Wall Removal for a Victorian Terrace in Leicester — What It Costs and How It Works
Service: Wall Removal Calculations · Location: Leicester · Cost: £450
The problem
The homeowners wanted to open up the kitchen and dining room of their 1930s semi-detached house in Leicester to create a single open-plan living space. The wall between the two rooms was load-bearing — supporting the first floor above. Before any structural work could begin, they needed a structural engineer to assess the wall, design a suitable steel beam and provide Building Control-ready calculations and drawings.
What we did
We visited the property and confirmed the wall was load-bearing by checking the floor joist direction above and the foundation layout. We calculated the loads from the floor and roof structure bearing onto the wall, then designed a 178×102×19 UB (Universal Beam) steel section to span the full opening. We produced padstone calculations for the bearing points on each side of the opening and issued a Building Control-ready pack including structural calculations, annotated drawings and a specification note for the builder.
The full calculation pack was issued within five working days of the site visit.
The cost
The project was priced at £450 — our fixed price for wall removal calculations involving one wall and a single beam. This covered the site visit, all structural calculations, padstone design and the Building Control-ready drawing pack. There were no additional charges.
The outcome
Building Control approved the submission on the first review with no requests for additional information. The builder carried out the wall removal and steel beam installation in a single day. The homeowners now have the open-plan kitchen and dining room they planned, and the structural work is signed off.