# What a Typical Kitchen Knock-Through Looks Like, Start to Finish

> An illustrative walkthrough of a typical load-bearing wall removal in a Dublin semi: first call, site visit, calcs, propping, steel, inspection and certificate.

URL: https://structuralengineer.ie/blog/typical-kitchen-knock-through-walkthrough/

# What a Typical Kitchen Knock-Through Looks Like, Start to Finish

By StructuralEngineer.ie · 19 October 2026

> **Illustrative walkthrough.** This describes how a typical job runs. It is not a specific client’s project, and the house and figures are representative.

[StructuralEngineer.ie](https://structuralengineer.ie/) designs and certifies kitchen knock-throughs across Dublin. This is what a typical one looks like, from the first phone call to the certificate your solicitor will ask for when you sell.

## The house

A two-storey 1970s semi. The owners want to remove the wall between the kitchen and the dining room to make one open-plan room, about a 4 m opening. Upstairs there are two bedrooms over it, and the roof is trussed.

## 1. The call

They describe the wall, the opening and the house. Photos of the wall and ceiling help. The engineering fee is confirmed in writing before the visit, in the typical €400–€900 range for a single wall.

## 2. The site visit

The engineer lifts a floorboard in the bedroom above: the joists run front-to-back and land on the wall, so it’s load-bearing. In the attic, the trussed roof spans between the external walls, so no roof load comes down this wall. The ends of the new beam will bear on blockwork piers at each side, and the floor below is a ground-bearing slab, good for props.

## 3. The design

Calcs size a universal beam for the floor load, checked for deflection so the bedroom ceilings don’t crack, with concrete padstones at each end and a bearing check on the blockwork below. Fire protection is specified for 30 minutes. A sketch shows the beam, padstones and the propping: needles through the wall above at set positions, with adjustable props on both sides standing on the slab.

## 4. The work

The builder props the floor, cuts out the wall in stages, beds the padstones, lifts the beam in, and packs the gap above it tight with dry-pack mortar. On a typical job like this, that’s a few days on site.

## 5. The inspection

Before the beam is boxed in, the engineer checks the section size against the calcs, the bearings and padstones, and the packing. Photos go on file.

## 6. The certificate

The engineer issues a signed opinion of compliance with Building Regulations Part A. Years later, when the house is sold, that’s the document the buyer’s solicitor asks for, and it’s ready.

## What it typically costs

Published Irish figures put the whole job at €2,500–€5,000 where one storey sits above, with the engineer’s share at €400–€900. See the [full cost guide](https://structuralengineer.ie/guide/load-bearing-wall-removal-cost/) or the [wall removal service](https://structuralengineer.ie/load-bearing-wall-removal/). For a fixed fee for your wall, call [01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764).

Sources

- [Cork Demolitions: Cost to remove a load-bearing wall](https://corkdemolitions.ie/cost-to-remove-load-bearing-wall/)

Questions about your house? Call 01 270 9764.

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