Structural Alterations in Northwood, HA6
Opening up the ground floor, removing load-bearing walls and forming new openings in Northwood houses, with our own structural engineers and building control approval.
Covered under one contract
- Architectural and structural design
- Planning or lawful development certificate
- Foundations, walls, roof and steels
- Glazing, rooflights and doors
- Kitchen designed and fitted
- Building control and party wall handled
Structural Alterations in Northwood.
Most of the houses in Northwood were planned as a series of small rooms. Opening them up, whether that is knocking two reception rooms together, taking out the wall between the kitchen and dining room, or forming a wide opening onto the garden, is structural work, and it needs to be designed rather than improvised.
Our engineers design the steel beams, padstones and any temporary works, and our team installs them. The beam is usually hidden within the ceiling so the finished room shows no trace of the wall that was there. Building control inspects the work, and where the wall is shared with a neighbour we serve the party wall notices.
Structural alterations are often the first stage of a wider refurbishment, and we plan them as such, so the services, floor levels and finishes that follow are all designed together.
- Area
- Northwood, HA6
- Council
- London Borough of Hillingdon
- Housing
- Large Edwardian and inter-war detached houses on wide plots, 1930s semis, post-war houses towards Moor Park
- Transport
- Northwood, Northwood Hills (Metropolitan)
- Rear or side return, on site
- 10 to 16 weeks
- Design and approvals
- 8 to 14 weeks before start
- Glazing lead time
- 6 to 10 weeks, ordered early
- Consent
- Permitted development or householder application
- Party wall
- Notices served by us
Northwood: the houses and the planning rules.
Northwood grew up around the Metropolitan line station in the early 1900s, with substantial Edwardian houses along the tree-lined roads to the east and inter-war housing filling the rest. Plots are large, the houses are detached, and the neighbouring Moor Park estate raises the ceiling on what owners will invest.
The projects here are among the largest we do outside central London: double-storey rear extensions, full refurbishments with new services and layouts, new kitchens and bathrooms throughout, and loft conversions within the deep hipped roofs.
The Northwood Frithwood and Green Lane conservation areas cover parts of the district; most streets are unrestricted.
London Borough of Hillingdon
Hillingdon decides applications. Large plots mean most single-storey extensions are permitted development, while double-storey schemes need a householder application.
Conservation areas
In the Frithwood and Green Lane areas, external changes are assessed against the conservation area appraisal, with attention to trees and boundary treatments.
Moor Park
On the Moor Park estate, the residents' association has its own covenants and approval process alongside planning.
Approvals for structural alterations in Northwood.
Structural work needs building regulations approval and an engineer's calculations; where the wall is shared with a neighbour, party wall notices are required, and listed buildings need listed building consent for internal alterations.
Hillingdon decides applications. Large plots mean most single-storey extensions are permitted development, while double-storey schemes need a householder application.
What structural alterations in Northwood includes.
- Architectural and structural design
- Planning or lawful development certificate
- Foundations, walls, roof and steels
- Glazing, rooflights and doors
- Kitchen designed and fitted
- Building control and party wall handled
From site visit to handover.
- 01
Site visit & consultation
We visit, listen and measure. Brief, budget and constraints understood before any advice is given.
- 02
Design & itemised quote
Our architects and engineers draw the scheme, and from that we provide a transparent, itemised quotation for your approval.
- 03
Planning & approvals
Planning applications, building control and party wall matters handled for you.
- 04
Build, managed weekly
Our own trades, sequenced by a site manager. Progress reported every week.
- 05
Handover & aftercare
Joint snagging walk-through, documentation, and a guarantee on our workmanship.
Structural Alterations in Northwood: your questions.
Can you remove a load-bearing wall in a Northwood house?
Yes. Our structural engineer designs the steel beam and padstones, building control inspects the work, and if the wall is a party wall we serve the notices. The beam can usually be concealed within the ceiling depth.
Do structural alterations need planning permission?
Internal structural work does not need planning permission, but it always needs building regulations approval. Listed buildings need listed building consent for internal alterations.
Which parts of Northwood do you cover?
All of Northwood and HA6, including Green Lane, Frithwood Avenue, Watford Road, Murray Road, Dene Road, Eastbury Road, and the neighbouring districts. We are based in London and our teams work across central, north, north-west, west and south-west London.
Other services in Northwood.
House Refurbishment in Northwood
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Flat Refurbishment in Northwood
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House Extensions in Northwood
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Loft Conversions in Northwood
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Basement Conversions in Northwood
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Kitchen Renovation in Northwood
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Bathroom Renovation in Northwood
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Bespoke Joinery & Fitted Furniture in Northwood
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Architectural & Interior Design in Northwood
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Planning Permission & Building Regulations in Northwood
Read moreStructural Alterations across London.
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We will visit, listen and explain what is possible for your property and how it would be approved. No pressure, no sales pitch.