Cellar Increasing height

SquirrelJ

[FONT=&quot]What is the process for, and how do I go about getting approval, getting my cellar dug out?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Currently cellar height is about 5 foot 9 I would like to make this a foot higher. But I have no idea the about the process to make sure my floor & foundations etc are suitable.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Who do I need to speak with and is there a way to be able to roughly tell if it would be feasible and rough estimate son costs? The house was built in 1910.

Sorry currently the cellar leads into my garden so it has a door and a window at the front and is the full width of a standard terrace house.
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teneighty

You will need to dig a small trial hole to expose the base of the loadbearing walls. Either in the garden or internally by breaking a small hole in the floor, maybe both. That should tell you if you have enough depth to dig out or whether the walls will need underpinning. For an extra foot in room height you will need to dig down at least two feet to cast the new floor so underpinning could be a distinct possibility.

Ask a Structural Engineer or Building Surveyor for their opinion. You might get away with a free initial consultation but they would only give a without prejudice informal opinion. Otherwise expect to pay around £150 -£250 for a brief report.

The work will be very expensive, even more so if the walls need underpinning and the added joys of at least 2 party wall agreements. It is normally only cost effective in areas with very high property values.