Steel BeamInstallers
Steel column with a bolted base plate on a concrete pad supporting a beam

Steel columns & posts · Edmonton

Steel columns & posts in Edmonton

Steel columns & posts for homes in E4, EN1, EN3, designed by a structural engineer.

  • Itemised written quote
  • Beam sized by a structural engineer
  • Covering Edmonton and nearby

Free survey in Edmonton

Tell us about the steel columns & post job in Edmonton.

Please enter your name.
Please enter a UK phone number.
Please enter a valid email.
Please enter a UK postcode.
Please tell us a little about the job.
  • Free survey visit
  • Engineer's calculations arranged
  • Building control handled
  • Fixed written price once scope is agreed
  • England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI

Steel columns & posts in Edmonton: how it works

Edmonton has a mix of housing, and steel columns & posts need a slightly different approach in each. Our coverage runs across London, so nearby villages are included too. Whatever the age of the property, the steel goes in on proper bearings with temporary support in place throughout.

We arrange the engineer's design, building control, the pad foundation, propping, supply and fixing of the column, and the boxing or finishing afterwards. You receive an itemised written quote, and the price is fixed in writing once the position, specification and scope are agreed.

Worth knowing before you start

  • Older properties sometimes have cast iron columns, timber posts or brick piers doing this job, especially in cellars and former shops. Their condition and capacity are often unknown, so the engineer assesses whether they can stay or need replacing with new steel.
  • Exposed columns are commonly protected with intumescent paint applied to the thickness the specification calls for, which keeps a slim profile. Boxed columns are clad in fire-rated plasterboard and finished with corner beads, skim and a skirting to match the room.
  • Adding a structural column is building work that building control needs to approve, with the pad usually inspected before concrete and the column before it is covered. The completion certificate at the end is the record to keep for any future sale.
  • A post is needed when a beam has nothing adequate to bear on, or when a span is long enough that a central support gives a shallower, lighter beam. The engineer weighs up a column against a deeper beam for each layout.
  • While the existing support is removed or the new column goes in, props hold the beam and the structure above. They are only taken out once the column is fixed, packed tight at the head and grouted at the base.

How the job runs in Edmonton

  1. Free visit

    A short visit to Edmonton 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.

How much should I budget in Edmonton?

As a guide, budget £640–£1,920 per column including VAT for steel column or post in Edmonton, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for London prices (+28%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
Steel column or post£640–£1,920 per columnColumn supplied and fitted with base and cap plates on a pad foundation
Kitchen-diner knock-through£3,200–£7,700Internal structural wall between kitchen and dining room, steel beam, approvals and making good (kitchen fitting extra)
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)
Structural calculations for a beam£320–£960Site measure or photos, beam and padstone design and calculations for building control

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

Building rules for Edmonton

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

Steel columns & posts near Edmonton

Questions about steel columns & posts in Edmonton

Can you work on older or listed homes in Edmonton?

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.

Who approves steel columns & posts in Edmonton?

Structural work in Edmonton 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 long does it take to fit a steel post?

The column itself can often be fixed in a day, but the whole job usually spans a few working days. The floor is cut and the pad dug, building control inspects it, the concrete is poured and left to cure, and then the column goes in and is packed tight to the beam.

Can a steel post replace a supporting wall?

Yes, in many layouts a wall can come out with a beam above it and one or more posts taking the beam's load down to the ground. This keeps most of the openness while shortening the span. The engineer decides how many posts are needed and where they can go.

Will a column interfere with underfloor heating?

It can, because the pad has to be dug through the floor where pipes may run. We trace heating loops, drains and cables before cutting and, where possible, move the column position slightly to miss them. If a loop has to be cut, it is repaired and pressure tested by a heating engineer before the floor is reinstated.

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.