Temporary works & propping · Faversham
Temporary works & propping in Faversham
Temporary works & propping for homes in ME13, designed by a structural engineer.
- 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
What temporary works & propping involve in Faversham
Our temporary works & propping service in Faversham covers everything from the first visit to the completion paperwork. The wider Kent area is covered as well. Postcode districts we cover here include ME13.
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.
Worth knowing before you start
- For simple openings, the engineer's calculations usually show the propping arrangement. Larger or unusual jobs, such as removing several walls or working beneath chimney stacks, may need a separate temporary works design prepared by an engineer.
- 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.
- 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.
- Every prop delivers a concentrated load that has to go somewhere. Before any are set up, the floor beneath is checked, because a suspended timber floor or a thin slab may not take that load without extra support carried down to the ground.
- In older homes with lime mortar and soft bricks, the masonry above an opening can loosen once it is cut. The engineer may call for closer needle spacing or fuller support, because old walls can arch or drop in ways a modern wall does not.
Four stages, one team
Survey in Faversham
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 the local council's building control team, 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.
What do temporary works & propping cost in Faversham?
As a guide, budget £170–£560 including VAT for temporary works and propping in Faversham, 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 |
| Lintel replacement | £450–£1,340 per lintel | Propping, removing the old lintel, new lintel set on beds and brickwork made good |
| Load-bearing wall removal with steel beam | £2,250–£5,600 | Typical internal wall up to about 4 m: calculations, building control, propping, steel, padstones, fitting, fire protection and making good |
| Chimney breast removal (ground floor) | £1,700–£3,350 | Ground-floor breast removed, steel to support the breast above, building control and making good |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in the South East (+12%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Building rules for Faversham
Structural openings in English homes need building regulations approval before work starts. The local council's building control team 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 Faversham
- Whitstable 6.7 mi
- Sittingbourne 7.0 mi
- Canterbury 8.6 mi
- Herne Bay 11.1 mi
- Ashford 11.6 mi
- Gillingham 15.5 mi
Temporary works & propping in Faversham: your questions
Do you also work near Faversham?
Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Whitstable, Sittingbourne, Canterbury and Herne Bay.
Do I need a party wall agreement for temporary works & propping in Faversham?
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.
Why do you need props to remove a wall?
Because the wall is holding up weight that still has to be supported while it is gone. Props and needles carry the floors, walls or roof above down to the ground until the new steel beam is fitted, packed and taking the load. Without them, the structure above could drop, crack or, at worst, collapse.
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.
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.