Concrete cutting & openings
Prepare a wall opening, passage or slab cut with the structure and utilities checked first.
Request a quote
Prepare your quote
- Dimensions, location and purpose of the opening
- Structural plans and service information
- Reinforcement and finishes to coordinate with specialists
Openings in concrete
Creating an opening involves more than its dimensions. The load-bearing structure, reinforcement and services must be assessed before work. The operation follows the plans, any temporary support requirements and arrangements for water, noise and dust.
The opening’s purpose guides preparation: a passage between rooms, a service opening or removal of a concrete element. Separate cutting from removal of sections, any reinforcement and finishing. Dimensions alone cannot establish whether an opening is feasible.
Points to clarify for your quote
Send the required dimensions, available plans and purpose of the opening: doorway, service passage or slab alteration. The quote must distinguish cutting, removal of sections, structural reinforcement and finishes. Several contractors may be involved. Identify rooms on the other side and sensitive finishes near the opening.
Describe the opening before scheduling the cut
Purpose and dimensions of the opening
Explain whether the opening is for a door, shaft or service passage. Share the available drawing and distinguish the rough opening from the required finished dimensions. State when measurements or substrate thickness are approximate: they need confirmation before the intervention is defined.
What lies on both sides
Describe adjoining rooms, the floor below, access and nearby equipment. Share known information about services and structure; one visible face does not describe the entire substrate. Agree protection and noise, dust or water constraints with the site managers, without drilling to investigate the material yourself.
Crystalline silica: plan dust control before cutting
Cutting concrete can release quartz dust even when asbestos is absent. Have this risk included in site planning, including exposure of people nearby. The employer must first prevent exposure, then prioritise collective protection over personal protective equipment. Ask what measures are planned for dust and adjoining rooms, and whether exposure measurements are needed.
Boundaries between design, cutting and finishing
Ask who specifies structural measures, who installs any reinforcement and who removes the cut sections. Distinguish these tasks from cutting and finishing around the opening. Coordinate their sequence before work starts: making a cut does not itself establish structural safety or include fitting a door.
Before work starts
Formalities depend on the proposed work and its structural impact. Check regional planning rules with the municipality and project professionals before work. A structural assessment remains separate from a cutting quote.
Asbestos rules and official sourcesYour questions
Can you create an opening in a load-bearing wall?
Work on a load-bearing wall must be based on a structural assessment. The project must define reinforcement, any temporary supports and each contractor’s responsibilities. A photograph or a wall-thickness measurement does not replace this assessment.
What information is needed for cutting a concrete floor slab?
Provide available plans, the opening’s location and purpose, and known information about reinforcement and utilities. Mention the rooms below and access constraints. Do not drill to complete your enquiry.