Building Service · Greater Manchester
Structural Work & Steel Installationin Salford & Manchester.Engineer-signed. Building Control approved.
Open up a wall, install an RSJ, underpin a foundation or alter a load-path with a team that designs, calculates and signs off the work in-house, no waiting for subbies, no finger-pointing if anything moves.
Chartered engineer retained · Full Building Control sign-off · Acrow propping included
Overview
What it is, who it's for and why it matters.
What it is
Structural work covers any alteration that changes how loads travel through your building, load-bearing wall removal, RSJ (rolled steel joist) or beam installation, lintel replacement, underpinning, chimney removal and structural opening forming. Each one needs engineer-designed calculations, Building Control approval and competent on-site execution.
Who it's for
Homeowners opening up Victorian terraces, families converting through-lounges into open-plan kitchen-diners, landlords reconfiguring HMOs and developers stripping properties back to shell. We also support architects and main contractors who need an in-house structural crew.
When you need it
Before any wall is touched. If a wall sits beneath a joisting run, supports a chimney breast, sits under a partition above or carries a roof load, it is structural until proven otherwise. We assess this for free on the first visit.
Why professional help matters
Removing the wrong wall, or undersizing the beam that replaces it, causes deflection, cracking, sticking doors and, in worst cases, partial collapse. The fee for an engineer and a competent install is a fraction of the cost of remediation, and is non-negotiable for resale and insurance.
What goes wrong
The failures we are most often asked to put right.
Structural shortcuts are the single most expensive class of mistake in residential building. These are the ones we see most often across Greater Manchester.
No engineer calculations
A skip-hire merchant with a grinder is not a structural engineer. Walls removed without calcs leave you uninsurable and unsellable.
Padstones missing or undersized
Steel bears onto padstone, padstone bears onto wall. Skip the padstone and the wall crushes, slowly, then all at once.
Wrong steel section
A 152 UC where a 203 UB was specified will deflect just enough to crack ceilings and lock doors above. Always to the calc, never to memory.
Inadequate temporary propping
Acrows on flooring, not joists. No needle beams. No load path back to ground. The day a wall comes out is the day every shortcut shows up.
Our process
A clear, repeatable system, from first visit to final sign-off.
- Step 1
Structural survey
We attend, identify the load-path, photograph existing brickwork and joisting, and confirm what is structural and what is not.
- Step 2
Engineer's calculations
Our retained chartered engineer issues stamped calculations, beam schedules and pad-stone sizing, submitted to Building Control under a full-plans or building-notice application.
- Step 3
Temporary propping
Strong-boys, Acrows and needle beams installed to engineer's instruction. Loads transferred down to solid ground, not floorboards.
- Step 4
Beam installation
Steel positioned, bedded onto pad-stones, levelled, packed and bolted. Pockets made good. Plate-welded connections where loads are eccentric.
- Step 5
Sign-off & decoration
Building Control inspect, calculations issued to you, openings boxed, plastered and decorated. Completion certificate kept with your property deeds.
Why work with Renovo
Concrete outcomes, not vague promises.
Single accountability
Design, calcs, propping, install and sign-off under one contract. You never hear 'that's not us'.
Speed
A typical single-RSJ wall removal completes structurally in 2–4 days, plaster-ready in a week.
Insurance protection
Engineer-signed calcs and Building Control certificate keep your buildings insurance and future resale clean.
Minimal disruption
Dust-sealed working area, propping installed cleanly, demolition done by hand where vibration matters.
No structural surprises
We open the wall, check for hidden timber lintels, chases or services before committing to the beam, and adjust if needed.
Resale-ready paperwork
Calculations, completion certificate and warranty filed together at handover, ready for a solicitor's enquiries.
Detail & specification
The technical detail, for people who want to know how the work is done.
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Detail & specification
The technical detail, for people who want to know how the work is done.
Read the technical detailHide the technical detail
Work we carry out
We handle the full spectrum of residential structural work across Greater Manchester.
