Temporary works & propping · Derby
Temporary works & propping in Derby
Temporary works & propping in Derby, from free survey to completion certificate.
- Price fixed in writing once scope is agreed
- Building control arranged
- Temporary works and making good included
- Free survey visit
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control handled
- Fixed written price once scope is agreed
- England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI
Planning temporary works & propping in Derby
Temporary works & propping in Derby are planned around the house, not a standard kit. The wider Derbyshire area is covered as well. We visit, measure and check what the wall carries, then arrange calculations and building control approval before any steel is ordered.
Propping is included in every structural job we quote, and we can also provide it as a separate service where a wall, lintel or chimney needs supporting while other work goes on. The layout of props, needles and spreaders follows the engineer's calculations or a temporary works design for the job.
What to expect
- 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.
- 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.
- Adjustable steel props are the workhorse, with timber spreaders on top to share the load across several joists. Steel needles pass through the wall to carry masonry above an opening, and prop head attachments known as masonry support heads support brickwork without needles.
- 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.
- 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.
What happens, step by step
Free visit
A short visit to Derby to see the job, agree what you want and check the bearings, floors and services that affect the design.
Calculations
The engineer's calculations and a simple drawing are prepared for your opening and shared with you before anything is ordered.
Building control
We submit a building notice or full plans application to Derby City Council, so approval is in place before the wall is touched.
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.
Guide prices for temporary works & propping in Derby
As a guide, budget £150–£490 including VAT for temporary works and propping in Derby, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the East Midlands (-2%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary works and propping | £150–£490 | Props, spreaders, needles and sole plates for a typical opening, installed and struck |
| Party wall surveyor (agreed surveyor, per neighbour) | £880–£1,960 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) |
| Lintel replacement | £390–£1,180 per lintel | Propping, removing the old lintel, new lintel set on beds and brickwork made good |
| RSJ supply and fit (single beam) | £780–£2,450 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 East Midlands (-2%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Approvals in Derby
Structural openings in English homes need building regulations approval before work starts. Derby City 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 Derby
- Belper 6.9 mi
- Ilkeston 7.7 mi
- Heanor 8.1 mi
- Ripley 8.3 mi
- Long Eaton 8.7 mi
- Burton upon Trent 10.6 mi
Temporary works & propping in Derby: your questions
Do you cover Derby for temporary works & propping?
Yes. We carry out temporary works & propping in Derby and the DE1, DE3, DE21, DE22 and DE23 postcode districts. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.
Do I need a party wall agreement for temporary works & propping in Derby?
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.
Do I need a temporary works design for my job?
Not always. For a simple single opening, the propping shown in the engineer's calculations is often enough. Bigger or more complex jobs, such as removing several walls, supporting chimney stacks or replacing a shopfront beam, may need a separate temporary works design from an engineer, following the BS 5975 approach.
Can I stay in my house while it is propped?
Usually, yes. The props take up space in the rooms either side of the work, so those rooms will be out of use, but the rest of the house can be lived in as normal. The props must never be moved, knocked or adjusted by anyone other than the installation team.
What is needling a wall?
Needling means cutting holes through a wall just above where an opening will go and passing short steel beams, called needles, through them. Each needle is supported on props on both sides, so the masonry above rests on the needles while the wall below is removed and the permanent beam is fitted.
Can you work on older or listed homes in Derby?
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.