Structural Alteration Design in London

• Assessment of the existing structure and the proposed alteration
• Design of beams, posts and supports for the altered layout
• Chimney breast removal design, including support of remaining stacks
• Repair and strengthening details for altered or damaged structure
• Calculations and drawings for building control

• Chimney breast removal at one or more levels
• New doorways and openings in load-bearing walls
• Reconfigured layouts combining or dividing rooms
• Strengthening after removal of walls by previous owners

1. 1

   Initial enquiry

   Tell us about your project through the contact form, including any drawings or photographs you already have.

2. 2

   Review of information

   We review the available information — existing drawings, architectural proposals, site measurements and photographs — and confirm what is needed.

3. 3

   Quotation

   We agree the scope and fee with you before any design work begins, so you know exactly what will be provided.

4. 4

   Design and checking

   We carry out the agreed calculations, drawings or specifications, checked against the relevant standards.

5. 5

   Issue of deliverables

   The agreed drawings, calculations or design notes are issued to you electronically, ready for your builder or building control.

• Floor plans or sketches showing the existing and proposed layouts
• Photographs of the areas affected, including loft and chimney stack
• The property type, age and construction if known
• Any history of previous alterations

• Structural design drawings for the alteration
• Calculations for building control
• Details for the builder, including temporary works notes

Chimney breast removal almost always involves party wall procedures in terraced and semi-detached properties. Where previous alterations were done without approval, regularisation with building control may be needed — we can advise on the design side of that process. Construction work is carried out by your builder.

Can I remove a chimney breast but keep the stack?

Yes, but the remaining stack must be properly supported — usually on designed steelwork or brackets. Removing breasts while leaving an unsupported stack is dangerous and not permitted.

A previous owner removed a wall without approval — what now?

Building control can regularise the work retrospectively. We can inspect, design any strengthening needed and provide calculations for the regularisation application.

Do small alterations really need an engineer?

If the work touches a load-bearing element — a wall, a beam, a chimney — the safe answer is yes. Non-structural changes like moving stud partitions do not need structural design.

• Load Bearing Wall Removal
• Structural Assessments Advice
• Internal Alterations