathertight. Where a frame has been carrying sagging brickwork for some time, it may need adjusting or replacing once the new lintel takes the load.
  • Replacing a structural lintel is generally treated as building work, so approval is in place before it starts. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland that means building control, and in Scotland a building warrant is needed before structural work begins.
  • Bricks taken down are cleaned and reused where possible, and any shortfall is made up with reclaimed or close-matching bricks. Mortar is mixed to suit the colour and strength of the existing wall, which in older homes often means a lime mortar.
  • The replacement is specified by a structural engineer, who looks at the opening width, the wall construction and what the lintel carries, such as floor joists, a bay roof or a gable. Solid walls and cavity walls usually call for different lintel types.
  • Older steel lintels and bare steel angles can corrode where water sits on them. Rust takes up more room than the steel it comes from, so a corroding lintel can lift the brick course above it and open up horizontal cracks.

From survey to sign-off in Bognor Regis

  1. Free visit

    A short visit to Bognor Regis 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 does lintel replacement cost in Bognor Regis?

As a guide, budget £450–£1,340 per lintel including VAT for lintel replacement in Bognor Regis, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South East (+12%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
Lintel replacement£450–£1,340 per lintelPropping, removing the old lintel, new lintel set on beds and brickwork made good
Steel beam replacement£2,250–£6,150Propping, removing the failed beam, new steel on proper bearings, approval and making good
Structural calculations for a beam£280–£840Site measure or photos, beam and padstone design and calculations for building control
Temporary works and propping£170–£560Props, spreaders, needles and sole plates for a typical opening, installed and struck

Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South East (+12%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.

Building rules for Bognor Regis

For Bognor Regis, 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

Lintel replacement near Bognor Regis

Local questions answered

Can you work on older or listed homes in Bognor Regis?

Yes. Older homes often have lime mortar, timber lintels or shallow footings, which the engineer allows for. Listed buildings need listed building consent for internal structural changes as well as building regulations approval, and that must be in place first.

What happens at the survey visit in Bognor Regis?

We look at the wall, the floor and ceiling either side and what sits above, measure the opening you want, and note cables, pipes and access for the steel. It usually takes under an hour and there is no charge.

How do I know if my lintel needs replacing?

Look for diagonal cracks rising from the top corners of a window or door, brick courses that dip over the opening, rust staining or flaking on a concrete lintel, and frames that have started to stick. Any of these is worth having checked, as the cause needs confirming on site before a replacement is planned.

How long does lintel replacement take?

Most single openings take one to two working days on site, covering propping, removing the old lintel, fitting the new one and rebuilding the brickwork. Upper-floor lintels needing scaffolding, wide bay windows, and jobs where bricks must be sourced to match can all take longer.

Can a timber lintel in an old house be replaced with steel or concrete?

Yes, where the engineer is satisfied it suits the wall. Timber lintels in older solid-walled homes are often swapped for a steel or concrete alternative that will not rot. The engineer considers how the wall is built, and where lime mortar is present the rebuild uses a compatible mortar.

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.