TC Rowan supplies and fits RSJs (rolled steel joists) and structural steel beams for wall removals, loft conversions and extensions across Banbury and Oxfordshire. We cut the correct beam to your structural engineer’s calculation, deliver it loose for your builder, or install it ourselves with our own erection team. Every beam is fabricated in our Thorpe Way workshop to BS EN 1090 standards, so it arrives on site correct and ready to bear load.
What RSJ supply and fit covers
An RSJ carries the load when a load-bearing wall is taken out, so the structure above stays safe and stable. We supply and install beams for:
- Wall removals and knock-throughs opening up a kitchen, dining room or living space
- Chimney-breast removals, where the masonry above needs gallows brackets or a beam to carry it
- Loft conversions, including ridge beams, floor beams and steels around dormers and stairwells
- Single and two-storey extensions, including goalpost frames for wide rear openings and bi-fold doors
- New supporting walls and structural alterations where an existing beam needs replacing or upgrading
Whether you are a homeowner opening up the ground floor or a builder who needs a reliable beam supplier for a run of jobs, we cut, drill and finish each steel to the drawing and turn it around quickly.
Supply-only or supply and fit
You choose how much of the job we handle:
- Supply only. We cut your beam to size, drill it for connections, add padstones or bearing plates to the engineer’s detail, and deliver it to site for your own builder to install. This suits builders and competent contractors who only need the steel right and on time.
- Supply and fit. We fabricate the beam and install it ourselves, propping the opening, seating the beam on its padstones, and making the connections. One trade is responsible from drawing to load-bearing, which removes the gaps where openings usually go wrong.
If you are not sure which route fits your project, our site survey team can advise after looking at the opening.
The process, step by step
- Structural engineer’s beam calculation. Every RSJ needs a structural engineer’s calculation that specifies the beam section, grade and bearing. You can appoint your own engineer, or we can work directly to your SE’s spec. We do not size beams for a specific opening ourselves, because that is the engineer’s responsibility and it carries Building Control approval.
- Measure. We survey the opening on site, or work to your builder’s setting-out dimensions, so the beam length, drilling and connections are correct first time.
- Fabricate. We cut the specified universal beam (UB) or universal column (UC) section to length, drill it for connections, and prepare padstones, bearing plates and cleats to the engineer’s detail. The steel is finished and, where specified, primed or galvanised.
- Deliver or install. We deliver the beam loose for supply-only jobs, or our team installs it: propping the structure, lifting the beam into place, seating it on its padstones and bolting the connections.
This is the same drawing-to-erection control we bring to all of our structural steelwork, scaled to a single domestic beam.
A note on sizing and spec
RSJ is the traditional name, but most modern beams for wall removals are universal beams (UB sections such as a 203x133 or 254x146, depending on span and load) rather than the old I-section RSJ profile. The right section, the grade of steel, and the size of the padstones that spread the load into the masonry all come from your engineer’s calculation, never from a rule of thumb. Bearing length and end connections matter just as much as the beam itself.
We have written a plain-English universal beam sizes guide to help you understand the terms, but please treat it as background reading only. The numbers for your job must come from a structural engineer’s calculation that is signed off by Building Control. We supply and fit exactly what that calculation specifies.
CE approved steel you can trust
We fabricate to BS EN 1090, the execution standard for structural steelwork, and we are CE approved. Beams are supplied in S275 structural grade as standard, or to the grade your engineer specifies, with material traceability available on request. That means the steel carrying your home is the right grade, the right section, and properly connected, not just a length of metal cut to size.
For builders, that consistency is the point: every beam arrives drilled correctly, on the agreed day, ready to install.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a structural engineer for an RSJ?
Yes. Removing a load-bearing wall or fitting any structural beam requires a structural engineer’s calculation that specifies the beam and its bearing, and the work needs Building Control approval. We can fabricate and fit to your engineer’s spec, and our site survey service can help coordinate the steel side, but the calculation itself must come from a qualified structural engineer.
How much does it cost to supply and fit an RSJ?
It depends on the beam section and length your engineer specifies, the size of the opening, access on site, and whether you need supply only or full installation with propping. Because every job is different, we do not publish a single price. The most accurate answer is a free quote: send us your engineer’s calculation or rough dimensions and we will price it properly. Our RSJ cost guide explains the factors that move the price.
Can you supply a beam for my builder to fit?
Yes. Supply only is a large part of what we do. Give us the engineer’s drawing and we will cut, drill and prepare the beam with its padstones and connections, ready for your builder to install. We deliver across Banbury and the wider Oxfordshire area.
How quickly can you turn a beam around?
For straightforward domestic beams we can often fabricate within a few working days of receiving the engineer’s calculation, subject to current workshop schedule and steel stock. For installation we book a fitting date once the beam is ready and the opening is propped or ready to prop.
Ready to move? Send us your engineer’s calculation or the dimensions of your opening and get a free quote. For larger structural packages, see our full steel fabrication service.