Rear extension steels · Devon
Rear extension steels in Devon
Calculations, approvals, propping, steel and making good for rear extension steels across Devon.
- Itemised written quote
- Beam sized by a structural engineer
- Covering Devon and nearby
- Free survey visit
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control handled
- Fixed written price once scope is agreed
- England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI
About our rear extension steels service in Devon
Rear extension steels are the beams, columns and frames that let the original back wall of a house be opened up into a new extension. Sized by a structural engineer, they pick up the floor, wall and roof loads that the old wall carried and pass them into bearings or foundations, so the new and old spaces join as one open room.
Rear extension steels are one of the most common structural jobs in homes across Devon. We can survey in places such as Tiverton, Bideford and Torquay and the villages around them. Every job starts with a survey visit, then calculations from a structural engineer, so the steel suits the house in front of us rather than a rule of thumb.
Worth knowing before you start
- When bi-fold or sliding doors sit directly beneath the new steel, the beam has to stay stiff enough not to bind the door panels. The engineer sets a tighter deflection limit, which can mean a deeper or heavier section than strength alone would need.
- During the opening, props stand both inside the house and within the extension footprint. Where props bear on a newly laid slab, the propping plan checks that the slab can take those point loads, using spreaders where needed.
- The building control completion certificate for the extension covers the steelwork to the old rear wall. Keep it with the engineer's calculations and drawings, as a buyer's solicitor will expect to see the structural paperwork for the extension.
- The opening is usually formed once the extension walls and roof are up, so the house stays secure and dry. Leaving it too late can hold up plastering and floor screeding, so the steel date is agreed with the builder early on.
- The steelwork forms part of the extension's building regulations approval, and the engineer's calculations go in with it. Planning for the extension itself is separate; many rear extensions to houses in England fall within permitted development, subject to size limits and conditions.
From survey to sign-off in Devon
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.
Design and price
Calculations come back from the engineer and we confirm your fixed written price, line by line.
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.
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 rear extension steels in Devon
As a guide, budget £2,600–£7,200 including VAT for opening into a rear extension in Devon, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South West (+3%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Opening into a rear extension | £2,600–£7,200 | Original rear wall removed with a beam or goalpost, approvals and propping, coordinated with the extension build |
| Steel column or post | £520–£1,540 per column | Column supplied and fitted with base and cap plates on a pad foundation |
| Side return extension steelwork | £3,600–£8,750 | Beams and posts along the old side wall line, propping and approvals (extension build extra) |
| Structural calculations for a beam | £260–£770 | Site measure or photos, beam and padstone design and calculations for building control |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South West (+3%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Building control and neighbours in Devon
For Devon, 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.
Local questions answered
Can you work on older or listed homes in Devon?
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.
Which towns in Devon do you cover?
We cover towns including Plymouth, Exeter, Paignton and Torquay, plus the villages and smaller towns around them.
Will my kitchen be out of action while the rear wall is opened?
For a few days, usually. The kitchen often sits against the rear wall, so units, sinks or appliances near the opening may need disconnecting while the wall is propped and removed. The work area is sheeted off and the rest of the house stays in use.
Can I have a flat ceiling between the house and the extension?
Often, yes, but it depends on the floor depth above and the loads involved. The steel can sometimes be set up into the floor zone so the ceiling runs through level, which usually means more work to the joists. This needs deciding before the engineer designs the steel.
What is a goalpost frame in an extension?
A goalpost frame is two steel columns with a beam across the top, bolted together and standing on their own foundations. It is used where the opening is so wide that little masonry is left to bear on, or where the existing corners cannot take the load. The engineer decides whether one is needed.
Do I need a party wall agreement for extension steels?
In England and Wales, if a beam bears into a wall shared with a neighbour, or the extension foundations are dug close to theirs, notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is usually required. We can arrange the notices through a party wall surveyor. There is no equivalent legislation in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Who approves rear extension steels in Devon?
Structural work in Devon 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.