Cost of Removing a Load Bearing Wall

Do you need to remove a load-bearing wall?

Take a look at this cost guide, where we can point you in the right direction of a builder and also give you an average estimate of how much it'll cost.

For all this and more, continue below!

How Much Does It Cost to Remove a Load Bearing Wall?

Removing a load bearing wall in your home is a lot different from removing a non-load bearing wall. Load bearing walls are put in place to support the weight of the house, so removing it can be quite dangerous if you don’t do it correctly.

The average cost to remove a load bearing wall is around £1200-£1750, however, this price can vary depending on a number of factors including your location, and the size of the wall to be removed. Those located in London can expect to pay considerably more for the work.

The above price is for the cost of removing the load bearing wall alone. However, there are some other costs that you may need to think about with this type of job.

Load Bearing Wall Removal Prices

Below is a list of the average costs of removing a load bearing wall:

Supply Only Costs

Below is a list of supply costs for removing a load bearing wall:

Additional Costs

There are a number of additional costs that you may need to consider when it comes to removing a load bearing wall. Below is a list of the additional costs that may accompany this type of job:

• Installing an RSJ - A rolled steel joist is a steel beam which supports the weight above. The cost to install an RSJ is on average around £1800-£2200.
• Redecorating Costs - On average, a painter and decorator will charge around £140-£160 per day. Prices in London are likely to be a little higher than this. The price you pay will depend on things such as your location, the size of the room, and your choices of decoration.
• Party Wall Agreement Costs - If you live in a terraced or semi-detached house, a party wall is jointly owned so any changes to this wall will be subject to a party wall agreement. This involves hiring a professional surveyor who will usually charge around £120-£250 per hour.
• New Door - If you have removed your wall so that you can add in a door, then you will need to budget for the cost of the door. The cost you pay for this will depend on the type of door that you choose. For example, a softwood door costs around £40-£50, whereas a hardwood door will cost around £70-£80 on average.
• Move a Radiator - After your load bearing wall has been removed, you may need to move a radiator. A professional plumber will usually charge around £140-£160 on average to move a radiator, and the job will usually take around 2 hours.
• Reposition Light Switches and Sockets - To install a light switch or plug socket, an electrician will charge around £100-£150 per day. However, this may depend on your location and the difficulty of the job.

Labour Costs and Timescales

Most of the work of removing a load bearing wall can be carried out by an experienced local builder, however, you will also need a structural engineer and possibly an electrician and a plumber depending on the location of the wall to be removed. A lot of people will choose to handle the final decorating work themselves, but some will also need the services of a painter & decorator.

When you remove a load bearing wall, you will need to install an RSJ. Before getting a quote for an RSJ installation, you need to remember that part of installing an RSJ is the expert calculations required by a structural engineer.

Plus, you then need a skilled builder to carry out the work properly to the engineer’s calculations. Note also that this type of work will always create a huge mess no matter how careful the builders are. A structural engineer will charge around £50-£90 per hour to calculate the required strength of your RSJ.

Removing a load bearing wall can take around 1-3 days depending on the size and location of the wall. The labour costs for removing a load bearing wall will usually fall somewhere between £150-£250 per day and builder’s will work in pairs for this type of work.

You will also need to bring in a plasterer to finish the room once the wall has been removed and an RSJ has been put in its place. You can expect to pay a plasterer around £150-£250 per day. The time they spend on plastering the room will depend on the size of the area that needs plastering.

Cost Factors of Removing a Load Bearing Wall

There are a number of cost factors that may affect the overall cost of removing a load bearing wall. Below is a list of the cost factors that you may need to be aware of:

Size of the Job

The size of the job can affect the overall cost as the bigger the job, the more you can expect to pay for the work. If you want to knock down a wall to create more open space, this can cost around £1500-£2000 whereas to knock through a single doorway, you can expect to pay away £1000-£1500.

Location of Property

The location of your property can affect the overall cost of the job. Those located in London may expect to pay around £800-£1200 more for the overall job than those located in the North or other parts of the UK.

Type/Size of RSJ Beam

The size of RSJ that you need will depend on the size of the wall that you’re knocking through. If you are knocking through a single doorway, you can expect to pay around £700-£900 for an RSJ whereas a large open plan of around 4m may cost up to £900-£1100 for an RSJ.

Waste Removal

There will be a lot of waste removal involved in a wall bearing removal job. The amount will depend a lot upon the size of the wall. However, the average cost for waste removal on this type of job is usually around £100-£175.

Floor Levelling

You may also want to consider levelling off your flooring, especially in an older home. The two floors either side of the wall may not completely match so will need to be levelled. This often costs around £10-£200 per square metre. The actual cost will depend on the materials used.

What's Involved in Removing a Load Bearing Wall?

Although it is recommended that you hire a professional to remove a load bearing wall for you, below is a list of the steps that you would need to take if you were to complete the job yourself:

