Steel goalpost frames · Hampshire
Steel goalpost frames in Hampshire
Survey, engineer's design and installation of steel goalpost frames anywhere in Hampshire.
- Itemised written quote
- Beam sized by a structural engineer
- Covering Hampshire and nearby
- 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 Hampshire: how it works
A steel goalpost frame is a beam supported on two steel columns, bolted together into one rigid unit shaped like a goalpost. It is used where the masonry either side of an opening cannot take the beam's load, or where a wide opening leaves little wall to bear on. The columns stand on base plates fixed to concrete pad foundations sized by the engineer.
Looking for steel goalpost frames in Hampshire? Towns we cover include Gosport, Southampton and Andover, among other places in the area. Our teams handle the calculations, the building control approval, the propping and the steel itself, and leave the opening ready for plastering and decoration.
Things to plan for
- A goalpost frame usually takes longer than a single beam because the pads need digging, inspecting, pouring and time to gain strength before the columns take load. The engineer sets when the frame can be loaded.
- Each column usually needs its own concrete pad foundation, because a column delivers a heavy point load that an ordinary floor slab or old strip footing may not take. The engineer sets the pad size and depth from the load and the ground conditions found.
- A goalpost frame differs from a simple beam because the beam does not rely on the walls at its ends. The two columns and the beam are connected so the whole frame carries the load down into foundations of its own.
- Keep the engineer's calculations, the frame drawings and the building control completion certificate together. They show a future buyer's surveyor how the opening is supported and save questions about the columns when the house is sold.
- While the old wall or piers come out, the floor, walls and roof above are held on props and needles. These stay in until the frame is fully bolted, levelled and packed, so the structure is never left without support.
From survey to sign-off in Hampshire
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.
Design and price
Calculations come back from the engineer and we confirm your fixed written price, line by line.
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.
Fit, inspect, finish
The work is propped and the steel installed and packed tight. After inspection the opening is boxed, plastered and left clean.
Guide prices for steel goalpost frames in Hampshire
As a guide, budget £2,250–£6,700 including VAT for steel goalpost frame in Hampshire, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South East (+12%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Steel goalpost frame | £2,250–£6,700 | Two posts and a beam bolted as a frame, pad foundations, base plates and fitting |
| Rear wall opening for bi-fold or sliding doors | £2,800–£7,850 | External wall opened up to about 5 m with steel, propping, cavity tray and making good (doors supplied separately) |
| Structural calculations for a beam | £280–£840 | Site measure or photos, beam and padstone design and calculations for building control |
| RSJ supply and fit (single beam) | £900–£2,800 per beam | Beam supplied, delivered, lifted and packed on padstones, with propping (calculations and approval priced separately) |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South East (+12%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Approvals in Hampshire
For Hampshire, 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.
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.
Questions about steel goalpost frames in Hampshire
Which towns in Hampshire do you cover?
We cover towns including Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke and Gosport, plus the villages and smaller towns around them.
Do I need a party wall agreement for steel goalpost frames in Hampshire?
Yes, if the beam bears into a shared wall: the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England and Wales, and a party structure notice must be served at least two months before that work starts. We arrange it through a party wall surveyor.
Are goalpost frames welded or bolted?
Most domestic goalposts are bolted, with plates welded to the beam and columns in the fabrication shop and bolted together on site. That lets each piece be carried into the house separately. The engineer specifies the connection details, including whether the joints need to resist sway, and the fabricator makes the frame to suit.
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.
What is the difference between a goalpost and a portal frame?
A domestic goalpost is a simple version of a portal frame. Both use columns and a beam joined together, but a full portal frame has rigid joints designed to resist sideways loads on its own, as used in steel-framed industrial buildings. In a house, the engineer decides how rigid the goalpost joints need to be for that opening.
Can a goalpost frame be hidden?
Usually, yes. The columns can be boxed in with fire-rated plasterboard so they read as small piers, set inside new walls, or hidden within the line of an extension's side walls. The beam is boxed like any other steel. Some owners prefer to leave the frame exposed and painted as a design feature.
What happens at the survey visit in Hampshire?
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.