Structural Works · Stockport
Structural Works in Stockport,Performed Safely,Calculated Properly, Signed Off.
Removing walls, installing steels, opening up living space — the work that transforms how a home feels. Done right, it's invisible. Done wrong, it's a structural catastrophe. We do it the first way.
Independent structural engineer · Building Control sign-off · Fully insured
14+ Yrs
Building experience
200+ Projects
Delivered across Cheshire
Local
Stockport-based, Lewis-led
Fully Insured
Public liability cover
48-Hour Reply
Fixed-price quotes
Overview
What you need to know about structural works.
Structural works are the most consequential changes you can make to a building. Get them right and you transform the way the home lives. Get them wrong and you compromise the safety of every person inside it. There is no middle ground.
What it is
We carry out load-bearing wall removals, RSJ and UC steel beam installations, structural openings for bifold and sliding doors, supporting works for chimney breast removals, underpinning, padstone and pier construction, and structural alterations connected to extensions, loft conversions and renovations.
Who it's for
Homeowners wanting to open up kitchen-diner space, anyone removing a chimney breast, owners of period properties needing structural movement addressed, and clients of architects who need a builder who understands structural drawings rather than just decorative ones.
When you need it
When you want open-plan living, when subsidence or movement appears, when an extension or conversion requires new structural support, or when a previous DIY alteration is showing signs of distress.
Why a specialist
Structural work requires three disciplines working together: an independent structural engineer to calculate loads and specify the steel, an experienced builder to install it correctly, and Building Control to inspect and sign off. Skipping any one of those is gambling with a six-figure asset and the safety of the people living in it.
The Real Risk
What happens when this goes wrong.
Failed structural work is the single most expensive home-improvement mistake there is. Here's what we get called in to fix.
Risks of cutting corners
- Sagging ceilings and floors above wall removals where the steel was undersized or padstones inadequate.
- Cracking propagating across upper floors from incorrectly transferred loads.
- Chimney breasts removed at ground floor without supporting the breast above — collapse risk and insurance void.
- Underpinning carried out in continuous runs instead of hit-and-miss bays — causing the very movement it was meant to fix.
- Steels installed without Building Control sign-off — discovered at sale and forcing emergency remedial work.
Common homeowner mistakes
- Hiring a builder who 'doesn't really need' a structural engineer's calcs.
- Sizing steels by rule of thumb instead of engineered calculation.
- Removing chimney breasts on ground or first floor without supporting the breast and stack above.
- Underpinning DIY-style or in continuous runs.
- Skipping Building Control to save inspection fees — costing thousands at sale time.
Our Process
How we deliver, step by step.
Free Site Survey
Lewis attends in person to measure, assess constraints and understand what you actually want — not what's easiest for us to sell.
Design & Fixed Quote
Once we've fully scoped the work on site, you receive an itemised, fixed-price quotation with drawings or specification sheets where required. Larger projects take longer to price properly — never a vague allowance.
Planning & Approvals
We handle planning applications, building regulations, party-wall notices and structural drawings end-to-end.
Build Phase
One accountable team on site, daily progress updates, protected work areas and a tidy site every evening.
Sign-Off & Guarantee
Full walk-through, snagging completed before invoice, and your personally backed workmanship — Lewis returns to put right anything that isn't right issued on handover.
Structural Works — recent project photos.
A small selection of completed structural works work delivered by Greenbank across Stockport and Cheshire.
Benefits
Why homeowners choose Greenbank.
Engineer-calculated steels
Every beam sized by an independent chartered structural engineer. No guesswork.
Building Control signed off
Every structural alteration submitted, inspected and certificated. Protects your property's legal status.
Proper temporary works
Acrows, strongboys and needles correctly specified before any wall is touched.
Padstone and bearing detail
Correct concrete or pre-cast padstones, properly distributing load to the supporting structure.
Insured for structural work
Comprehensive cover for the type of work being undertaken — many general builders aren't.
Workmanship we stand behind
Backed in writing on every project.
Technical Detail
The detail that separates a 30-year job from a 5-year one.
Structural work is engineering, not decoration. Here's the technical detail behind everything we do.
Load-bearing wall removal
Every wall removal begins with identifying whether the wall is load-bearing — by inspection, drawing review and engineer's input. We then submit structural calculations to Building Control, install correctly sized temporary supports (Acrow props with Strongboys or needles depending on wall type), break out the wall in sequence, install the steel beam onto pre-cast concrete padstones, and remove temporary works only after the beam is fully bearing.
Steel beam selection
We use UC (Universal Column) and UB (Universal Beam) sections sized by the structural engineer based on span, load and deflection limits. Typical residential beams range from 152x152 UC to 305x165 UB. Beams are fire-protected with intumescent paint or boxed in plasterboard to achieve 30 or 60 minutes' fire resistance as required.
Chimney breast removal
Chimney breast removal is one of the most-bodged jobs we get called to remediate. The correct method is to support the breast above with a gallows bracket bolted into the party wall (older properties) or steel beam supported on padstones (modern properties). Removal of breasts on multiple floors requires engineer-designed support to the remaining stack — never simply 'capped off' at loft level.
Underpinning
Where subsidence or settlement is confirmed, we underpin in traditional 1m hit-and-miss bays. Each bay is excavated to sound bearing strata, concrete poured, dry-packed against the existing footing and allowed to cure before the next bay in sequence is opened. The process is slow, methodical and Building Control inspected at every stage.
Structural openings for bifolds and sliders
Wide structural openings (5–8m+) for bifold and sliding door installations require deep beams and careful detailing. We coordinate with the door supplier on tolerances, install correctly sized lintels with proper bearing, and ensure deflection is within manufacturer tolerance to prevent door operation issues.
Building Control
Every structural alteration we carry out is submitted to Stockport Council Building Control or an Approved Inspector. Pre-construction calculations, in-progress inspection of temporary works and steel installation, and final sign-off on completion. You receive the Completion Certificate on handover.
FAQ
Structural Works — your questions, answered.
Lewis personally responds to every enquiry.
Ask a QuestionNext Step
Ready to get a real price for your structural works project?
Free site visit. Itemised, detailed fixed-price quote after a proper site survey. No pressure. Just an honest plan you can trust.
Serving Stockport, Cheadle, Bramhall, Hale, Wilmslow, Altrincham, Sale, Didsbury & Trafford