Temporary works & propping · Reading
Temporary works & propping in Reading
Steelwork, approvals and making good for temporary works & propping in Reading and nearby.
- Itemised written quote
- Beam sized by a structural engineer
- Covering Reading and nearby
- Free survey visit
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control handled
- Fixed written price once scope is agreed
- England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI
Temporary works & propping in Reading: how it works
For homes in Reading and the RG1, RG2, RG4, RG30 and RG31 districts, we handle temporary works & propping from survey to sign-off. The wider Berkshire area is covered as well. The beam is sized by a structural engineer and inspected before it is boxed in.
The moment a load-bearing wall is cut, whatever it was holding needs another route to the ground. Temporary works provide that route. Done well, nothing above moves, ceilings stay intact and the floor below is not overloaded. Done badly, it is where structural work goes wrong.
Worth knowing before you start
- In the UK, temporary works are generally managed following BS 5975, the code of practice for temporary works procedures. On bigger jobs that means a named coordinator, a written design and checks before props are loaded or taken out.
- Typical mistakes include props standing on unsupported floorboards, missing spreaders so one joist takes all the load, and props wound up too hard so the ceiling lifts and cracks. Careful setting out and gradual tightening avoid all three.
- Props and needles cannot go where pipes, cables or flues run. Their positions are checked against services before any holes are cut, and anything in the way is isolated or rerouted first by the appropriate trade.
- Needle holes leave neat square gaps in the wall above the new beam. Once the props are out, these are filled with brick or block and mortar, then plastered over with the rest of the making good.
- Props take up floor space for the length of the job, usually in the rooms on both sides of the wall. Furniture needs moving back, and nobody else in the house should knock, adjust or hang anything from the props.
What happens, step by step
Survey in Reading
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.
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.
Building control
We submit a building notice or full plans application to Reading Borough Council, so approval is in place before the wall is touched.
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.
Guide prices for temporary works & propping in Reading
As a guide, budget £170–£560 including VAT for temporary works and propping in Reading, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the South East (+12%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary works and propping | £170–£560 | Props, spreaders, needles and sole plates for a typical opening, installed and struck |
| Party wall surveyor (agreed surveyor, per neighbour) | £1,000–£2,250 per neighbour | Schedule of condition and award where a neighbour dissents; serving notice alone, where the neighbour consents, costs far less (England and Wales only) |
| Chimney breast removal (ground floor) | £1,700–£3,350 | Ground-floor breast removed, steel to support the breast above, building control and making good |
| Lintel replacement | £450–£1,340 per lintel | Propping, removing the old lintel, new lintel set on beds and brickwork made good |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South East (+12%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Building control and neighbours in Reading
Structural openings in English homes need building regulations approval before work starts. Reading Borough Council can deal with it, or you can use a registered building control approver. Either way the steel is inspected before it is covered, and a completion certificate is issued at the end. Keep it safe for when you sell.
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.
Temporary works & propping near Reading
- Lower Earley 3.0 mi
- Wokingham 6.6 mi
- Crowthorne 9.7 mi
- Yateley 9.9 mi
- Bracknell 9.9 mi
- Sandhurst 11.0 mi
Questions about temporary works & propping in Reading
Do you cover Reading for temporary works & propping?
Yes. We carry out temporary works & propping in Reading and the RG1, RG2, RG4, RG30 and RG31 postcode districts. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.
Can you work on older or listed homes in Reading?
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.
What if props need to go on my neighbour's side of the wall?
Then their agreement is needed first. Where needles pass through a party wall, props may have to stand on the neighbour's side, and in England and Wales that work is normally covered by party wall notices served before work starts. We arrange notices through a party wall surveyor where they are required.
Can props damage my floor?
They can if they are set up carelessly. Each prop concentrates load on a small area, so sole plates or boards are used to spread it, and on suspended timber floors props may be carried through to the ground below. Floor coverings are protected with boards and sheeting before any prop goes in.
Does temporary propping need building control approval?
Not on its own, but the structural work it supports usually does. Removing a load-bearing wall or inserting a beam needs building regulations approval in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and a building warrant in Scotland. The propping arrangement normally forms part of the engineer's calculations sent with that application.