Knock-throughs, RSJ installations and structural openings across Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Engineer's calcs, building control, steelwork, propping and making-good — delivered under a single contract.
Most of our kitchen and extension projects hinge on a structural alteration somewhere — a knock-through between kitchen and dining, a goal-post steel for the full rear extension, a removed chimney breast on the first floor. We\'ve done enough of them that the engineer, the steel supplier and the building control officer we work with are all on a first-name basis.
Whether it\'s a single RSJ above a reformation opening or a pair of spanning beams across a wide rear extension, the calculations, the steel order, the propping, the install and the making-good come from one team.
The structural-alteration process has a lot of moving parts — engineer, building control, steel supplier, propping, plastering. We run them all.
Structural engineer's report, calcs and drawings — specifying the steel, padstones and any temporary works.
Building Notice or Full Plans submission, inspection coordination and final completion certificate.
Acrow props, needle beams and lintels to support the wall safely before cutting.
Universal beam or RSJ lifted, seated on padstones, and packed with slate where needed.
Full-width kitchen/dining openings with twin beams, vertical posts and welded cleats — engineered rigid.
Intumescent paint or plasterboard fire-casing to meet 30- or 60-minute fire resistance as required.
Plastering, skirtings, architraves and flooring joined back in — the join should look like the wall was never there.
Final coats and finishes so the room is handed back decorated, not just structurally complete.
A 5.2m goal-post steel between kitchen and dining on a 1920s detached house. Twin UB457s on paired padstones, engineered for point loads from the re-routed first-floor joists. The opening now spans the entire rear of the house with no visible columns.
View full projectA single accountable team, start to finish. No handoffs, no subcontractor blame-games, no surprises.
We visit your property and discuss your vision, requirements, and budget.
Our team prepares designs and handles planning and building regulations.
You receive a detailed, transparent quote with no hidden costs.
Our trusted team delivers your project to the highest standard, on time and on budget.
Final inspection, snagging, and handover. Your project, fully certified.
What homeowners ask us most often about knock-throughs and structural openings.
Yes — any load-bearing wall (and most internal walls built before the 1980s are) needs a structural engineer to calculate the replacement steel or lintel. We include the engineer's fees, calculations and drawings in our all-in quote.
Yes — building control must be notified and sign off load-bearing alterations. We submit a Building Notice or Full Plans application on your behalf, coordinate the inspection visits, and issue you the completion certificate at handover.
A standard internal load-bearing wall removal with a single RSJ, making-good and redecoration typically runs £3,800–£6,500. Corner knock-throughs, paired goal-post steels and large openings between kitchen and dining can be £7,500–£14,000+ depending on spans and finishes.
A single-wall knock-through is usually 5–10 working days on site — steel in on day 1 or 2, making-good and plastering through the rest of the week, decoration before handover. Bigger structural openings with multiple steels and foundation pads are 2–4 weeks.
Yes. The rest of the house stays sealed and usable. You'll want to be out of the specific room for 2–3 days while we're cutting and propping, but the rest of the property stays fully habitable.
Yes — we work on Victorian terraces with lime-mortar solid-brick walls, 1930s semis with cavity brick, and stone-built Cheshire properties where the original build detail is anyone's guess until we open it up. Our engineer designs a solution once we've exposed what's actually there.
CDB have knowledge and experience they use wisely to achieve great outcomes. They are competent, experienced, knowledgeable, friendly, trustworthy, communicative, considerate, and hardworking.
Book a free site visit. We'll check what's load-bearing, talk through the steel options, and come back with a fixed all-in quote covering engineer, building regs and build.