Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs · Greater London
Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Pimlico
Homeowners and landlords in Pimlico 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 Pimlico choose open-plan kitchen knock-throughs?
When a Pimlico kitchen is dark because its only window faces a narrow side return, a wide opening into the next room borrows light from the other end of the house.
Parents across Greater London 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. Homes right across Pimlico are covered, as are nearby places such as Westminster, Battersea and the villages in between.
What is in a typical job?
Your written quote lists everything included. For open-plan kitchen knock-throughs, that normally means:
- In England and Wales, party wall requirements checked where a beam bears into a shared wall
- Building Regulations approval arranged, or a building warrant before work starts in Scotland
- Temporary props set, the wall removed and the steel beam bedded on padstones
- Beam boxed in, the opening plastered and the floor joined where the wall stood
- Structural engineer arranged to design the beam, padstones and temporary propping
- New kitchen fitted once the opening is made good and the structural work inspected
How much do open-plan kitchen knock-throughs cost in Pimlico?
The figures below are guide prices for Pimlico, including VAT and adjusted for typical costs across London. The fixed price comes after we have measured up. Prices in London usually run above the national guide, mainly because labour and parking cost more.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Non-load-bearing wall removed and made goodStud or light partition, minimal services | £1,000–£2,600 |
| Load-bearing wall with a steel beamStructural engineer's design and making good; building control or warrant fees listed separately | £3,900–£11,000 |
| Knock-through with a new kitchen-dinerSteel beam, new kitchen, new floor throughout | £32,500–£71,500 |
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%.
Local homes and their kitchens
Across Greater London you will often find Victorian and Edwardian terraces, conversion flats, mansion block flats and 1930s semis, and each shapes the kitchen differently. Victorian terraces often have a narrow galley beside the side return, while conversion flats and mansion blocks usually fit the kitchen into a small room or along one living-room wall.
London's mains water is hard, so limescale builds quickly on taps and boiling water taps, and a scale-reducing filter is worth planning in. Permit parking, red routes and flats without lifts are common, so parking suspensions, stair carries and lift bookings may need arranging before delivery day.
Building regulations, electrics and gas in Pimlico
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.
Conservation areas are widespread across London, so a new extractor vent on a front wall may need permission, and leaseholders usually need the freeholder's written consent first.
Planning ahead
- Before asking for prices for your Pimlico home, look upstairs: a wall directly above the one you want removed is a strong sign it is load-bearing.
- Check your home insurance and mortgage terms before structural work in Pimlico; some insurers and lenders ask to be told about alterations like this.
- Clear both rooms completely before the opening is made in your Greater London 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 Pimlico
How much do open-plan kitchen knock-throughs cost in Pimlico?
For removing a non-load-bearing wall and making good, budget around £1,000 to £2,600 including VAT in Pimlico. That reflects typical costs in London; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.
Which parts of Pimlico do you work in?
All of them. Our Greater London coverage takes in the whole of Pimlico, including the SW1 postcode district, as well as surrounding towns such as Westminster. If you are unsure, send us your postcode.
How can I tell if a kitchen wall is load-bearing?
Usually you cannot be certain by looking. Clues include floor joists landing on the wall from above, another wall directly on top of it upstairs, or the wall running down the middle of the house on its own foundation. A hollow knock is not a reliable test, because some stud walls carry loads. We check at the survey, and where there is doubt a structural engineer confirms it before anything is removed.
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.
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.
Also covering nearby towns
The same service is available a short drive from Pimlico, including:
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Westminster
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Battersea
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Chelsea
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Brixton
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Bayswater
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Fulham
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs across Greater London