Shoring and temporarystructural supportacross Sussex and Hampshire
Propping and shoring planned before the wall comes out, so the load has somewhere to go, the opening gets formed on schedule, and nobody discovers mid-demolition that the structure above was relying on what has just been removed.
24 years in the trade · Works alongside your engineer · £10m public liability
- 24 years in the scaffolding trade
- Gold Scaffolding Supervisor card held by the owner
- All operatives CISRS-carded
- £10,000,000 public liability insurance
- RAMS and handover packs on request
Shoring & temporary support: what it is and when you need it
What the service is
Shoring and temporary support is the arrangement that carries structural load while permanent structure is being removed, altered or repaired. It covers vertical propping under floors and beams, needling through walls to support masonry above a new opening, raking and flying shores stabilising walls and facades, and dead shoring supporting loads directly to the ground.
It works alongside your structural engineer's design rather than replacing it. The engineer determines the loads and the required support; we provide and erect the arrangement that delivers it on site.
Who it is for
Builders and main contractors forming openings and installing steels, homeowners removing walls or opening up ground floors, developers converting and refurbishing older buildings, structural engineers needing their temporary works implemented properly, and property owners dealing with movement, subsidence or damage.
It is also frequently needed on emergency work, where a wall or floor has become unsafe and must be supported before anything else can happen.
When it is needed
The usual triggers are removing a load-bearing wall, installing a steel beam or lintel, forming a new opening in masonry, underpinning or foundation work, retaining a facade during redevelopment, repairing or replacing floor structure, and stabilising a wall that has moved or been damaged.
The right time to call is at the design stage, before demolition is booked. Temporary works are far cheaper and easier to plan on paper than to improvise once something has already been taken out.
Why professional help matters
Load does not disappear when you remove the thing carrying it — it redistributes, usually onto something that was not designed to take it. That is how cracks appear above new openings, how floors deflect, and in the worst cases how partial collapses happen during alteration work.
Temporary works also carry a formal duty on construction projects. Getting the support designed by an engineer and installed by a competent contractor with documented supervision is how that responsibility is discharged — and it is what a building control officer, insurer or principal contractor will expect to see.
What it costs to get this wrong
The worst version of this goes: the wall comes out on a Friday because the gang were on site and it seemed straightforward, the props that were used were whatever was in the van, and by Monday there is a crack running up the wall above the new opening. Now you have the original job to finish plus a structural repair, a redecoration, and an awkward conversation with building control about what was supporting the load.
Even where nothing visibly fails, undersized or badly positioned propping produces movement. A few millimetres of deflection while a beam is being installed shows up later as cracked plaster, doors that no longer close, and a floor that has developed a fall. Those are expensive to chase and almost impossible to fully correct after the fact.
The programme cost matters too. Discovering mid-demolition that the support arrangement is inadequate stops the job dead. The engineer has to attend, a revised arrangement has to be designed, materials have to be sourced, and everyone stands down in the meantime — all while the structure sits in a partially altered state.
Mistakes we see most often
- Removing structure first and arranging support afterwards.
- Using whatever props are available rather than an arrangement sized for the actual load.
- Ignoring what is above — a wall may be carrying floors, a roof or another wall higher up.
- Failing to consider what the props themselves are bearing onto, particularly on suspended timber floors.
- Leaving the engineer out until building control asks who designed the temporary works.
- Removing the support too early, before the permanent structure has taken up the load.
Our process
How we run a shoring & temporary support job
- 01
Talk to us early, with the engineer if you have one
Tell us what is being removed or altered and send any drawings or engineer's details. The earlier this conversation happens, the cheaper the answer is.
- 02
Free site visit and assessment
Billy attends, looks at what the structure is carrying, what is above, what the props will bear onto, and how access and sequencing will work.
- 03
Written quote for the arrangement
A clear price for the support required, coordinated with your engineer's design where one exists, with RAMS issued on request.
- 04
Installation before anything is removed
Our CISRS-carded team installs the propping, needling or shoring so the load is supported before demolition or alteration begins.
- 05
Support maintained, then struck when it is safe
The arrangement stays in place and is checked while the permanent work is completed, and is only removed once the new structure is carrying the load.
What you get
The difference it makes on your job
The load always has somewhere to go
Support is in place before structure comes out, so nothing above is left relying on something that has been removed.
No cracked plaster or dropped floors
Correctly sized and positioned support prevents the few millimetres of movement that turns into visible damage months later.
Your engineer's design actually implemented
We install what has been designed, in the right positions, with the right bearing — not an approximation of it.
Programme stays intact
Planning temporary works up front avoids the mid-demolition stop that costs a week and an emergency engineer's visit.
Safe for everyone working underneath
Propping and shoring installed by CISRS-carded operatives under Gold Supervisor oversight, backed by £10m public liability.
