Removal of chimney stack, breasts and an internal wall.

GSDog

Hi all.

I've just got a quote to basically remove a single chimney stack and two chimney breasts in both bedrooms, as well as knock a wall through between the dining room and lounge and install a steel lintol.

I got the quote from a family member and it is quite a bit higher than I expected.
I'm also surprised that I'm being quoted for an entire day of plastering, when all that'll need plastering is where the two chimney breasts have been - surely that won't take an entire day?

I hate having to do this but the family member in question has been struggling with money recently and I have a horrible feeling he's trying to make a decent profit out of me.

Chimney
Demolitions, scaffold, roof protection, etc.
£220 a day x 4 = £880.

Carpentry, roofing, flooring, etc.
£220 a day x 4 = £880.

Plastering.
£300 a day x 1 = £300.

Total = £2060

Wall
Form new opening between dining room and proposed lounge.
Install Catnic steel lintol, make good walls, floor, skirtings, etc.
£800.

Total = £800

Total for works:

Sub total: £2860

Preliminaries @ 10% = £286
Overheads @ 20% = £572
Sub total = £3781

V.A.T @ 17.5%

Total: £4442.67


Any advice on this would be appreciated.

bosseyed

GSDog wrote: »

Hi all.

I've just got a quote to basically remove a single chimney stack and two chimney breasts in both bedrooms, as well as knock a wall through between the dining room and lounge and install a steel lintol.

I got the quote from a family member and it is quite a bit higher than I expected.
I'm also surprised that I'm being quoted for an entire day of plastering, when all that'll need plastering is where the two chimney breasts have been - surely that won't take an entire day?

I hate having to do this but the family member in question has been struggling with money recently and I have a horrible feeling he's trying to make a decent profit out of me.

Chimney
Demolitions, scaffold, roof protection, etc.
£220 a day x 4 = £880.

Carpentry, roofing, flooring, etc.
£220 a day x 4 = £880.

Plastering.
£300 a day x 1 = £300.

Total = £2060

Wall
Form new opening between dining room and proposed lounge.
Install Catnic steel lintol, make good walls, floor, skirtings, etc.
£800.

Total = £800

Total for works:

Sub total: £2860

Preliminaries @ 10% = £286
Overheads @ 20% = £572
Sub total = £3781

V.A.T @ 17.5%

Total: £4442.67


Any advice on this would be appreciated.

Hmmm, can't really comment on the chimney works but £800 for everything to do with knocking through the structural wall (it is structural?) seems pretty fair to me, especially if hes making good (I'd imagine this will require a bit of plastering too, hence the day)

Also don't forget you'll need building regs approval for both works which will be a few hundred quid too.

Also carpet or whatever, you'll have two gaps where your chimney breasts were located - or is this covered under 'flooring'?

ormus

doesnt really matter if a job takes 4 hrs or 8 hrs, you will get charged a full day by almost any tradesman.
nearly all of them charge by the day. and they cost their jobs that way.

keystone

I would say thats a fair total price but would also say that, as a family member, hes not doing you any favours. Preliminaries is a cheek - charging you for visiting and doing the quote and overheads is probably his cut on all his sub-contract labour and materials.

I dont like Ormus' sweeping generalisation at all and could take issue with it but see no point in provoking a fight as me points been made just by saying so.

However, a spread in particular does tend to charge a day rate because if he's doing two skim coats he has to wait for the first to go off sufficiently to take the second. That can be an hour or so just sitting there waiting. By the time hes done the second there won't be much of the day left and no time to start and finish another job. No I don't do plastering BTW so don't have a vested interest.

Cheers

phill99

Having work done by family members can lead to untold problems.

If it goes wrong, it will lead to bad blood and other family members will get involved and cause more problems. People always think that as it is a family member, they are entitled to a better price. But the business still costs the same to run. the diesel in the van still costs the same as do your overheads.

If I were you, I would get independent quotes and then if it goes wrong you aren't going to have a fight at the next family wedding.

GSDog

Thanks everyone, there's some really good advice here.

I told him that I'm on a tight budget and he's agreed to help us do most of the works ourselves to save a lot of money.

Regarding the building regs, I didn't think they'd be needed for the chimney as it's not structual and the property is detatched?

ninky_2

regarding chimney removal i think it's worth calling your council building department to check what the rules are re regs. i know when i was thinking of doing the same thing i did need permission and they wanted to see some sort of structural drawing for how it was going to be supported. my builder also said he'd want proof of permissions as he'd once knocked out a chimney breast in a property and then the council got wind and made the owner replace it (it was in a former council property).

bosseyed

GSDog wrote: »

Thanks everyone, there's some really good advice here.

I told him that I'm on a tight budget and he's agreed to help us do most of the works ourselves to save a lot of money.

Regarding the building regs, I didn't think they'd be needed for the chimney as it's not structual and the property is detatched?

Pretty sure it is structural - once the chimney stack and breasts have gone you've got joists for the first floor which need to be supported on something and same in the loft space.

Some info here http://www.dartford.gov.uk/buildingcontrol/ChimneyRemoval.htm

And if the wall you're knocking through is structural, that also requires building regs approval.

GSDog

Just an update for you all.

My brother and I decided to go ahead and do the chimney removal ourselves. I phoned the council first and was told that no permission/regs were required for the chimney works.
I forgot to mention that it is a detached bungalow, which makes things much easier. I probably wouldn't have done it myself if it was a two story house.
Luckily we had a lot of the tools and materials needed, including most of the timber, tiles and roof felt. We started by attempting to dismantle the chimney stack by using a club hammer and chisle but found the brick work far too tough. I went to Argos and grabbed a Worx 6KG SDS Hammer drill (amazing piece of kit) which made the job 10 times easier.
We've now knocked the chimney stack right down, leaving just the chimney breasts in both of the bedrooms which we're hoping to remove this week. Today we fixed the roof with new felt, battens and tiles. It was easier than I expected.

Anyway, total cost so far: Just short of £300. We've saved a huge amount by doing it ourselves, probably thousands, and it's only taken us 3 days to remove the chimney stack and fix the roof. We're got the DIY bug now and plan to do the plastering ourselves, saving another couple of hundred quid!
Regarding the wall, we will get more outside help with that as it is structural. We're also going to need building regs approval and another skip, so it's going to cost a bit more than the chimney. We reckon the total cost of doing both the chimney and wall should come to less than £1,500 in total, saving us almost £3,000. It has been tough work and I am aching all over, but definitely worth it. Like I said though, I probably wouldn't have done it if it was a two story house and/or if the chimney was structural.