Temporary works & propping · Tyne and Wear
Temporary works & propping in Tyne and Wear
Temporary works & propping across Tyne and Wear, designed by a structural engineer and signed off by building control.
- 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 Tyne and Wear
Temporary works and propping are the short-term supports that carry floors, walls and roof loads while a structural wall is taken out or a beam is put in. Adjustable steel props, timber spreaders and steel needles pass the weight safely down to the ground until the permanent steel is installed, packed tight and able to take the load itself.
Looking for temporary works & propping in Tyne and Wear? We can survey in places such as Whitley Bay, Gateshead and Felling and the villages around them. Our teams handle the calculations, the building control approval, the propping and the steel itself, and leave the opening ready for plastering and decoration.
Worth knowing before you start
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
What happens, step by step
Survey in Tyne and Wear
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.
How much should I budget in Tyne and Wear?
As a guide, budget £140–£460 including VAT for temporary works and propping in Tyne and Wear, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the North East (-7%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary works and propping | £140–£460 | Props, spreaders, needles and sole plates for a typical opening, installed and struck |
| Lintel replacement | £370–£1,120 per lintel | Propping, removing the old lintel, new lintel set on beds and brickwork made good |
| Load-bearing wall removal with steel beam | £1,850–£4,650 | Typical internal wall up to about 4 m: calculations, building control, propping, steel, padstones, fitting, fire protection and making good |
| RSJ supply and fit (single beam) | £740–£2,320 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 North East (-7%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Building control and neighbours in Tyne and Wear
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.
Questions about temporary works & propping in Tyne and Wear
How soon can temporary works & propping start in Tyne and Wear?
Start dates depend on the engineer's calculations, the building control approval and, where needed, party wall notice periods. We give you a realistic timetable after the survey and keep you updated as each approval comes through.
How much do temporary works & propping cost in Tyne and Wear?
As a guide, budget £140–£460 including VAT for temporary works and propping in Tyne and Wear, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the North East (-7%). 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.
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.
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 hire props and support a wall myself?
Props can be hired, but propping a structure is skilled work with serious consequences if it goes wrong. The arrangement should come from an engineer's design, and the loads, floor strength and sequence all need checking. Structural propping should be left to a competent team working to that design.
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.
Do you cover Tyne and Wear for temporary works & propping?
Yes. We carry out temporary works & propping in Tyne and Wear. Book a free survey visit and we will check the wall, arrange the engineer's calculations and send an itemised written quote.