Steel BeamInstallers
Rear extension under construction with a steel beam over the opening into the house

Rear extension steels · Leytonstone

Rear extension steels in Leytonstone

Rear extension steels in Leytonstone, from free survey to completion certificate.

  • Survey, design and installation in one
  • Covering E7, E10, E11
  • Inspected before it is covered

Free survey in Leytonstone

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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

About our rear extension steels service in Leytonstone

Planning rear extension steels in Leytonstone? Our team covers E7, E10, E11, E12 and E15 and the streets around them. We also cover the surrounding towns and villages in London. You get one written quote for the calculations, approvals, propping, steel and making good.

Building a rear extension is only half of the open-plan result. The original back wall still holds up the first floor and the rear wall of the bedrooms above, so opening it needs steel. Depending on the width and what is left to bear on, that could be a single beam on padstones, a beam on columns, or a full goalpost frame.

Key points for your project

  • In terraced and semi-detached houses one end of the beam often bears into the party wall. In England and Wales that is notifiable under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, and the extension's own foundations near the boundary may need notices as well.
  • Opening the rear wall is usually the dustiest stage of an extension project. The work face is sheeted off from the rest of the house, and the kitchen is often out of use for a few days while the opening is formed and the steel goes in.
  • Columns carry concentrated loads, so each normally sits on a pad foundation designed by the engineer. Digging these inside an existing kitchen or through a solid concrete floor takes planning, especially where drains run close to the back wall.
  • Where the extension ceiling and the house ceiling should run through at one level, the steel may need setting higher into the floor zone or tying in with the extension roof structure. That choice changes the steel design, so it is settled before calculations.
  • Soil stacks, waste pipes, boiler flues and gas meters are often fixed to the back wall. These are moved before the wall opens, and any work on gas pipework must by law be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Four stages, one team

  1. Free visit

    A short visit to Leytonstone 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.

Guide prices for rear extension steels in Leytonstone

As a guide, budget £3,200–£8,950 including VAT for opening into a rear extension in Leytonstone, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for London prices (+28%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
Opening into a rear extension£3,200–£8,950Original rear wall removed with a beam or goalpost, approvals and propping, coordinated with the extension build
Steel goalpost frame£2,550–£7,700Two posts and a beam bolted as a frame, pad foundations, base plates and fitting
Party wall surveyor (agreed surveyor, per neighbour)£1,150–£2,550 per neighbourSchedule of condition and award where a neighbour dissents; serving notice alone, where the neighbour consents, costs far less (England and Wales only)
Rear wall opening for bi-fold or sliding doors£3,200–£8,950External wall opened up to about 5 m with steel, propping, cavity tray and making good (doors supplied separately)

Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for London prices (+28%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.

Building rules for Leytonstone

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

Rear extension steels near Leytonstone

Rear extension steels in Leytonstone: your questions

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

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.

Do you also work near Leytonstone?

Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Walthamstow, Stratford, Ilford and Woodford Green.

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.

Is the steel included in the extension's building regulations?

Yes. The steelwork is part of the extension, so the engineer's calculations go to building control with the extension application and the steel is inspected before it is covered. The completion certificate issued for the extension then covers the structural work to the rear wall.

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.

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.