Services/Construction, structural & civils

Structural alterations and steel beams in West London

Knocking two rooms into one, opening a wall to the garden, removing a chimney breast. Small on paper, structural in practice.

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2–8weeks on site, typically
Calculatednot guessed
Proppedproperly, every time
Buildingcontrol sign-off

Listed, vetted and reviewed on

Ogival Ltd, registered in England & Wales no. 15191703 · Public liability insured · NICEIC registered electrical work · Gas Safe registered plumbing and heating

This is the work people most often underestimate, because the finished result looks like nothing happened. Take out the wrong wall without calculations and temporary propping and you find out very quickly what was holding the house up.

What we see go wrong

A beam sized by eye rather than by an engineer. It might stand up. It won't get signed off, and it will show up on a survey when you sell.
Padstones missed or undersized, so the load is spread into masonry that was never meant to take it.
Chimney breasts removed downstairs with nothing supporting the stack above — one of the most common defects in London housing stock.

Structural alteration work by Ogival in West London

Propping, steelwork and structural openings

What's included in a structural alteration job

Our team and our structural engineer handle the whole of it, so there's no second company to chase and no gap between trades for something to fall through.

Structural survey
Engineer's calculations
Temporary propping
Wall removal
Steel beam installation
Padstones and bearings
Fire protection to steels
Making good and plastering
Building control inspection and sign-off

Send a photo of the wall

One photo of the wall you want to lose and one of the room above it. That's usually enough for a first answer.

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At a glance

ServiceStructural alterations
GroupConstruction, structural & civils
Typically2–8 weeks on site
CoveringWest London
BasedLondon W10

Why Ogival

25 years in London construction
Thirty-one trades under one contractor
Drawings and calculations in-house
A written schedule of works and payments
NICEIC and Gas Safe registered

How we work

Options

The four alterations we're asked for most

Knocking two rooms into one

The classic through-lounge. A steel, two padstones, and a wall that was doing more than anyone thought.

Opening up to the garden

Wide openings for sliding or bi-fold doors, where the span decides the size of the steel.

Removing a chimney breast

Common, and commonly done badly. Whatever remains above has to be supported properly.

Forming new openings

Doorways, serving hatches and structural openings between existing rooms.

Quickest way to get an answer

Send a photo of the wall.

One photo of the wall you want to lose and one of the room above it. That's usually enough for a first answer.

No form, no callback queue, no salesman. Emanuel looks at it himself and tells you what he sees — including the times the answer is that you don't need us.

WhatsApp a photo Call 07428 135100

OOgivalonline

Want to knock the two reception rooms into one. Is that wall structural?

From the photo, the joists above run into it, so almost certainly yes.

That means a steel, calculations and building control. Not a problem, just not a weekend job.

Send me a photo of the room above and I'll tell you what size beam we're likely talking about.

Message

A typical exchange. Usually answered the same day.

How it runs

How a structural alteration job runs, stage by stage

Four stages, and you'll always know which one you're in.

01
Survey the structure
We establish what's structural, what's above it, and what the beam has to carry.
02
Engineer's calculations
An engineer sizes the steel and the bearings and issues calculations for building control.
03
Propping and wall removal
Temporary support goes in before anything comes out. This is not the stage to save money.
04
Steel, making good and sign-off
Beam installed, fire protected, plastered and inspected.

Structural alterations by Ogival in West London

Propping, steelwork and structural openings

Recent projects

Structural work we've done

Steels, openings and propping on jobs from a single wall to a whole house.

Macfarlane Road, W12Read the case study →

Shepherd's Bush, W12Read the case study →

Providence Villas, W12Read the case study →

All our case studies

Permissions

Do I need building regulations approval?

Yes, for anything structural. Calculations, an inspection and a completion certificate — and the certificate is what your buyer's solicitor will ask for. Work done without it is one of the most common hold-ups we see at sale.

Rules change and every property is different. We confirm what applies to yours in writing at the survey rather than leaving you to guess.

Structural calculations are required for any load-bearing removal
Building control inspection at propping, at beam installation and at completion
Chimney breast removal requires support to whatever remains above
Party Wall notice where a beam bears into a shared wall
Fire protection to exposed steel is a requirement, not a finish

Budget

How much does a structural alteration cost in London?

We don't publish prices, because a number without a survey is a guess and you'd be right not to trust it. These are the things that actually move it.

Span of the opening and the load above it

Whether the wall is load-bearing, and what's carried by it

Access for the steel — a long beam through a terraced house is a job in itself

Whether the chimney stack needs support

Making good, plastering and redecoration afterwards

How long does a structural alteration job take?

2–8 weeks on site on site for a typical job in West London, though the drawings, permissions and party wall process before it can add longer. We give you a written programme with the quote so you can see both.

A site visit and a written quote cost nothing, and the quote comes with a written schedule of works so you can see what every stage is for.

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Before you appoint anyone

Four questions to ask before you hire anyone for structural alteration work

Ask them of us as well. The answers tell you more than the number at the bottom of the page — and a contractor who can't answer them quickly is telling you something too.

