Steel BeamInstallers
Two installers seen from behind lifting a steel beam onto a padstone

RSJ installation · Exmouth

RSJ installation in Exmouth

RSJ installation in Exmouth, from free survey to completion certificate.

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

Free survey in Exmouth

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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 RSJ installation service in Exmouth

Need RSJ installation in Exmouth? It sits about 9.2 miles from Exeter, which we also cover. We survey the property, arrange the engineer's design, deal with local building control, fit the steel and make good, all under one quote for EX8 addresses.

We supply and fit the steel from start to finish. That includes arranging the calculations, having the beam fabricated with the right end plates, holes and primer, getting it into the property, setting it on its bearings, and packing it so it takes the load. Building control, propping and making good sit in the same itemised quote.

Worth knowing before you start

  • The engineer chooses the section type for the job. Universal beams suit most spans, universal columns are stockier and used as posts or where depth is limited, parallel flange channels fit against walls or timbers, and box sections suit slim or exposed members.
  • Steel for internal use is normally delivered with a primer coat to protect it during installation. Beams in damp positions, within external walls or exposed outside need a more robust coating or galvanising, as the engineer specifies.
  • Heavy steels are raised with suitable lifting equipment rather than by hand alone. Manual handling is planned so nobody carries more than is safe, and the lift is coordinated so the beam goes up level onto both bearings together.
  • If you already hold calculations from an architect or engineer, we install to those. Where something on site differs from the drawing, such as a weaker wall or a different joist direction, the engineer is asked to confirm before work carries on.
  • Delivery can make or break an RSJ job. A long beam has to turn through a front door, along a hallway and past the stairs, so routes are measured at the survey and alternatives such as a window opening are planned early.

Four stages, one team

  1. Free visit

    A short visit to Exmouth 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 RSJ installation in Exmouth

As a guide, budget £820–£2,580 per beam including VAT for rSJ supply and fit (single beam) in Exmouth, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South West (+3%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
RSJ supply and fit (single beam)£820–£2,580 per beamBeam supplied, delivered, lifted and packed on padstones, with propping (calculations and approval priced separately)
Load-bearing wall removal with steel beam£2,050–£5,150Typical internal wall up to about 4 m: calculations, building control, propping, steel, padstones, fitting, fire protection and making good
Structural calculations for a beam£260–£770Site measure or photos, beam and padstone design and calculations for building control
Temporary works and propping£150–£520Props, spreaders, needles and sole plates for a typical opening, installed and struck

Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South West (+3%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.

Building rules for Exmouth

In England, taking out a load-bearing wall or putting in a beam is building work under the Building Regulations 2010. It needs approval from building control, either the local council's building control team or a registered building control approver, through a full plans application or a building notice. Part A covers the structure and Part B covers fire safety, which is why steel in homes is usually fire protected.

Terraced and semi-detached homes often need party wall notices, because cutting into a shared wall to take a beam end is notifiable under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Allow at least two months for the notice period unless your neighbour agrees sooner.

Building rules in England

RSJ installation near Exmouth

Local questions answered

Who approves RSJ installation in Exmouth?

Structural work in Exmouth 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.

Do you cover Exmouth for RSJ installation?

Yes. We carry out RSJ installation in Exmouth and the EX8 postcode districts. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.

How is an RSJ installed?

The structure above is propped, the wall or opening is prepared, and padstones are bedded at each end. The beam is lifted onto them, bolted where needed and packed with shims and dry-pack. Props come out once it is carrying, building control inspects it, and the steel is then fire protected and finished.

Who decides what size RSJ I need?

A structural engineer. The size depends on the span, the loads from floors, walls and roof above, how stiff the beam needs to be and how its ends are supported. We arrange calculations from a qualified engineer, or fit to calculations you already have, rather than guessing a size.

What does RSJ stand for?

RSJ stands for rolled steel joist. It was the name for a hot-rolled I-shaped steel section with tapered flanges, and it is still used loosely for any steel beam in a house. Most steels fitted in homes today are universal beams, which do the same job with parallel flanges.

Do you also work near Exmouth?

Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Heavitree, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Torquay.

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.