Structural Alterations Fulham
Structural alterations, new openings, underpinning and floor structures in Fulham, designed by the engineer we appoint and inspected at every stage.
- Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder
- London guide: from £1,500
- Free site survey, itemised quote
GS Renovation carries out structural alterations across Fulham, from new openings in bay-fronted terraces near Parsons Green to replacement joists and underpinning closer to the River Thames. We form supported openings, renew failing timbers and strengthen foundations, all designed by the engineer we appoint and signed off by building control.
In Fulham, a simple new opening starts from £1,500, and underpinning a single elevation typically costs £6,000 to £21,000 (indicative London ranges, MyBuilder and Checkatrade, 2026). GS Renovation Ltd, a building contractor based in Potters Bar, does the work in Fulham.
Price guide
| Work | Indicative London range |
|---|---|
| Simple new opening | from £1,500 |
| Underpinning, single elevation | £6,000 to £21,000 |
| Major structural works | from £15,000 |
Indicative London ranges (MyBuilder and Checkatrade, 2026), not a quotation. Prices checked September 2026. Full breakdown: RSJ & Load-Bearing Walls.
How the job runs
- Free site survey at your Fulham address and an itemised quote.
- The engineer we appoint designs the work, and it is registered with Hammersmith and Fulham Council building control or an approved inspector. On a shared wall you serve the party wall notice as building owner; we supply the drawings.
- Props and any trial holes first, then the opening, joists or underpinning in the engineer's sequence.
- Building control inspects each stage before it is covered, then issues the completion certificate.
Supported openings and joists in Fulham homes
The Victorian and Edwardian terraces of SW6 have rear closet wings and side returns that homeowners frequently want opened up or reconfigured. Whether you are forming a wide new opening between kitchen and garden or replacing joists that have sagged or suffered from damp, we start with an engineer's assessment and a beam schedule sized to the actual spans in your house, not a rule of thumb.
Every supported opening we form gets a steel beam bearing onto padstones, temporary propping while the wall comes down in stages, and building control inspection of the bearings before anything is closed up. Replacement joists are specified for span and grade, and where a wall shows movement we investigate the cause first, so the alteration solves the problem rather than hiding it.
Housing in Fulham
Fulham has around 24,310 homes on the Council Tax list: 39% post-war, 4% interwar and 58% predate 1919, with 76% flats and 24% houses. Structural repair to a block in Fulham usually falls to the freeholder under the lease, so it is agreed with them before anything is opened up, which matters here because most homes are flats.
Deepening a Fulham cellar under the borough basement rules
Fulham houses with a cellar often prompt the same idea: lower the floor, underpin the walls and gain a usable room. In Hammersmith and Fulham, lowering a cellar floor can count as extending a basement, which makes it a planning question before a structural one. Full planning permission is needed to create a new basement or extend an existing basement, including for flats, maisonettes and single dwelling houses. A planning application for a basement also requires a Construction Method Statement. The statement sets out how the dig is supported, how spoil leaves the house and how the neighbouring walls are protected, so the engineer's underpinning sequence has to exist before the application does.
Local Plan Policy DC11 (Basements and Lightwells) only permits new basements and extensions to existing basements where they meet its listed criteria. Among them, a basement must not extend into or underneath the garden further than 50% of the depth of the garden. It must not comprise more than one storey, with exceptions possible on large sites, and it needs a minimum of one metre of soil above any part beneath a garden. For a Fulham house that sets the size of the scheme from the outset, so we measure the garden before the engineer draws anything.
Underpinning and regulations across SW6
Some Fulham terraces near the Thames and Bishops Park sit on ground that has moved over their long lives, and where an engineer confirms inadequate foundations we underpin in controlled sections to deepen and stabilise them. This is methodical work, done bay by bay with full building control involvement, and never rushed. We only underpin where the engineering genuinely calls for it, backed by proper investigation.
Structural alterations are governed by the Building Regulations, so Hammersmith and Fulham Council's building control inspects and certifies the work; planning permission is not required for internal structural changes in a standard terrace. Where an opening, underpinning or beam affects the party wall shared with your neighbour, the Party Wall Act applies and you serve the required notices before starting.
