Structural Alterations
Structural Alterations Across the North East
Andy’s Building and Bricklaying Services carries out structural alterations across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and south east Northumberland, working from a base in Blaydon-on-Tyne. Over 25 years of hands on building experience, a written quote before anything starts, and the regulations dealt with rather than dodged.
Call 07854 366464Get a Free QuoteWhat structural alterations involves
This is the one category where there is no grey area. Removing or altering a load bearing element is notifiable building work every time, needs structural calculations from an engineer, and needs building control sign off. Anyone offering to do it without either is a problem, not a bargain.
Structural Alterations
Our structural alterations include
- Load bearing wall removal: temporary support, beam installation and permanent works to the engineer specification
- RSJ and steel beam installation: padstones, bearings and fire protection detailed as the calculations require
- Open plan conversions: combining kitchen, dining and living space where the structure allows
- Doorway and opening widening: new lintels and made good openings in load bearing and non load bearing walls
- Support steelwork: goalpost frames and columns where a wall cannot simply be beamed over
- Underpinning and foundation support: where existing foundations need strengthening before other work proceeds
- Temporary works: propping designed and installed properly, not improvised on the day
- Building control coordination: stage inspections booked and attended through to sign off
Regulations
Planning and building control for structural alterations
The North East is not one authority. Our working area covers 7 building control bodies: Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, Northumberland County Council, South Tyneside Council, Sunderland City Council. Each has its own guidance, its own fee scale and its own inspectors, and which one applies is set by the address rather than by the postal town, which is why people in places like Washington, Houghton-le-Spring and Birtley are so often pointed at the wrong council.
This is the one category where there is no grey area. Removing or altering a load bearing element is notifiable building work every time, needs structural calculations from an engineer, and needs building control sign off. Anyone offering to do it without either is a problem, not a bargain. We establish which authority applies and what it will require before a design is finalised, rather than after it has been drawn twice.
Where the ground is part of the question, and across the old Durham and Northumberland coalfield it very often is, a coal mining risk assessment may be needed alongside the application. We flag that at quoting stage so it is a known cost rather than a surprise once the trench is open.
Recent work
Our Approach
How we work
Site visit first
Every job starts with a proper look at the property. Quoting from a description alone is how a figure ends up changing halfway through.
A written quote
You get a written, no obligation quote that states the scope. If something is excluded, it says so rather than leaving it to be argued about later.
Regulations handled
This is the one category where there is no grey area. Removing or altering a load bearing element is notifiable building work every time, needs structural calculations from an engineer, and needs building control sign off. Anyone offering to do it without either is a problem, not a bargain.
Kept informed
We keep you updated as the work goes on rather than disappearing for a week. It is the least complicated part of building work and the part most often done badly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Structural Alterations: your questions
Do I need building regulations approval to remove a wall?
If the wall is load bearing, yes, without exception. The work needs structural calculations from an engineer and a building control application, and the completion certificate is what a future buyer solicitor will ask to see.
What is a padstone and why does it matter?
It is the concrete or high strength block the end of the beam bears onto, spreading the load into the wall below. Sizing it correctly is part of the engineer calculation and it is not a detail to improvise on.
Can I stay in the house while the work is done?
Usually yes, though the day the wall actually comes out is disruptive and noisy. We tell you which day that will be so you can plan around it.
How much mess does this create?
A meaningful amount, which is why we sheet up, isolate the working area and remove waste as we go. There is no way to make a structural opening dust free, but there is a difference between contained and uncontrolled.
Does the steel need fire protection?
In most domestic situations exposed steel needs protection to achieve the required fire resistance, normally through boarding or plaster encasement, and building control will check it.
How do I know if a wall is load bearing?
Wall thickness, what sits directly above it, the direction the floor joists run and the age and type of construction all give an indication. We check on site, and where there is any doubt the structural engineer confirms it before anything is cut.
Will you make good the ceilings and walls afterwards?
Yes. Making good is part of the quote rather than a separate job you are left to arrange.
How long does removing an internal wall take?
A single opening with one beam is often a few days on site. Larger openings, two beams or a goalpost frame take longer, and the making good and plastering afterwards add to that.
Which councils do you work under for structural alterations?
We work across seven building control authorities: Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, Northumberland County Council, South Tyneside Council, Sunderland City Council. Each publishes its own guidance and fee scale, and the one that applies is decided by the address rather than the postal town.
Which areas do you cover for structural alterations?
We cover 32 towns and villages across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and south east Northumberland, from our base in Blaydon-on-Tyne. Every one of them has its own page setting out the local planning and ground picture.
Structural Alterations in your area
Every town below has its own page covering the local authority, the ground and the housing stock.
Our other building services
We are a general building firm, so most projects touch more than one of these.
Thinking about structural alterations?
Tell us what you are planning and we will arrange a look at the property. You get a written, no obligation quote for structural alterations across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland, and an honest answer about what the regulations will actually require.
Call 07854 366464Request a Quote