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

RSJ installation · Bexley

RSJ installation in Bexley

Steelwork, approvals and making good for RSJ installation in Bexley and nearby.

  • Survey, design and installation in one
  • Covering DA5, DA6, DA7
  • Inspected before it is covered

Free survey in Bexley

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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 RSJ installation in Bexley

RSJ installation in Bexley is planned around the house, not a standard kit. Our coverage runs across London, so nearby villages are included too. We visit, measure and check what the wall carries, then arrange calculations and building control approval before any steel is ordered.

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.

Things to plan for

  • 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.
  • An RSJ inside a home commonly needs 30-minute fire resistance where it supports elements of structure. Fire-rated plasterboard boxing is the usual method, with intumescent paint used when the beam is to remain visible.
  • Structural steel comes in recognised grades, and the engineer's drawing states which grade the calculations assume. The steel supplied matches that specification, and the delivery paperwork is kept so building control can see what has been fitted.
  • 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. Survey in Bexley

    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 does RSJ installation cost in Bexley?

As a guide, budget £1,000–£3,200 per beam including VAT for rSJ supply and fit (single beam) in Bexley, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for London prices (+28%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
RSJ supply and fit (single beam)£1,000–£3,200 per beamBeam supplied, delivered, lifted and packed on padstones, with propping (calculations and approval priced separately)
Steel goalpost frame£2,550–£7,700Two posts and a beam bolted as a frame, pad foundations, base plates and fitting
Fire protection to a steel beam£190–£770 per beamFire-rated board boxing or an intumescent coating system as specified
Steel beam replacement£2,550–£7,050Propping, removing the failed beam, new steel on proper bearings, approval and making good

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

Approvals in Bexley

For Bexley, 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.

Building rules in England

RSJ installation near Bexley

RSJ installation in Bexley: your questions

Do you cover Bexley for RSJ installation?

Yes. We carry out RSJ installation in Bexley and the DA5, DA6, DA7, DA8 and DA14 postcode districts. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.

What happens at the survey visit in Bexley?

We look at the wall, the floor and ceiling either side and what sits above, measure the opening you want, and note cables, pipes and access for the steel. It usually takes under an hour and there is no charge.

Can an RSJ be delivered in sections?

Yes, where access is tight. The engineer can design bolted splice joints so a long beam arrives in two or more pieces and is joined in place. The splice has to be part of the calculations from the start, because it changes how the beam carries load at that point.

What is included in an RSJ supply and fit price?

Our itemised written quote sets out the calculations, building control, steel and fabrication, delivery, lifting, padstones, propping, labour, fire protection and making good as separate lines. Once the specification and scope are agreed, the price is fixed in writing, so you know the full cost before work starts.

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 Bexley?

Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Welling, Dartford, Swanley and Eltham.

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.