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

Rear extension steels · South Croydon

Rear extension steels in South Croydon

Rear extension steels for homes in CR0, CR2, CR7, designed by a structural engineer.

  • Survey, design and installation in one
  • Covering CR0, CR2, CR7
  • Inspected before it is covered

Free survey in South Croydon

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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

Rear extension steels in South Croydon: how it works

If you live in South Croydon, rear extension steels can usually be planned and priced after a single survey visit. The wider London area is covered as well. We cover CR0, CR2, CR7, CR8 and CR9, and we fix the price in writing once the layout and scope are agreed.

We work alongside your builder or as the steel package within the wider build. We arrange the engineer's design, coordinate building control, prop and open the rear wall at the right stage of the programme, and fit and pack the steels so the extension can be finished around them.

What to expect

  • The original rear wall of most houses is load-bearing because it supports first-floor joists and the bedroom wall above. Even where the joists run parallel to it, the masonry overhead still needs carrying, so steel is almost always part of opening it up.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

How the job runs in South Croydon

  1. Survey in South Croydon

    We visit, look at the wall and what sits above it, measure the opening and note services, access and how the steel can be brought in.

  2. Engineer's design

    A structural engineer sizes the beam, padstones and any posts, and sets out the temporary support needed while the wall is out.

  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. Install and sign-off

    Props go in, the opening is formed, the steel is set and packed, building control inspects it, and we make good.

What do rear extension steels cost in South Croydon?

As a guide, budget £3,200–£8,950 including VAT for opening into a rear extension in South Croydon, 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
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)
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)
Side return extension steelwork£4,500–£10,900Beams and posts along the old side wall line, propping and approvals (extension build extra)

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

Approvals in South Croydon

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 South Croydon

Questions about rear extension steels in South Croydon

Who approves rear extension steels in South Croydon?

Structural work in South Croydon 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.

How soon can rear extension steels start in South Croydon?

Start dates depend on the engineer's calculations, the building control approval and, where needed, party wall notice periods. We give you a realistic timetable after the survey and keep you updated as each approval comes through.

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.

Can I use my own builder for the extension and you for the steels?

Yes. We can supply and fit the steel package while another builder handles the extension shell and finishes. Dates are agreed with them so the rear wall is opened at the right stage, and the engineer's details are shared so levels, padstones and foundations line up.

How wide can a rear extension opening be?

There is no fixed limit, and openings across the full width of a house are common with the right steel. The engineer sizes the beam or frame for the span and the loads above. Wider spans need deeper or heavier steel and possibly columns, which affects headroom and cost.

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.