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What changes the cost of removing a chimney breast?
In Cheshire, the cost of removing a chimney breast depends on how much of it comes out, how what is left above will be supported, the structural engineer's design, building control, any party wall agreement, and the plastering, flooring and decorating afterwards. We print no price, so compare written quotes that include the same support and sign-off.
Last reviewed:What does removing a chimney breast involve?
A chimney breast is the part of a chimney that sticks out into a room. Above it sits more brickwork: often another breast in the room upstairs, then the flue through the loft, then the stack above the roof. Removing a breast is structural work. The masonry above either has to come out too, or has to be supported, usually on steel beams or brackets designed by a structural engineer.
So the job is rarely just knocking out bricks. It typically includes the engineer's design, building control, protecting the house from dust, temporary support, removing the masonry, fitting the permanent support, making good the floor, walls and ceiling, and decorating.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns. This guide does not print a price for removing a chimney breast. We could not find two dated public UK sources for one. It covers what changes the price, the rules that apply, and how to compare quotes.
Building control, planning and listed homes
The Planning Portal says building regulations approval will always apply when removing chimney breasts, because they are part of the building's structure [S3]. It advises seeking a structural engineer who will provide drawings and calculations that can be submitted as part of the application [S3].
Planning permission is a different question. The Planning Portal says planning permission is not required to remove an internal chimney breast, because the change does not affect the outside of the house, and that the rules may differ if the stack comes down or the house is in a conservation area [S3]. Ask your council if the stack is coming down too.
If the house is listed, GOV.UK says listed building consent is needed to alter or extend it in a way that affects its character as a building of special historic or architectural interest, and that carrying out such works without consent is a criminal offence [S5]. The same guidance says listing covers the whole building, inside and outside. A chimney breast in a listed house is the kind of change to raise with the council's conservation officer before anything else.
This page gives no DIY steps. Removing structural masonry without an approved design can put the floors and roof above at risk.
GOV.UK: find your local council for building control. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Party walls and shared chimneys
In terraced and semi-detached houses, chimney breasts are often built into the wall shared with the neighbour, and the flues may be shared too. GOV.UK lists removing chimney breasts from a party wall among the works that the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 covers [S4].
In practice that means a party wall notice goes to the neighbour before the work starts, and, if they do not agree, surveyors may be appointed. That adds time and can add cost. Ask each builder whether they have allowed for it, and who will deal with it. The Act is separate from building regulations, so both can apply to the same job.
What changes the cost of removing a chimney breast
| What is being priced | What makes it bigger or smaller | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Engineer's design | Drawings and calculations for the support | Whether the design is in the price, or arranged separately |
| Building control | Application and inspections | Who applies, and whether fees are included |
| Which floors | Ground floor only, first floor only, or both | Exactly which breasts are being removed |
| Support above | Steel beams, brackets or removing everything up to the roof | The support method in the engineer's design |
| Stack | Leaving the stack, or taking it down and re-roofing | Whether the stack is included, and the roof repair |
| Party wall | A party wall notice, agreement and any surveyor fees | Whether party wall costs are allowed for |
| Dust and protection | Sheeting, dust screens, protecting carpets and stairs | How the rest of the house will be protected |
| Waste | Brick and rubble is heavy and bulky | How waste is removed, and whether a skip is in the price |
| Making good | Floor, ceiling, walls, skirting, plaster | Whether plastering and flooring repairs are included |
| Electrics and heating | Sockets, cables or a gas fire on the breast | Who removes or moves them, and how it is certified |
| Decoration | Painting the room afterwards | Whether decorating is in or out |
| VAT | Whether the business is VAT registered | Whether the total includes VAT |
A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S2]. Ask whether each total includes VAT.
Gas fires, flues and services on the breast
Many chimney breasts have something attached: a gas fire, an old back boiler, sockets, a TV point or cables in the wall. Any gas appliance must be dealt with by a Gas Safe registered engineer before the breast is touched, and electrical changes need a registered electrician. This page gives no steps for either. Ask each builder how they will arrange that work, and whether it is in the price.
Flues also matter if you have a neighbouring flue in use, or a stove or boiler that uses the chimney elsewhere in the house. Tell each builder what the chimney is used for now.
Gas Safe Register. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Dust, disruption and timing
Removing a chimney breast is messy. Old brick, soot and plaster dust spread easily through a house. Good quotes describe how the work area will be sealed off, how the stairs and carpets will be protected, and how rubble will be carried out. Ask how long the room will be out of use, and how many days the building control inspector needs to visit.