Documentation for building control
RAMS, method statements and insurance certificates supplied on request for your file and for inspection.
Shoring & temporary support in detail: materials, methods and applications
Types of temporary support
Dead shoring carries vertical load directly to the ground, and is the standard arrangement when forming a large opening in a load-bearing wall: needles are passed through the wall above the proposed opening and supported on props each side, transferring the masonry and floor loads down while the opening is cut and the beam installed.
Raking shores support a wall laterally from an angled prop bearing onto the ground, used where a wall is leaning, has moved, or has lost lateral restraint. Flying shores do the same job horizontally between two buildings, typically where a building between them is being demolished. Vertical propping under floors and beams supports the structure while work happens above or below.
- Dead shoring and needling for forming openings in load-bearing walls
- Vertical propping to floors, beams and ceilings
- Raking shores for laterally unstable or leaning walls
- Flying shores between adjacent buildings
- Facade retention arrangements during redevelopment
- Temporary support during underpinning and foundation works
Materials and how support is set out
Arrangements are built from scaffold tube and fittings, adjustable steel props, strongboys, needles and beams, and heavy-duty support systems where loads demand it. Bearing is as important as the prop itself: loads must be spread onto something capable of carrying them, which frequently means spreading over joists, onto sole plates, or down to a solid ground bearing rather than onto a screed or a suspended timber floor.
Where propping continues through multiple floors, props must be aligned vertically so load passes cleanly down rather than being introduced into the middle of a floor span — a detail that is routinely missed and causes damage.
- Adjustable steel props with correct pin and extension
- Needles and beams through openings, supported both sides
- Sole plates and spreaders to distribute bearing loads
- Aligned propping through multiple floors
- Scaffold tube and fitting shoring for lateral support
- Protection to finished floors and surfaces where props bear
Working with engineers and building control
For anything structural, a structural engineer should determine the loads and specify the support. On domestic work this normally comes as part of the beam calculation package your builder or architect has already commissioned; on commercial work it is a formal temporary works design.
Our role is implementation: providing the material, installing it in the specified positions with the correct bearing, and maintaining it while the permanent work proceeds. Where you do not yet have an engineer, we will tell you plainly that you need one rather than guessing at a load path.
Domestic and commercial applications
Domestically, the most frequent job is supporting the structure while a load-bearing wall is removed to open up a kitchen or living space, or while a new opening is formed for bifold doors. It typically involves needling and propping for a matter of days until the steel is in and has taken the load.
Commercially, temporary support covers facade retention on redevelopment sites, propping during structural alteration in occupied buildings, and support during underpinning and repair. Durations are longer, loads are higher, the design is formal, and RAMS and documentation are expected as standard.
Related services
Where we provide this service
- Scaffolding Chichester
- Scaffolding Worthing
- Scaffolding Horsham
- Scaffolding West Sussex
- Scaffolding Hampshire
Back to the Square Scaffolding home page, see all scaffolding services, or book your free site visit.
Shoring & temporary support: frequently asked questions
How much does shoring and propping cost?
It depends entirely on the loads, the type of support required and how long it needs to remain. We survey the job free of charge, work to your engineer's design where there is one, and give you a written price.
Do I need a structural engineer as well?
For anything carrying structural load, yes. The engineer determines the loads and specifies the support; we supply and install it. If you do not have one yet, we will say so rather than guess.
How long does temporary support need to stay in place?
Until the permanent structure is in place and carrying the load — commonly a few days for a domestic beam install, and much longer for facade retention or phased structural work.
Can you prop a floor while we work underneath?
Yes. Vertical propping to floors, beams and ceilings is routine, with bearing spread properly so the props are not simply transferring load onto another weak point.
What is needling?
Passing beams (needles) through a wall above a proposed opening and supporting them on props each side, so the masonry and floor loads above are carried while the opening is cut and the new beam installed.
Can you support a wall that has already moved?
Yes — raking or flying shores are used to stabilise walls that have lost restraint or are leaning. On urgent cases this is handled through our emergency service; ring Billy directly.
Will props damage my floors?
Not if bearing is planned. Sole plates and spreaders distribute load and protect finished surfaces, and on suspended timber floors we plan where the load actually goes rather than resting it on the boards.
Do you supply RAMS for temporary works?
Yes, on request — along with method statements and our £10,000,000 public liability certificate for your file and for building control.
How early should I involve you?
As early as possible, ideally when the engineer's drawings are being prepared. Planning support before demolition is far cheaper than resolving it mid-job.
Which areas do you cover?
West Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and East Sussex from our yard at Eastergate near Chichester, including Chichester, Worthing, Horsham, Littlehampton and Portsmouth.
Plan the support before the wall comes out, not after the crack appears
Send us the engineer's details or just describe what is being removed. Free site visit, written price, and RAMS supplied on request.
24 years in the trade · Works alongside your engineer · £10m public liability