Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs · West Sussex
Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Horsham
Homeowners and landlords in Horsham can book us for open-plan kitchen knock-throughs: walls between kitchen and dining room removed, steel designed by an engineer, then the new kitchen fitted.
Why do people in Horsham choose open-plan kitchen knock-throughs?
Plenty of Horsham homes have a small back kitchen beside a dining room that only gets used at Christmas, and joining the two gives one room the household actually lives in.
Parents across West Sussex often want to see the garden and the children from the hob, which a knock-through between the kitchen and family room can make possible. We work throughout Horsham (RH12) and across the wider West Sussex area.
What do open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Horsham include?
Here is what usually goes into open-plan kitchen knock-throughs, adjusted to your Horsham kitchen after we have measured it:
- Structural engineer arranged to design the beam, padstones and temporary propping
- Beam boxed in, the opening plastered and the floor joined where the wall stood
- Cables, pipes and radiators in the wall rerouted by qualified trades
- In England and Wales, party wall requirements checked where a beam bears into a shared wall
- Temporary props set, the wall removed and the steel beam bedded on padstones
- New kitchen fitted once the opening is made good and the structural work inspected
How much do open-plan kitchen knock-throughs cost in Horsham?
The figures below are guide prices for Horsham, including VAT and adjusted for typical costs across the South East. The fixed price comes after we have measured up. Expect costs in the South East to sit somewhat above UK averages, reflecting local labour rates.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Non-load-bearing wall removed and made goodStud or light partition, minimal services | £920–£2,300 |
| Load-bearing wall with a steel beamStructural engineer's design and making good; building control or warrant fees listed separately | £3,400–£9,800 |
| Knock-through with a new kitchen-dinerSteel beam, new kitchen, new floor throughout | £28,500–£63,000 |
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%.
House types around Horsham and what they mean for a kitchen
The housing mix across West Sussex includes 1930s semis, flint and brick cottages, post-war new town houses and seaside bungalows, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Crawley's new-town houses often have a compact galley, while seaside bungalows in Worthing and Bognor Regis tend to have a small square kitchen beside the dining area.
Coastal flats may have no lift, and village lanes on the edge of the Downs can be narrow for delivery lorries, so the delivery route is checked at the survey. West Sussex has mostly hard water, so limescale on taps, sinks and boiling water taps is common and a filter is worth considering.
Regulations for kitchen work in Horsham
In England, removing a load-bearing wall needs a structural engineer's design and Building Regulations approval through local authority building control or a registered building control approver. Where a beam bears into a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 means serving notice on the neighbours before work starts. If the new open-plan kitchen opens onto the hall and stairs, building control will check the escape route, and homes with a floor more than 4.5 metres above ground may need extra fire safety measures.
Homes in the South Downs National Park, listed flint cottages and conservation areas such as central Chichester may need consent for a new external vent.
Before you book open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Horsham
- Before asking for prices for your Horsham home, look upstairs: a wall directly above the one you want removed is a strong sign it is load-bearing.
- If your Horsham home is leasehold, ask the freeholder for written consent before any structural work is designed or booked in.
- Clear both rooms completely before the opening is made in your West Sussex home, and seal doors to the rest of the house with dust sheets and tape.
- If a beam will bear into a wall shared with a neighbour in England or Wales, the Party Wall Act may require notice before work starts.
Questions about open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Horsham
How much do open-plan kitchen knock-throughs cost in Horsham?
For removing a non-load-bearing wall and making good, budget around £920 to £2,300 including VAT in Horsham. That reflects typical costs in the South East; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.
Do you cover all of Horsham?
Yes. We work across Horsham, including the RH12 postcode district, and nearby towns such as Crawley and Horley. Book a free survey visit and we will arrange a time that suits you.
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.
Do I need approval to remove a wall between kitchen and dining room?
For a load-bearing wall, yes, everywhere in the UK. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland that means Building Regulations approval through building control; in Scotland a building warrant must be granted before work starts, followed by a completion certificate. A non-load-bearing partition is simpler, although a listed building may need listed building consent and a leasehold flat usually needs the freeholder's written consent.
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.
Nearby places we cover
The same service is available a short drive from Horsham, including:
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Crawley
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Horley
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Haywards Heath
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Burgess Hill
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Reigate
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Redhill
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs across West Sussex