How Much to Remove a Chimney Breast?
What's the average cost of removing a chimney breast?
The average cost of removing only a chimney stack is £925 to £1,670. Removing a chimney breast downstairs will cost about £1,455 to £2,010, with the total rising a little to £1,570 to £2,120 for the removal of a first-floor chimney breast.
Generally speaking, chimney breasts are removed to help free up some much-needed space in a property.
But what about the cost of removing an entire chimney?
The price of removing an entire chimney breast but leaving the stack is about £2,290 to £2,770, and to remove both the entire chimney breast and stack, you'd need to set aside a budget of about £2,880 to £3,925.
What will the overall price be determined by?
The price of chimney breast removal work will vary depending on the specifics of the job, size and type of chimney, number of tradespeople employed, ease of access and where your property is located.
How much can you expect to pay for labour?
While labour charges are generally lower than the national average in areas like the north of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, you will find prices to be higher in the southeast of England.
Removal of a chimney breast is no small task, it needs serious thought and planning, but does offer big improvements as a result.
The most expensive region in the country is London. In fact, labourers generally charge about £30 to £70 extra per day in the capital than in the north of England.
Chimney Breast Removal Prices
| Job Description | Labour | Supplies | Waste | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Removing a Chimney Stack | £200 to £450 | £525 to £940 | £200 to £280 | £925 to £1,670 |
| Removing a Ground Floor Chimney Breast | £550 to £900 | £675 to £790 | £230 to £320 | £1,455 to £2,010 |
| Removing a First Floor Chimney Breast | £550 to £900 | £790 to £900 | £230 to £320 | £1,570 to £2,120 |
| Remove Entire Chimney Breast but Leave Stack | £800 to £1,300 | £990 to £1,080 | £300 to £390 | £2,290 to £2,770 |
| Remove Entire Chimney Breast and Stack | £1,100 to £1,800 | £1,350 to £1,575 | £430 to £550 | £2,880 to £3,925 |
What are the Supply Costs of Removing a Chimney Breast?
The material costs of removing a chimney breast are separate from the labour fees. This section will look at how the supply costs would likely be for the same range of jobs discussed in the previous section.
The supply costs will account for about 40-50% of the overall costs, with the labour costs making up approximately 40% of your bill and about 10-20% is dedicated to waste removal expenses.
The supply costs involved in removing a chimney stack only will be around £525 to £940. To remove a ground floor chimney breast, expect a supply costs range of £675 to £790 and for the removal of a first floor chimney breast, £790 to £900.
The material costs of having a full chimney breast removed but leaving the stack in place are about £990 to £1,080 and for the same job but with the stack also being removed, expect to pay around £1,350 to £1,575 in supply costs.
Removing Chimney Breast Supply Costs
| Job Description | Supply Costs |
|---|---|
| Removing a Chimney Stack | £525 to £940 |
| Removing a Ground Floor Chimney Breast | £675 to £790 |
| Removing a First Floor Chimney Breast | £790 to £900 |
| Remove Entire Chimney Breast but Leave Stack | £990 to £1,080 |
| Remove Entire Chimney Breast and Stack | £1,350 to £1,575 |
What are the Additional Costs of Chimney Breast Removal?
When having a chimney breast removed, there are a variety of added costs that may appear on your bill. Let's break down some common examples.
Minimum Fee
Some builders/companies will set a minimum charge that you will incur regardless of how long the work lasts.
This may be a set minimum fee that will be added to all other labour, supply, and waste removal costs. On the other hand, it may come in the form of a set labour charge, such as a daily fee.
So, for example, let's say you have a first floor chimney breast removed, and it takes a day and a half. If daily labour charges apply, then you'd pay for two days of labour.
Type of Chimney
Some chimney breasts or/and stacks will be easier to remove than others based on the chimney type. The material they are made of and design will influence how much it costs to remove a given type of chimney.
Size of Chimney
Of course, chimney size is another important cost factor in shaping chimney breast removal prices. After all, the larger the chimney is, the more work will be involved in the removal process. This, in turn, will probably increase labour costs and possibly supply costs too.
Scaffolding Hire
Whether or not scaffolding is required will also play a role in determining your overall bill. In most cases, scaffolding hire sufficient for this type of work would cost about £300 to £400.