- Load-bearing wall removal and single- or twin-RSJ installation.
- Chimney breast removal, full or partial, including gallows-bracket support of the stack above.
- Underpinning to traditional mass-fill, pier-and-beam or mini-piled foundations.
- Lintel replacement above windows and door openings, concrete, steel or stone.
- Bay-window propping, rebuilding and structural tying.
- Opening forming for bi-folds, sliding doors and glazed gables.
- Steel-frame portal and infill for over-structure extensions and loft conversions.
How we size and detail steel
Beams are sized by our retained chartered engineer from the calculated dead, imposed, snow and wind loads at the opening. Universal Beams (UB) are typical for spans up to ~4.5m; Universal Columns (UC) are used where depth is tight. Pad-stones are sized to the calculated bearing pressure of the wall beneath and bedded in 3:1 sand-cement mortar. Where the beam carries eccentric load (a chimney, a corner), we detail plate connections rather than relying on bearing alone.
Building Control & Party Wall
All structural alterations are submitted to Building Control as full-plans or building-notice applications, with engineer's calculations attached. Where the wall is a party wall or sits within 3m of the neighbour's foundations, the Party Wall etc Act 1996 applies and we serve the appropriate notices. We coordinate the surveyor and schedule of condition on your behalf.
Residential vs commercial
We carry out commercial structural alterations under CDM 2015, shop-front beam installs, mezzanine forming, partition load checks for office change-of-use, and listed-building consent works where the structural fabric is historic. Standards and notification thresholds differ; we handle that in-house.
Recent work
A look at recent projects across Greater Manchester.
A selection of finished builds. See the full set on the Our Work page.
Areas covered
Structural Work & Steels across Salford, Manchester and Greater Manchester.
FAQ
Straight answers to the questions clients actually ask.
Still got a question? Call us on 07701 078833 or request a callback.
How much does it cost to remove a load-bearing wall?+
In Greater Manchester, a single-RSJ wall removal between two ground-floor rooms typically runs £2,800–£4,800 turnkey, including engineer's calcs, Building Control fees, propping, steel, pad-stones, plaster make-good and decoration.
Do I need planning permission?+
No, internal structural alterations do not need planning permission. They do need Building Regulations approval, which we manage. Listed buildings and conservation areas are an exception and may need consent.
How long will my home be propped up?+
Typically 2–4 days from prop-up to bricked-in. The steel goes in, pad-stones cure, mortar packs harden, then props come out under engineer's sign-off.
Will I have to move out?+
No. We dust-seal the working area and keep the rest of the house operational. The day of beam lift is dustier, we will warn you in advance.
What if you find something unexpected behind the wall?+
We inspect before propping, for hidden lintels, soil pipes or undocumented services. If the picture changes, we re-cost in writing before any further work, never after.
Are your calculations accepted by Building Control?+
Yes. Calculations are issued by a chartered structural engineer (MIStructE / CEng) and submitted to your local Building Control directly. Completion certificate is held on file at handover.
Do you do emergency structural work?+
We respond to structural emergencies, sudden cracking, lintel failure, partial collapse, within 24 hours where possible across Salford, Manchester, Bolton and Wigan.
Can I keep my house insurance valid?+
Yes, provided the work is engineer-designed, Building Control approved and certificated. We provide the full document set for your insurer.
Related services
Often combined with structural work & steels.
House Extensions
Single, double & wrap-around extensions designed around the way you actually live.
Loft Conversions & Dormers
Velux, dormer and hip-to-gable conversions that pass building control first time.
Basement Conversions & Underpinning
Engineered basement conversions and underpinning for additional usable space.
Next step
Open up the space, safely, signed off, in writing.
Book a free structural assessment. We will tell you whether your wall is load-bearing, what it would take to remove, and what it would cost in writing.
- Fixed-price written quote, no day-rate surprises.
- Single accountable team, no subcontractor finger-pointing.
- Stage payments tied to milestones, no large upfront deposit.
- Building Control sign-off and written workmanship guarantee.