Clarity for yourhome renovation.

If you are removing or altering a load-bearing wall, yes. A structural engineer must design the replacement support — typically a steel beam (RSJ) with padstones. We handle this as part of the package.

Yes. Any structural alteration requires a building control application. The inspector will check the steelwork before it is covered up. We manage the full process from application to sign-off.

Yes. We provide the full package — survey, plans, engineering, building control and installation. You do not need to find a separate contractor.

Absolutely. Kitchen-to-dining and kitchen-to-living knock-throughs are our most common job. We assess the wall, design the opening, install the steel and make good.

The on-site visit runs for around 2 to 3 hours. A qualified engineer walks the space with you, checks the wall construction, assesses the load path and captures a millimetre-accurate 3D point cloud scan of the relevant rooms. You'll get a verbal summary before we leave and draft plans 5 to 10 working days later.

Draft floor plans are typically delivered within 5 to 10 working days of the on-site visit. If structural calculations are needed, those follow within about a week after the plans are signed off. If you need it faster, ask about priority turnaround.

For a structural knock-through with drawings, calcs and Building Control: roughly 4–8 weeks of design and approvals, then 2–4 weeks on site depending on scope. For a larger rear extension going through planning: usually 4–6 months end-to-end, split between around 10 weeks of approvals and the build programme on site. These are ranges, not promises — planning committees and weather don't always cooperate. You get a realistic timeline in the discovery call and a weekly update once the project is running.

Budget drift usually starts before the build does — a surprise in the survey, a layout change you want after seeing drawings, or an engineering detail that needs re-thinking. Because we coordinate the full package, we spot those triggers early and flag the cost impact before you commit. Design-stage prices on this site are fixed — no mid-stage surcharges. At the build stage, costs come from a line-item quote tied to the drawings, so any change is priced as a variation and agreed before it happens, not buried in a lump sum.

We only submit what we think will pass, and the feasibility check at the start of the project is specifically there to catch anything that won't. Most householder alterations go through permitted development or a standard Householder application without issue. If a submission is refused, we'll explain exactly why (the officer's report is public), make the revisions the LPA has flagged, and resubmit. The resubmission fee to the council is typically waived within 12 months of the original application.

Planning objections only carry weight if they raise valid planning grounds — "I don't like it" isn't one. We draft submissions that anticipate the common objections (overlooking, light, daylight/sunlight, boundary). Party wall notices are a separate legal process if the work affects a shared wall or excavation near a boundary: we flag it early, explain the options (agreed surveyor vs. separate surveyors), and handle the back-and-forth so you're not stuck negotiating with a difficult neighbour on your own.

Yes — absolutely. The drawings are yours to keep. Most of our clients do come back to us for the build because we've engineered it and we can warrant the work end-to-end, but you're under no obligation. At the quote stage we'll happily put our construction quote alongside two or three other builders quoting against the same spec, so you can compare fairly.