Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Cardiff

Thinking about open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Cardiff?

Some households in South Glamorgan want a kitchen-diner for having people round, where guests can sit at a table or island while the food is still being cooked.

If your Cardiff home is an older terrace, the wall between the kitchen and the middle room may well be load-bearing, so an engineer and a steel beam are likely to be part of the plan. Our South Glamorgan coverage reaches every part of Cardiff (CF10, CF11, CF14, CF15, CF23 and CF24) and out towards Penarth.

What is included in the work?

After the survey visit we write the scope down. For open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Cardiff it usually covers:

Building Regulations approval arranged, or a building warrant before work starts in Scotland
Beam boxed in, the opening plastered and the floor joined where the wall stood
Temporary props set, the wall removed and the steel beam bedded on padstones
In England and Wales, party wall requirements checked where a beam bears into a shared wall
Free survey visit to check the wall, the floors above and the services running through it
Cables, pipes and radiators in the wall rerouted by qualified trades

What should you budget for open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Cardiff?

Typical open-plan kitchen knock-throughs prices for homes in Cardiff, including VAT and adjusted for Wales. Your own figure depends on the size of the kitchen, the layout and what is moving. Labour rates in Wales are generally lower than in London and the South East, so these ranges are a little below the national guide.

What should you budget for open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Cardiff?
Typical project	Guide price
Non-load-bearing wall removed and made goodStud or light partition, minimal services	£740–£1,800
Load-bearing wall with a steel beamStructural engineer's design and making good; building control or warrant fees listed separately	£2,800–£7,800
Knock-through with a new kitchen-dinerSteel beam, new kitchen, new floor throughout	£23,000–£50,500

Load-bearing guide ranges include the structural engineer's design for a typical single opening and making good; council building control or building warrant fees, rerouted services, decorating and the kitchen itself are listed separately. Prices include VAT at 20%.

What kind of kitchens do we fit in Cardiff?

In and around Cardiff, homes range across Victorian terraces, Edwardian villas, post-war estate houses and waterfront apartments. Cardiff's Victorian terraces often have a long galley in the back addition, while Edwardian villas in Penarth may have a separate kitchen and breakfast room.

Busy on-street parking in terraced areas and apartment blocks with booked lifts can affect delivery times and how long worktops are carried in. Much of South Glamorgan has soft to moderately soft water, though some parts are harder, so check with your supplier before choosing a filter.

Do you need approval for open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Cardiff?

In Wales, a load-bearing wall needs an engineer's design and Building Regulations approval from building control before it comes out, and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies where a beam bears into a party wall. Building control will check the escape route if the kitchen will open onto the hall and stairs. Moving sockets in the new room extends circuits within a kitchen, which is notifiable in Wales, so it is certified through a competent person scheme or building control.

Listed buildings and conservation areas, including parts of Cardiff and Penarth, may need consent for new vents, and apartment owners usually need the freeholder's consent.

Worth knowing before the fit

Keep the completion certificate somewhere safe after the work, as a buyer's solicitor will usually ask for it when you sell your Cardiff home.
Plan the heating for your new Cardiff kitchen-diner; removing a wall can also remove a radiator, and the larger room may need more heat.
Tell your neighbours early if a beam may bear into a wall you share; in England and Wales a party wall notice may be needed before work starts.
Check what runs through the wall: sockets, switches, radiator pipes, gas pipes and sometimes a soil stack all need rerouting first.

Questions about open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Cardiff

How much do open-plan kitchen knock-throughs cost in Cardiff?

Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Cardiff typically cost £740 to £1,800 including VAT for removing a non-load-bearing wall and making good, based on prices in Wales. Larger or more involved jobs cost more, and your price is fixed in writing after a free survey visit.

Can you measure up in Cardiff before quoting?

Yes. Every quote starts with a free, no-obligation survey visit to your home in Cardiff. We measure the room, check the walls, floor and service positions, then send an itemised written quote.

Who designs the steel beam for a knock-through?

A structural engineer does. We arrange the engineer, who calculates the loads and specifies the beam size, the padstones it bears on and the temporary propping needed while the wall comes out. Those calculations go with the Building Regulations application or building warrant. We do not design steelwork ourselves; the work follows the engineer's design and is inspected as part of the approval.

When is the new kitchen fitted after a knock-through?

After the opening is complete. The order is propping, removing the wall, setting the beam on its padstones, inspection, then boxing in, plastering and joining the floor where the wall stood. Fresh plaster usually needs three to six weeks to dry before full decorating, though a mist coat can go on sooner, so the units are often fitted while the walls dry and the decorating follows later.

Does knocking through to the kitchen affect fire safety?

It can. If the new open-plan kitchen opens straight onto the hall and stairs, a kitchen fire could affect the escape route from upstairs, so building control, or the building warrant process in Scotland, will check how people would get out. In houses with a floor more than 4.5 metres above ground, usually three storeys or more, extra fire safety measures may be needed. We confirm what applies before work starts.

Nearby places we cover

Neighbouring towns where we offer open-plan kitchen knock-throughs: