Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs · Greater London
Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Putney
Whether your Putney kitchen is a narrow galley or an open-plan room, open-plan kitchen knock-throughs follow the same careful order: survey, written scope, fit and a final check together.
Who usually needs open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Putney?
If your Putney semi has the kitchen at the back and a separate dining room beside it, opening the wall between them often makes space for an island or a proper table.
If your Putney 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. We cover all of Putney, including the SW15 postcode district, and travel out to neighbouring towns across Greater London.
What is in a typical job?
The exact scope is agreed after the survey, but a typical job in Putney 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
- 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
- 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 Putney?
The figures below are guide prices for Putney, 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
You will find Victorian and Edwardian terraces, conversion flats, mansion block flats and 1930s semis throughout Greater London. 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.
Do you need approval for open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Putney?
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.
Before you book open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Putney
- Plan the heating for your new Putney 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.
- Choose the new floor finish before the wall comes out, so the strip where the wall stood can be levelled and covered in one go.
- Think about fire escape if the kitchen will open onto the hall and stairs, particularly in homes of three storeys or more.
Questions about open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Putney
How much do open-plan kitchen knock-throughs cost in Putney?
Guide prices in Putney are about £1,000 to £2,600 including VAT for removing a non-load-bearing wall and making good. The final price depends on the size of the kitchen and what is moving, and is set out in an itemised written quote.
Can you measure up in Putney before quoting?
Yes. Every quote starts with a free, no-obligation survey visit to your home in Putney. 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.
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.
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.
Also covering nearby towns
We also carry out open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in these towns near Putney:
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Roehampton
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Barnes
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Fulham
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Earlsfield
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Wimbledon
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs in Chelsea
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs across Greater London