Chimney Breast Removal: Your Complete Guide

Why Remove a Chimney Breast?

Chimney breasts can take up significant living space — some measure 2 to 3 metres wide and a metre deep. Removing one frees up valuable room, particularly in smaller homes.

With the shift towards greener heating and tightening restrictions on home fire-lighting, many homeowners are choosing to remove fireplaces and chimney breasts entirely to reclaim space for modern living.

Do I Need a Structural Engineer?

It depends on whether your chimney breast is real or false.

A false chimney breast is purely aesthetic — made of a wooden frame, stud work, or decorative brick. If yours is false, you should only need a local builder.

A real chimney breast is structural. It was built at the same time as the house, and support beams may need to be added to support the masonry above. A structural engineer will calculate what is needed and provide the drawings for Building Control approval.

Cost Breakdown

The total cost of removing a chimney breast includes several components:

• Structural engineer's fees — site inspection, structural calculations, and Building Control drawings. Our fees start from £375 for a single chimney breast removal.
• Builder's labour and materials — creating temporary support, removing the chimney breast, installing the new steel beam, and making good the finishes. This is typically the largest portion.
• Building Control approval — a legal requirement for any structural alteration to your home.

The overall cost varies depending on whether the chimney stack is also being removed and the extent of finishing work (plastering, decoration).

Need professional help with this?

Wall Removal Calculations — fixed price from £450, including site visit and Building Control-ready documentation.