Steel BeamInstallers
Grey steel goalpost frame installed where a rear wall has been removed

Steel goalpost frames · Leigh

Steel goalpost frames in Leigh

Steel goalpost frames for homes in M29, M46, WN7, designed by a structural engineer.

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

Free survey in Leigh

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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

Steel goalpost frames in Leigh: how it works

We cover steel goalpost frames in Leigh (M29, M46, WN7) and the streets around it. Leigh is around 5.8 miles from Wigan, and we cover both. Each job is designed by a structural engineer and approved through Wigan Council before work begins.

We arrange the engineer's design, building control, the foundation pads, temporary propping and the fabricated frame, then box it in and make good. Everything is set out in one itemised written quote, and the price is fixed in writing once the layout and specification are agreed.

What to expect

  • In older homes with suspended timber ground floors, the column has to pass through the void to reach the pad. Air bricks, joists and the damp-proof course around each column are considered so ventilation and damp protection are not compromised.
  • Price depends on the opening width, the loads the beam carries, the number of bolted connections, the depth of the pads and how easily the steel can be carried in. Any redesign after the ground is opened is priced before it goes ahead.
  • Columns are commonly universal columns or square hollow sections, welded to steel base plates at the foot and cap plates at the head. Holding-down bolts fix the base plates to the pad, and grout fills the gap beneath once the frame is level.
  • Goalpost frames are made to measure, so accurate site dimensions matter. Floor-to-ceiling height, the finished floor level and the width between column positions are taken before fabrication, because a frame that is a few millimetres out cannot simply be trimmed on site.
  • Columns can be boxed in with fire-rated plasterboard to look like small piers, built into new stud walls, or left exposed and painted. Where an extension wall continues past the opening, a column can often sit within it out of sight.

From survey to sign-off in Leigh

  1. Look and measure

    We check the wall, the span you want and what the wall is carrying, and photograph anything the engineer needs to see.

  2. Design and price

    Calculations come back from the engineer and we confirm your fixed written price, line by line.

  3. Building control

    We submit a building notice or full plans application to Wigan Council, so approval is in place before the wall is touched.

  4. Fit, inspect, finish

    The work is propped and the steel installed and packed tight. After inspection the opening is boxed, plastered and left clean.

What do steel goalpost frames cost in Leigh?

As a guide, budget £1,900–£5,750 including VAT for steel goalpost frame in Leigh, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the North West (-4%).

JobTypical guide rangeWhat it usually covers
Steel goalpost frame£1,900–£5,750Two posts and a beam bolted as a frame, pad foundations, base plates and fitting
Steel column or post£480–£1,440 per columnColumn supplied and fitted with base and cap plates on a pad foundation
RSJ supply and fit (single beam)£770–£2,400 per beamBeam supplied, delivered, lifted and packed on padstones, with propping (calculations and approval priced separately)
Side return extension steelwork£3,350–£8,150Beams and posts along the old side wall line, propping and approvals (extension build extra)

Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the North West (-4%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.

Building control and neighbours in Leigh

For Leigh, building control is provided by Wigan Council, 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

Steel goalpost frames near Leigh

Steel goalpost frames in Leigh: your questions

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

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.

How much do steel goalpost frames cost in Leigh?

As a guide, budget £1,900–£5,750 including VAT for steel goalpost frame in Leigh, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the North West (-4%). The exact figure depends on the span, what the wall carries, access and the finish, and is fixed in writing once the scope is agreed.

Is a goalpost frame more expensive than a beam?

Generally yes, because there is more steel, more fabrication and new foundations to dig and pour. Against that, a goalpost can avoid rebuilding weak piers or strengthening walls so they can take a beam. Our itemised written quote shows the frame, pads, propping and making good separately so you can see where the cost sits.

What is a goalpost frame in an extension?

A goalpost frame is a steel beam sitting on two steel columns, bolted together so it stands as one unit. In an extension it is usually placed where the old rear wall was, holding up the house above while leaving a wide, clear opening. The columns rest on concrete pads, so the frame does not depend on the surrounding brickwork.

Does a goalpost frame need foundations?

Yes, in most cases each column needs a concrete pad foundation beneath it. A column concentrates a lot of weight on a small area, and a normal floor slab is rarely designed for that. The engineer sizes each pad, and building control usually inspects the excavation before the concrete goes in.

What happens at the survey visit in Leigh?

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.

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.