- Load-bearing wall removal and new structural openings
- Chimney breast removal and support to the stack above
- Drainage diversion and build-over agreements where required
VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for all 6 statistical areas in Fulham. Counts rounded by the VOA.
Trusted Structural Alterations in Fulham
For structural alterations in Fulham, GS Renovation gives you a single accountable team: engineer-designed openings, joists and underpinning; freeholder consent planned into the programme; building control sign-off with Hammersmith and Fulham; and clean, staged working in your SW6 home. Our founder's 30+ years of experience means the fix addresses the cause, not just the symptom.
We loved working with George and Ibrahim and would highly recommend them. They have done splendid job on our new kitchen refurb which including new…
Built a new extension at rear of property. Laid foundations, drainage, raised floor, new roof and completed all fixtures and interior decoration…
George always kept to commitments and arrived on time. He offered helpful suggestions during his initial visit and promptly provided a reasonably…
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Structural Alterations Fulham
Is the price of structural alterations higher in Fulham than elsewhere in West London?
The price of structural alterations in Fulham is set by the housing rather than the postcode, within £1,500 to £21,000 or more, from a simple opening to underpinning one elevation (indicative). Older construction takes more making good than recent work, and access at SW6 affects the labour line. GS Renovation prices the property in front of it, because the load path through the Fulham building decides where support lands, rather than applying a Fulham multiplier.
Can part of a wall be taken out rather than all of it in Fulham?
Yes, and it is frequently the better answer. Leaving a pier at each end of an opening in your Fulham house gives the beam somewhere to bear without new posts or pad foundations, and it keeps wall space for furniture and lighting. A full width removal transfers everything to the ends of the room and usually costs more. The engineer sets out what each version needs before the choice is made.
What is involved in moving a staircase in a Fulham house?
Cutting a new opening in a floor and closing an old one, both of which are structural. In your Fulham house the joists interrupted by a new stairwell are carried on trimmers designed for the transferred load, and the floor where the old stair was is made continuous again. Head height, the pitch and the balustrade all have to satisfy the regulations, and head height is what usually defeats a drawing.
Are the garden walls at a Fulham property the owner's responsibility?
It depends on the title, and it matters before anything is built against them. At a Fulham house the boundary may be owned by one side, shared as a party fence wall, or of uncertain ownership. Where a structure is built off it or excavation happens close to it, the Party Wall etc. Act may apply. The deeds are checked before a design assumes anything about that line.
How is a Fulham house checked before alterations are designed?
By opening up enough to see what is actually there. At a Fulham property that usually means lifting a board to establish joist direction and depth, exposing a small area at each proposed bearing, and looking at any cellar or void below. Those investigations are modest and they prevent a design built on assumption. The engineer specifies what needs to be exposed before attending.
Is digging out a Fulham cellar permitted development?
No. Hammersmith and Fulham Council's borough-wide Article 4 direction removing permitted development rights for basement development was made on 25 April 2017. It was confirmed on 16 April and came into force on 26 April 2018. Any advice from before that date which relied on permitted development for Fulham basements is out of date. Full planning permission is needed to create a new basement or extend an existing one.
Does a Fulham basement application need a flood risk assessment?
Where the property is in a flood risk zone, yes. Two thirds of the borough is within one, and the council's guidance is that an application for a property in a flood risk zone comes with a flood risk assessment. For a lowered cellar the assessment shapes the floor level, the waterproofing system and whether the drains need protection against backflow, so commission it alongside the Construction Method Statement rather than after the design is fixed.
How is building control charged for underpinning in Fulham?
By the cost of the work. Underpinning is among the items not listed on the building control fee schedule, and those are charged by cost of works in bands. The charge therefore follows the engineer's scope rather than a fixed figure for the job type. Getting that scope settled, including how many bays and how deep, before the application goes in means the charge is based on the real job from the start.
Every Service, One Team
More GS Renovation Services in Fulham
One team for every GS Renovation service in Fulham:
Same Service, Nearby Areas
Structural Alterations Near Fulham
We carry out structural alterations across Fulham and the surrounding areas. Explore a nearby location:
Ready to Start Your Fulham Project?
Free, no-obligation quote for structural alterations in Fulham.