Steel BeamInstallers
Plasterer seen from behind skimming a newly boxed beam

Plastering & making good · Crawley

Plastering & making good in Crawley

Plastering & making good for homes in RH10, RH11, designed by a structural engineer.

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

Free survey in Crawley

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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

Planning plastering & making good in Crawley

We carry out plastering & making good in Crawley, covering the RH10 and RH11 postcode districts. The wider West Sussex area is covered as well. The job starts with a free survey visit so the engineer's calculations are based on your actual walls, floors and loads.

We make good as the final stage of our structural jobs, and can quote it separately where another firm has fitted the steel. It covers boxing and fire boarding, plastering and skimming, floor infills and skirting, leaving smooth, dry surfaces for your decorator.

Worth knowing before you start

  • Plastering itself is wet rather than dusty, but cutting back old plaster and sanding filler is not. Work areas are sheeted off, floors protected and dust extraction used when cutting, so the mess stays in the room being worked on.
  • The cost depends mainly on the area to repair, the condition of the ceilings, whether period details need matching, and the size of the floor infill. Overboarding a badly damaged ceiling can work out more economical than patching it piece by piece.
  • Fresh plaster has to dry before it is painted. A thin skim over board in a warm, ventilated room often dries within a few days to a week, while backing coats and deeper repairs take longer. Painting too soon can cause peeling and patchy colour.
  • New plaster is very absorbent, so the first coat of emulsion is normally thinned with water as a mist coat to seal it. Skipping this step is a frequent reason paint flakes off fresh plaster within weeks of decorating.
  • A boxed beam usually leaves a downstand below the ceiling line. Where a flat ceiling is wanted, the beam has to be set up into the floor void during installation, so the finish needs deciding before the steel goes in, not after.

From survey to sign-off in Crawley

  1. Free visit

    A short visit to Crawley 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 plastering & making good cost in Crawley?

As a guide, budget £340–£1,340 including VAT for plastering and making good in Crawley, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South East (+12%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
Plastering and making good£340–£1,340Boxing the beam, bead and skim, reveals, floor infill where the wall stood and tidy-up
Fire protection to a steel beam£170–£670 per beamFire-rated board boxing or an intumescent coating system as specified
Through-lounge knock-through£2,800–£6,150Wall between front and back reception rooms, steel beam, approvals, plastering and floor infill
Chimney breast removal (ground floor)£1,700–£3,350Ground-floor breast removed, steel to support the breast above, building control and making good

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 Crawley

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

Plastering & making good near Crawley

Plastering & making good in Crawley: your questions

Do you cover Crawley for plastering & making good?

Yes. We carry out plastering & making good in Crawley and the RH10 and RH11 postcode districts. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.

Do you also work near Crawley?

Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Horley, Horsham, East Grinstead and Reigate.

What happens to the floor where the wall was removed?

The gap left by the wall is filled to match the floor on either side. Suspended timber floors get new joists and boards, solid floors are filled and screeded, and the infill is levelled so carpet, laminate or tiles can run straight across the room without a visible ridge.

Can you match my old textured ceiling?

Often, yes, although a perfect match is hard over large patches. Before anything is touched, a textured coating applied before 2000 is tested for asbestos. Small areas can then be re-textured to blend in, while many people choose to skim the whole ceiling flat for a cleaner, consistent finish.

Do you decorate after making good?

Not usually. Making good leaves surfaces skimmed, dry and ready for paint, with trims refitted, and decoration is normally left to you or your decorator so you can choose colours and finishes yourself. Whoever paints should start with a thinned mist coat on the new plaster before the main coats.

Who approves plastering & making good in Crawley?

Structural work in Crawley needs a building notice or full plans application to the local council's building control team or a registered building control approver. We prepare and submit it with the structural engineer's calculations and arrange the inspections, so the completion paperwork follows the job.

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.