Structural alterations in Bedfordshire

Covering Bedfordshire

Our structural alterations service in Bedfordshire covers Luton, Bedford, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard.

Homes in the East of England

The East of England has a large stock of post-war and modern estate housing alongside period homes in market towns, which makes garage conversions, single-storey extensions and loft conversions popular.

What is a structural alteration?

Structural alterations change the load-bearing parts of a house, most often removing a wall between two rooms and putting in a steel beam to create an open-plan layout. The work needs a structural engineer’s design and building regulations approval.

Structural engineer’s design and calculations
Steel beam installation on padstones
Making good floors, walls and ceilings

How much does a structural alteration cost in Bedfordshire?

Indicative costs for structural alterations. London and the South East usually sit towards the top of each range.

Structural alterations	Guide price incl. VAT
Single load-bearing wall removal with steel	£3,000 to £7,500
Chimney breast removal with support	£1,800 to £4,500
Multiple walls or full open-plan remodel	£8,000 to £20,000

Do you need permission for a structural alteration in Bedfordshire?

Projects in England go through two separate checks. Planning (or confirmation that the work is permitted development) comes from the district, borough or unitary council, and building regulations approval comes from the council’s building control team or a registered building control approver. Where work touches a shared wall or digs near a neighbour’s foundations, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies.

Internal work like this does not usually need planning permission unless the house is listed or your permitted development rights have been removed. It does need building regulations approval because it affects the structure.

What can change the price or programme?

The beam size can mean a downstand in the ceiling unless it is set flush within the floor.
Pipes and cables in the wall need rerouting first.

From first call to completion

Start with a conversation. A short call or the online form is enough for us to understand what you want to build.
Survey at your house. We look at the existing structure, services and access, and agree what the design needs to achieve.
Design and fixed price. You get drawings and a written price for the agreed specification before anything is ordered.
We build it. Work follows an agreed programme, with inspections at each stage and a final sign-off.

What people ask before starting

Do I need building regulations approval to remove a wall?

Yes, for any load-bearing wall. Non-structural partitions usually do not need approval.

Can the steel be hidden in the ceiling?

Often it can be set within the floor depth, avoiding a downstand. The engineer confirms what is possible.

Do you work in Bedfordshire?

Yes. Bedfordshire is within our coverage for structural alterations, along with nearby Luton and Bedford.

Also covering

Learn more about structural alterations, or see every project we cover in Bedfordshire.