How much does chimney breast removal cost in the UK?
Chimney breast removal costs £1,500 to £6,000 in the UK, typically around £2,800 for the job. Prices reviewed June 2026.
Removing a chimney breast reclaims floor space, but it is structural work: whatever is left above has to be supported, signed off by building control, and usually designed by a structural engineer.
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Chimney breast removal cost breakdown
Typical chimney breast removal costs, by option:
| Option | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Breast removed in one room (single floor) | £1,500 to £2,500 |
| Breast removed across two floors | £2,500 to £4,000 |
| Full chimney and stack removed | £3,500 to £6,000 |
| + Structural engineer and building control | add £500 to £1,000 |
What's included in the price?
Typical chimney breast removal prices include:
- Removing the breast and making good walls, floor and ceiling
- Support for any brickwork left above (gallows brackets or steel)
- Building control sign-off
- Waste removal
What changes the price?
The things that move chimney breast removal prices most:
How many floors the breast is removed from
Whether the stack in the loft and on the roof also comes out
How the remaining structure is supported
Making good, plastering and any redecoration
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, chimney breast removal typically costs around £3,600 for the job, about 30% above the UK average of £2,800. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £2,600.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £1,500 | £2,800 | £6,000 |
| London | £2,000 | £3,600 | £7,800 |
| South East / South West | £1,700 | £3,200 | £6,900 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £1,400 | £2,600 | £5,500 |
Guide prices for the job, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
London and the South East run above the national figures, mainly on labour.
Common questions
Chimney breast removal costs roughly £1,500 to £6,000 in the UK, typically around £2,800. Taking the breast out of one room is £1,500 to £2,500, across two floors £2,500 to £4,000, and removing the full chimney and stack including roof making good is £3,500 to £6,000. A structural engineer and building control usually add £500 to £1,000.
Planning permission is not usually needed, but building regulations approval always is, because it is structural work. You will also need a structural engineer's design for how the remaining structure is supported, and if the chimney is shared with a neighbour (common in terraces and semis) a party wall agreement is required before work starts.
Yes, and it is a common request to reclaim space in a living room. The important point is that the breast on the floors above does not simply float: it has to be supported, usually on galvanised steel gallows brackets bolted to the party wall, or a steel beam. That support is exactly what the structural engineer designs and building control checks, and it is why even a ground-floor-only removal is a proper structural job rather than a quick knock-through.
It is more involved than it looks. Beyond the demolition and skip, the crew has to support the structure above, make good the wall, floor and ceiling where the breast was, and get building control sign-off, which is why it takes several days and costs £1,500 to £6,000. Removing the full stack adds roof and scaffolding work. It is very much a job for a builder working to an engineer's design, not a DIY afternoon.
Yes, in almost all cases. The engineer calculates how to carry the load of whatever is left above once the breast is gone, and specifies the brackets or steel needed. Their fee is generally £300 to £600 and is money well spent: it is what keeps the structure safe and satisfies building control. Skipping it risks cracking, sagging or worse, and can cause problems when you sell.
In a small room where a redundant breast eats a metre of usable width, removal can genuinely transform the space, and at £1,500 to £6,000 it is cheaper than an extension for the floor area you gain. It is less worth it if the fireplace is a period feature you would keep, if the flue still serves a working stove or boiler, or if a partial removal leaves an awkward supported section. Weigh the space gained against the disruption and the making-good.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.