What Is a Goalpost Frame? Wall Removals & Extensions
A goalpost frame is two steel posts and a beam, used to hold up the structure when you remove a large section of load-bearing wall. Here's how they work.
10 August 2026
If you're opening up the back of a house for an extension or a big knock-through, your engineer may specify a goalpost frame. The name gives it away — it looks like a goalpost.
What a goalpost frame is
A goalpost frame is a beam supported on two steel posts (columns), forming an upside-down U — like a football goal. It's used where you're removing a wide section of load-bearing wall and there isn't enough solid masonry either side to carry the beam on padstones alone.
The beam takes the load from above; the posts carry it down to proper foundations. Together they hold the structure safely over a much wider opening than a single beam bearing onto brickwork could manage.
When you need one
- Wide rear openings for kitchen and open-plan extensions, especially bi-fold or sliding doors
- Removing a wall near the end of a building, where there's little masonry to bear onto
- Two-storey loads over a large opening
- Anywhere the engineer's calculations show the bearings need dedicated posts rather than padstones
Your structural engineer decides whether a goalpost is needed and specifies the beam, posts, base plates and connections.
How it goes together
The beam and posts are fabricated as a set, with the posts drilled and plated to bolt to the beam and to base plates at the bottom. The posts sit on foundations, are lined up plumb, and the beam is fixed on top. It's usually delivered primed, ready for the builder to install with temporary props in place until it's fixed.
We fabricate the whole frame to your engineer's drawing — see steel beams for extensions and steel columns & posts.
Frequently asked questions
Is a goalpost frame the same as an RSJ? No — an RSJ (or universal beam) is just the horizontal beam. A goalpost adds two posts to carry the beam where the walls can't. Read RSJ vs universal beam.
Do goalpost frames need building regs? Yes — like any structural steel, they need building regulations approval and an engineer's design. See do I need building regs for a steel beam?
Can you make one to my engineer's drawing? Yes, that's exactly what we do. Send us the drawing for a quote.
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