Permission to remove an internal wall
Removing or altering an internal wall rarely needs planning permission, but if the wall is load-bearing it needs building regulations approval and structural design.
Opening up internal space is usually free of planning constraints. The important question is structural: is the wall holding something up? If so, the beam over the new opening has to be designed and approved.
- Building or removing a non-structural internal wall in a normal house
- Internal reconfiguration that does not change the use or external appearance
- Forming openings, subject to structural approval where the wall is load-bearing
- Listed buildings, internal alterations need listed building consent
- Any works that also change the use of the property or its external appearance
- Cases where a planning condition restricts internal alterations (rare)
Don't forget building regs
Removing a load-bearing wall needs building regulations approval: a structural engineer sizes the beam and checks the support and foundations below it. Fire separation and, in some layouts, means of escape are also assessed. We provide the calculations and the building control drawings.
This is a project our combined team is built for, the structural engineer sizes the steel and the technicians produce the building control drawings together. Where the wall is shared with a neighbour, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply and we can prepare the initial notice. See our building regulation drawings.
Frequently asked
Do I need planning permission to knock down an internal wall?
Not in a normal house, internal alterations are generally outside planning control. The exception is listed buildings, where internal changes need listed building consent. Building regulations, however, do apply to structural walls.
Do I need building regulations to remove a load-bearing wall?
Yes. A load-bearing wall requires a structural engineer to size the supporting beam and check the load path and foundations, and the work needs building control approval. We prepare the calculations and drawings.
Not sure where your project stands?
Checking whether you need planning permission is one of the first things we do: on the house, before any drawings. Tell us about your project and we'll confirm the route.