Shop front alterations: widening, steels and keeping trading
Opening up or rebuilding a shop front is structural work on a public frontage. Here is how it is done without closing the business down.
More than a new window
Widening or rebuilding a shop front is structural work. The frontage above the opening has to be carried on new steels while the opening is formed, and the brickwork or facade above is rebuilt around them. It is coordinated with the landlord and building control, and designed by an engineer like any structural opening.
The sequence
The work follows a careful order so the building above is never unsupported.
- Temporary support to the frontage above before anything is removed
- New steel beam or frame installed over the widened opening
- Brickwork and facade above rebuilt and made good
- New shopfront, threshold and finishes to suit the tenant
Keeping the shop open
A closed shop loses money, so timing matters. Much of the work can be phased, and the noisy or disruptive stages run out of hours where the business needs to keep trading. We plan the programme around the shop, not the other way round.
Related questions
Can you widen a shop front opening?
Yes — we form and widen shopfront openings, install the new steels over, and rebuild the brickwork and facade above, coordinated with the landlord and building control.
Can the work be done without closing the shop?
Often, yes. Work can be phased and the disruptive stages carried out of hours so the business keeps trading through the alterations where that is what is needed.
Ready to take it further? See our structural brickwork & repairs service.