Ask us right now

01
Ask who sizes the beam, and ask to see the calculations
02
Ask what the temporary propping arrangement is before anything is removed
03
Check building control is notified and included in the price
04
Ask what happens to the services buried in the wall you want to lose

What clients say

Word of mouth, written down.

Left by Ogival customers on MyBuilder and TrustATrader

I have used this company for years for many different jobs including painting my whole house, tiling my bathroom, laying flooring, astroturfing my garden and putting up fences. Very knowledgeable, professional and polite. If you want a company that care, I'd stick with Ogival.

★★★★★Repeat client, MyBuilder

Ogival has a friendly and professional team. Our new bathroom looks great and we're very happy with the choice of products used and the quality of their work.
★★★★★New bathroom, MyBuilder

Great communication, polite workers and excellent tidying up afterwards. Definitely recommend.
★★★★★Painting and maintenance, MyBuilder

They were professional, polite, easy to get hold of and easy to deal with. They did a great deal of work for me including building an internal wall, moving a bathroom, carpentry, electrics and plumbing, they re-rendered my balcony, relaid the decking and repainted the whole flat.
★★★★★Full flat refurbishment

I have used this company for years for many different jobs including painting my whole house, tiling my bathroom, laying flooring, astroturfing my garden and putting up fences. Very knowledgeable, professional and polite. If you want a company that care, I'd stick with Ogival.
★★★★★Repeat client, MyBuilder

Ogival has a friendly and professional team. Our new bathroom looks great and we're very happy with the choice of products used and the quality of their work.
★★★★★New bathroom, MyBuilder

Great communication, polite workers and excellent tidying up afterwards. Definitely recommend.
★★★★★Painting and maintenance, MyBuilder

They were professional, polite, easy to get hold of and easy to deal with. They did a great deal of work for me including building an internal wall, moving a bathroom, carpentry, electrics and plumbing, they re-rendered my balcony, relaid the decking and repainted the whole flat.
★★★★★Full flat refurbishment

He replaced eroded bricks and once the wall was dry replastered ready to decorate. Work was delayed because he uncovered wet rot in the ceiling joists. He fixed the cause of those leaks. Throughout this saga Ogival has been professional, reliable, extremely thorough and honest.
★★★★★Exterior leak repairs, MyBuilder

I found them really helpful and honest. They went out of their way to help. They also finished on time and left the place spotless.
★★★★★Renovation, TrustATrader

I decided to go with them as I liked their ideas and Emanuel knew what he was talking about. He made floor to ceiling units, redecorated my room and laid laminate flooring. I have no hesitation in recommending them.
★★★★★Bespoke joinery, TrustATrader

Good finishing.
★★★★★Mohammed D., MyBuilder

He replaced eroded bricks and once the wall was dry replastered ready to decorate. Work was delayed because he uncovered wet rot in the ceiling joists. He fixed the cause of those leaks. Throughout this saga Ogival has been professional, reliable, extremely thorough and honest.
★★★★★Exterior leak repairs, MyBuilder

I found them really helpful and honest. They went out of their way to help. They also finished on time and left the place spotless.
★★★★★Renovation, TrustATrader

I decided to go with them as I liked their ideas and Emanuel knew what he was talking about. He made floor to ceiling units, redecorated my room and laid laminate flooring. I have no hesitation in recommending them.
★★★★★Bespoke joinery, TrustATrader

Good finishing.
★★★★★Mohammed D., MyBuilder

Read them in full on MyBuilder, TrustATrader and Houzz.

Where we work

Structural alteration work across West London.

Structural alterations across West London's period housing stock, where the walls are rarely where the drawings say and almost nothing is a standard span.

Ogival, W10 5DW
Everyday patch, within 10 miles
Regular work, 10 to 20 miles
By arrangement, out to 30 miles

Where we do this most

Outside this? Ask anyway. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right firm for the journey.

Questions we get asked

The things people ring up about.

The questions that come up on the phone most often, answered the way we'd answer them on site.

Do I need building regulations approval to remove a wall?

Yes, if it's load-bearing or if it's a chimney breast. You'll need calculations and an inspection. Skipping it causes problems at sale, not just at build.

How do you know if a wall is load-bearing?

Direction of the joists, what sits above it, the thickness and construction of the wall, and often opening up a small section to look. We don't guess.

Can you remove a chimney breast?

Yes, but what remains above has to be supported properly with a gallows bracket or steel. Removing one floor's worth and leaving the stack unsupported is dangerous and common.

How long does a single knock-through take?

Typically two to four weeks including making good, longer if the steel is large or access is difficult.

The rest of what we do

Structural alteration work, and thirty other things we do

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Start here

Tell us what you're planning.

A site visit and a written quote cost nothing. If the job isn't right for us, we'll say so and point you somewhere better.

Free, no-obligation site visit and written quote
You deal with Emanuel, not a sales rep
A written schedule of works and payments before anything starts
Covering Kensington, Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham

07428 135100 info@ogival.co.uk

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