Skip Hire
Some labourers will deal with waste removal on their own accord. However, if you need to hire a skip, it will likely cost £100 to £300 based on the skip size needed for removing a chimney breast or/and stack.
Number of Tradespeople
Chimney breast removal is generally performed by a team of two. However, some work may be undertaken by one labourer or even more than two (although this is unlikely).
The more tradespeople there are, the higher the hourly or daily labour costs will be. Of course, the more people on the job, the quicker it will take too, so whether this will be an added expense overall depends on factors such as how well the contractors work as a team.
Duration
One of the biggest factors in determining the cost of removing a chimney breast or other elements of a chimney is how long the job takes.
For example, removing just a chimney stack will likely take less than a day, but removing both a whole chimney breast and stack could take three to four days.
As you can tell, there would be a significant difference in the labour costs of these two jobs.
If there are issues with ease of access or certain additional work is required before or after, you can expect a higher labour cost.
Tradesmen Costs for Removing a Chimney Breast
Let's take a look at the labour costs more closely. This excludes the supply costs. This section will examine how much a range of relevant jobs to remove a chimney breast would cost in labour expenses. We are assuming that two builders will be on the task.
The average labour cost of removing just a chimney stack is £200 to £450.
The tradesmen costs will be around £550 to £900 to remove either a ground floor or first floor chimney breast, £800 to £1,300 to entirely remove a chimney breast but not the stack, or £1,100 to £1,800 to remove both the full chimney breast and stack.
The labour costs may vary depending on the number of labourers, size and type of chimney, ease of access, and where in the country you live.
How Long Does It Take to Remove a Chimney Breast?
We'll now lay out the timeframes of removing a chimney breast. In this section, we'll also consider the various factors that may influence the time it takes to perform such work.
Again, we are assuming that two builders are performing the job. If one labourer was performing this work, it should take about twice the time.
It takes, on average, about four to eight hours to remove just a chimney stack, one and a half days to remove a chimney breast, whether on the ground floor or first floor, two to three days to remove an entire chimney breast while leaving the stack in place, or three to four days for the same work but with the chimney stack also being removed.
The duration will depend on the number of tradespeople hired, ease of access, the size and type of the chimney, and whether any additional work is required.
Benefits of Removing a Chimney Breast
There are several key advantages to removing a chimney breast. Let's take a closer look at some of the top examples.
Frees Up Space
First and foremost, having a chimney breast removed can make for a more spacious environment. By also removing the chimney stack, it can improve the external appearance of your roof.
Can Give Way to a More Modern Alternative
Leading on from the previous point, by removing a chimney stack or/and breast, you can give your home a more modern appearance.
In regards to removing the chimney breast, this process can bring the area of your living room with a chimney breast in line with the rest of the room's interior.
You may choose to convert this area into added room space or have a contemporary replacement introduced, such as an electric fireplace.
FAQs
Q: Can you remove a chimney breast yourself?
A: You can, but you should only do so if you have the necessary skills and knowledge. Removing a chimney breast is not a straightforward DIY job, and this work involves removing a load-bearing wall.
So it is vital that you know exactly what the work entails and take all of the necessary safety precautions.
It's also important to be aware of the building regulations and planning permission rules that apply for such work.
Planning approval probably won't be required unless, for instance, your home is a listed building or if you live in a conservation area.
Either way, you should contact your local council before hiring a team to remove your chimney. Please note that building regulations and planning permission rules can vary between Scotland/Northern Ireland and England/Wales.
Q: What can I replace a chimney breast with?
A: You could choose to leave the area as added room space or have a new fixture installed, such as an electric fireplace.
Q: How long does it take to remove just a chimney breast?
A: On average, it should take between a day and a half and three days if removed by a professional.
Q: How much will waste removal cost when a chimney breast?
A: The waste removal expenses would come to about £200 to £280 to remove a ground floor chimney breast, £230 to £320 to remove a first floor chimney breast, or £300 to £390 if you're looking to remove the entire chimney breast while keeping the stack.
To remove the whole chimney breast and stack, expect the waste disposal fees to be between £430 and £550.
Q: Will removing a chimney breast impact on the value of my property?
A: Given that some homeowners will want a chimney and others won't or will be neutral, having a chimney breast is unlikely to have any meaningful effect, positively or negatively, on the value of your home.
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