• Have an engineer carry out a survey on the wall to calculate the correct measurements for your supporting RSJ beam. You should also check the wall for any cables or pipes before you begin the demolition.
• Remove or switch off any cables or pipes that run through the wall so that they are no longer in use.
• Protect the room from dust with plastic sheeting and dust sheets. Tape over the gaps in the door as well to avoid allowing the dust to spread to other rooms of the house.
• Use a hammer and bolster and remove around 18 inches of ceiling board, right up to where the board joins the wall that is going to be demolished. This will expose rafters, cables, and pipes.
• Once the rafters are exposed, you can then insert the acro support bars. Lift a length of timber that’s roughly the size of the room up into the rafters and secure it there temporarily with a couple of wood screws at each end. Then raise your acro supports into position. You will need one at each end and potentially one in the middle if it is a large room. You’ll need to do this on both sides of the wall.
• Now that the ceiling is fully supported, you can begin by removing any doorframes using a saw and crowbar.
• You will then start at the top of the wall structure and remove everything that is above head height. Bricks and blocks may fall, so ensure that you and your floor are protected.
• Use a hammer and bolster to hack away the plaster at the top of the doorway to expose the lintel. Then, chip away all of the brickwork and cement that surrounds the lintel until it is disconnected from the rest of the wall.
• Once the lintel is disconnected from the wall, it can be lifted clear and disposed of.
• You should then remove the brickwork from the top of the wall, cleaning up as you go along as to avoid any potential injuries. Demolish and remove the bricks and mortar from the top and work your way along.
• Any pipes and cable work in the wall can be worked around until they are in a position to be removed. Then you can simply remove them.
• Continue to remove all of the wall blocks until you reach the floor level.
• All the brickwork in the side walls needs to be removed to allow access for the RSJ and the padstones that it sits on.
• Lay the padstones down in this gap horizontally to begin with so that it’s easier to insert the RSJ into position.
• Lift the RSJ into a sitting position on the padstones. Once it is in place, Flip the padstones on their sides to raise the RSJ to its final height. Use supports to prop it even higher if needed.
• Once your RSJ is in position, measure the distance from both ends to the wall that is parallel to ensure that it is perpendicular. Then, use a spirit level to ensure that it is sitting level.
• You can then put temporary acros in place once again to support the RSJ. Check for any gaps and fill them in with extra blocks. Then, you can brick up the wall surrounding the ends of the RSJ to secure it in place.
• Finally, re-plaster the ceiling and any parts of wall that are exposed and then you can decorate the room as you wish.

Can I Remove a Load Bearing Wall Myself?

It is entirely possible to remove an internal wall as a DIY job, however, a load bearing wall is a different story. There are calculations that need to be taken so that you can accurately support the weight above. For these reasons, it’s best to leave this type of job up to the professionals.

You will need to bring in a structural engineer to work out the positioning of your new support beam so that the structure of your home remains intact. You should also hire professional builders to carry out the demolition of the wall and to install a new RSJ in its place.

By choosing professionals to carry out the work, you can be sure that they will know everything they need to know in order to complete the job successfully and safely. It will also help to keep your long-term costs down as a professional job will last much longer and will also prevent any extra costs that may occur due to structural complications.

Building Regulations & Planning Permission for Removing a Load Bearing Wall

If you are removing a load bearing wall you won’t usually need planning permission, however, you will need building regulation approval.

Building control will ensure that the work completed on your house is carried out in accordance with the relevant building regulations. The work on removing a load bearing wall can usually be completed on a building notice. For this work you won’t usually need full architectural plans.

Do I Need a Party Wall Agreement?

A party wall is a wall that divides you and your neighbour. It is recommended that you try to avoid working on or near a party wall. However, if you can’t avoid working on a party wall, then you may need to comply with a Party Wall Act.

This act provides a framework that prevents and resolves any disputes when it comes to party walls. You neighbours will have to agree with the work that you are having done in accordance with this act before you can begin to carry out the work.

How Can You Tell If a Wall is Load Bearing?

A load bearing wall supports the weight of a floor or a roof structure. You should seek the help of a professional when it comes to determining if a wall is load bearing or not, however, there are a few clues that you can look out for.

Generally, if a wall is parallel to the floor joists above it, it is not a load bearing wall. However, if you find that the wall runs perpendicular to the joists, then there is a decent chance that this wall is load bearing.

Partial walls can sometimes be load bearing. For example, a builder may have installed a beam to span across the opening section which carried the load above. So with this in mind, you can’t always assume that a partial wall isn’t load bearing.

Exterior walls are almost always load bearing.

Do I need an RSJ beam?

If you are removing a load bearing wall, you will need an RSJ beam.

Load bearing walls are responsible for supporting the structural weight of your home. When you remove a load bearing wall, you must replace is with an RSJ beam to take the weight of the rest of the home above. If you don’t install an RSJ beam, your house will quite literally fall down.

There are a number of different types of RSJ. The following list explains a little bit about each one:

• Universal Beams
• Universal Columns
• Double Beam
• Channels
• T-Beam
• Lintels

Benefits of Removing a Load Bearing Wall

There are a number of benefits to removing a load bearing wall. Below are some of the main reasons why someone might want to carry out this type of job:

Open-plan Living

You may want to remove a load bearing wall to create open-plan living. Open-plan living is a great feature in modern homes. By removing a wall and creating open-plan living space, you can truly transform your home.

Increased Space

You may want to remove a load bearing wall to create more space in your home. Some walls can take up a lot of room in the home, and so removing them can create a lot more living space for you.

Increased Property Value

When you remove a load bearing wall, you can really open up your home so it looks great. This can increase the value of your home and make it a lot more desirable to new buyers.

Hiring Contractors to Remove a Load Bearing Wall Checklist

There are a few things you will need to consider before hiring someone to replace your roof ridge tiles for you. Below is a list of some of the main things that you should consider when looking for the right contractor for the job:

• Does the contractor offer any guarantees with their work?
• How much is the work to complete? – Ask for a breakdown of costs so you can ensure you are paying a good price for each element of the job.
• Is the contractor experienced in removing load bearing walls?
• How many years’ worth of experience does the contractor have in removing load bearing walls?
• How many contractors will carry out the job?
• Will the contractor fix any issues that may arise?
• Will the contractor take care of any relevant waste removal?
• Will the contractor install an RSJ beam for you or do you need to hire other contractors for that part of the work?

FAQs

Sources

https://www.beamcalculation.co.uk/checklist-for-removing-a-load-bearing-wall
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/party-wall-etc-act-1996-guidance