Wider doorways & openings · Lichfield
Wider doorways & openings in Lichfield
Wider doorways & openings in Lichfield, from free survey to completion certificate.
- Survey, design and installation in one
- Covering WS13, WS14
- Inspected before it is covered
- Free survey visit
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control handled
- Fixed written price once scope is agreed
- England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI
About our wider doorways & openings service in Lichfield
We cover wider doorways & openings in Lichfield (WS13, WS14) and the streets around it. It sits about 7.9 miles from Sutton Coldfield, which we also cover. Each job is designed by a structural engineer and approved through local building control before work begins.
We arrange a survey visit, structural calculations where the wall is load-bearing, building control, propping, the lintel or beam, new door linings if you want them, and making good. One itemised written quote covers the lot, and the price is fixed in writing once the opening size and finish are agreed.
Worth knowing before you start
- Widening doorways is a frequent adaptation for wheelchair users and people using walking frames. Where a council grant or adaptation scheme is helping to pay, check its requirements for clear opening width before the opening is designed.
- When an opening widens, the old threshold strip and floor finishes often stop short. Carpet, boards or tiles need joining neatly across the new width, and a change in floor height between rooms may need a threshold bar or a gentle ramp.
- Light switches, sockets and cables often sit right beside a doorway. These are moved before cutting, and any electrical alterations in England must comply with Part P of the building regulations where they are notifiable.
- The main cost factors are whether the wall is structural, the width of the opening, what the support bears onto, how much electrical or heating work has to move, and whether you want new door linings and doors fitted as part of the job.
- Widening a single doorway in a load-bearing wall usually takes one to two days for the structural work. The plaster then needs time to dry before the door linings are decorated or a new door is hung.
What happens, step by step
Free visit
A short visit to Lichfield 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 the local council's building control team, 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 wider doorways & openings in Lichfield
As a guide, budget £1,000–£2,500 including VAT for widening an internal doorway in Lichfield, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in the West Midlands (no adjustment).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Widening an internal doorway | £1,000–£2,500 | Opening widened with a new lintel or short beam, approval where structural, and making good |
| RSJ supply and fit (single beam) | £800–£2,500 per beam | Beam supplied, delivered, lifted and packed on padstones, with propping (calculations and approval priced separately) |
| Structural calculations for a beam | £250–£750 | Site measure or photos, beam and padstone design and calculations for building control |
| Lintel replacement | £400–£1,200 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 West Midlands (no adjustment) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Building control and neighbours in Lichfield
In England, taking out a load-bearing wall or putting in a beam is building work under the Building Regulations 2010. It needs approval from building control, either the local council's building control team or a registered building control approver, through a full plans application or a building notice. Part A covers the structure and Part B covers fire safety, which is why steel in homes is usually fire protected.
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 wider doorways & openings in Lichfield
Do you cover Lichfield for wider doorways & openings?
Yes. We carry out wider doorways & openings in Lichfield and the WS13 and WS14 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 I stay at home while the work is done in Lichfield?
Usually, yes. The work area is screened and floors are protected. The rooms either side of the opening are out of action for a few days, and there is some noise and dust while the masonry comes out.
What if there is a radiator or switch where the new opening goes?
It gets moved before the opening is cut. Radiators and pipework are relocated by a heating engineer, and switches and sockets by an electrician, with notifiable electrical work in England meeting Part P. These items are priced separately in the quote, so you can see what each one adds.
How long does it take to widen a doorway?
The structural part usually takes one to two working days: propping, cutting the opening, fitting the lintel or beam and packing it. Plastering follows, then a few days of drying before linings are painted or a new door is hung. Building control inspection fits in once the support is in place.
Can I move a doorway to a different position?
Usually, yes. The old doorway is blocked up and a new opening is formed with the support the engineer specifies, and both changes are dealt with together for building control if the wall is structural. Moving a door can release wall space for furniture or a better kitchen or bedroom layout.
Do you also work near Lichfield?
Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Burntwood, Tamworth, Aldridge and Rugeley.