If you are planning other work, such as new flooring, a rewire or decorating, it is usually easier to do it after the breast is out. Ask the builder about sequencing.
What to have ready before you ask for quotes
Give each builder the same information:
- which breasts you want removed, on which floors, with photos
- what is above: another breast, a loft, a stack on the roof
- whether the house is terraced, semi-detached or detached, and whether the breast is on a shared wall
- what is attached to the breast: gas fire, sockets, TV point
- whether the chimney is used for anything else in the house
- whether you already have an engineer's design
- the age of the house, and whether it is listed or in a conservation area
- your postcode, and when you would like the work done
How to compare chimney breast removal quotes
Check each quote for:
- The same breasts, on the same floors.
- The support method, and whether it follows an engineer's design.
- Who applies for building control, and whether fees are included.
- Whether party wall costs are allowed for.
- The stack: left in place, supported, or removed with roof repairs.
- Dust protection and waste removal.
- Making good: floors, ceilings, walls and skirting.
- Gas and electrical work, and who does it.
- Whether VAT is included.
Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three traders, avoiding large upfront payments and keeping any deposit you cannot avoid to no more than 25% [S1].
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "Remove the ground-floor chimney breast in our living room. We have an engineer's drawing and need a builder to do the work and make good." Or: "We want both chimney breasts in a semi-detached house in Nantwich removed and the stack taken down. Please include the roof repair." Or: "Quote to remove an old gas fire and the chimney breast behind it, with plastering and new skirting."
Get quotes from local builders
Describe the breasts, the house and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See the builders page, the plasterers page for making good, or the roofers page if the stack is coming down.
Official and public sources
QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.
- Quotes and deposits: Citizens Advice [S1].
- VAT: GOV.UK on when to register [S2].
- Building regulations and planning: Planning Portal Interactive House: removing chimney breasts [S3].
- Party walls: GOV.UK: preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls [S4].
- Listed homes: GOV.UK: conserving and enhancing the historic environment [S5].
Questions about chimney breast removal costs
How much does it cost to remove a chimney breast?
This guide does not print a figure, because we could not find two dated public UK sources for one. The total depends on which floors the breast comes out of, how the masonry above is supported, the engineer's design, building control, any party wall agreement and the making good. Ask each builder to price the same engineer's design.
Do I need building regulations approval to remove a chimney breast?
Yes. The Planning Portal says building regulations approval will always apply when removing chimney breasts, because they are part of the building's structure. It advises getting a structural engineer to provide drawings and calculations for the application.
Do I need planning permission to remove a chimney breast?
Not usually for an internal breast. The Planning Portal says planning permission is not required to remove an internal chimney breast because it does not change the outside of the house. Listed buildings are different. GOV.UK says listed building consent is needed to alter a listed building in a way that affects its character as a building of special historic or architectural interest.
What if my chimney breast is on a shared wall?
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 can apply. GOV.UK lists removing chimney breasts from a party wall among the works the Act covers. In that case a party wall notice goes to the neighbour before work starts.
Can I remove the chimney breast downstairs and keep the one upstairs?
It is sometimes done, but the masonry left above must be properly supported, and that support has to be designed. The Planning Portal advises getting a structural engineer to provide drawings and calculations. Never let anyone take out the lower part without an approved support design.
Should I pay a deposit for chimney breast removal?
Citizens Advice suggests avoiding large upfront payments and keeping any deposit you cannot avoid to no more than 25%. Ask what the deposit covers, such as the engineer's fee or steelwork, and get a receipt.
Does QuoteZila check the builders who quote?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
Related guides
- Builders: structural and general building work
- Plasterers: making good afterwards
- Roof repair cost: if the stack comes down
- All cost guides
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
Cost guides
Related pages
- Repointing Cost in Cheshire: What to Ask. Repointing brickwork in Cheshire is priced by area, height and access. A quote should name the wall, the mortar and how the crew will reach the upper courses.
- Room over a garage: what changes the price. In Cheshire, a room over a garage is priced from the structure, the stair and planning for an upper storey. No pound total is printed. See what to ask.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms and matching notes.
- S1: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S2: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S3: Do I need permission to remove chimney breasts?, Planning Portal (Interactive House). Accessed 2026-10-25. https://interactive.planningportal.co.uk/faqs/do-i-need-permission-to-remove-chimney-breasts
- S4: Preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-resolving-disputes-in-relation-to-party-walls
- S5: Conserving and enhancing the historic environment, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/conserving-and-enhancing-the-historic-environment