Cheshire · England
Boundary and garden wall repairs in Cheshire
We arrange surveys and price boundary and garden wall repairs throughout Cheshire. Parts of Cheshire have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells, and we take that into account before recommending a method.
Guide price from£290per wall inc VAT
- Area
- Cheshire
- Pricing region
- North West
- Ground
- Clay in parts
- Towns listed
- 13
Is Cheshire prone to ground movement?
Most of Cheshire is glacial till over Mercia Mudstone. Around Northwich and the Weaver valley, historic salt and brine extraction has caused subsidence in the past, and a separate brine subsidence compensation scheme exists for parts of the county.
Historic brine and salt working has caused ground movement in parts of Cheshire in the past. Housing stock in Cheshire: Brick terraces in Crewe, Northwich and Warrington, Victorian villas in Chester, and inter-war and post-war semis.
From first photo to finished repair
Photos and ownership
Send photos of the whole wall and close-ups of cracks, the lean and the coping, plus any nearby trees. Tell us whether the wall is yours, shared or your neighbour’s, as that affects who can instruct the work.
Site assessment
On site we check the lean with a level, look at the footing where it can be seen, note the bricks and mortar, and check for trees, soil loading and gate loads. If the wall turns out to be retaining soil, we treat it as a retaining wall.
Written quote
You receive a no-obligation written quote that separates repointing, rebuilt sections, new piers and copings, so you or your neighbour can see each part. It becomes a fixed price in writing once the repair is specified.
Symptoms that point to boundary and garden wall repairs
- Wall rocking or moving slightly when pushed at the top
- Coping stones or brick-on-edge tops loose, cracked or missing
- Crumbling mortar, or bricks with faces flaking away
- Vertical cracks at regular intervals along a long run of wall
Guide prices for boundary and garden wall repairs in Cheshire
These are guide prices for Cheshire, using North West rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Repointing and minor repairsest. | £290 – £1,150 | per wall |
| Rebuilding a leaning sectionest. | £145 – £335 | per m² of wall face |
| New brick piersest. | £240 – £575 | per pier |
Methods for boundary and garden wall repairs
Rebuilding a leaning section
The leaning or badly cracked section is taken down, sound bricks cleaned for reuse, and the wall rebuilt on a new footing at a suitable depth. A damp-proof course and a proper coping are added, and the new work is jointed to the sound wall either side.
Best for: Sections that lean, rock or have cracked right through
New piers and movement joints
Brick piers are built at intervals along the wall, bonded in or tied with stainless fixings, to stiffen it against wind and lean. Vertical movement joints are cut where a long run keeps cracking. Gate piers are rebuilt larger and on deeper footings where they carry heavy gates.
Best for: Long walls with regular cracks, or weak gate piers
Repointing and minor repairs
Weak mortar is raked out and the wall repointed in a mortar that suits the bricks, and damaged bricks are replaced with matching ones. Loose copings are rebedded or replaced with a design that throws water clear of both faces. This is often enough for an upright wall.
Best for: Upright walls with weathered joints, loose copings or spalled bricks
Do you need approval for boundary and garden wall repairs in England?
Like-for-like repairs such as crack stitching and repointing do not usually need building control approval in England, but anything that changes or strengthens the structure, such as underpinning or rebuilding a wall, does. If the work touches a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Towns in Cheshire we cover for boundary and garden wall repairs
- Warrington
- Chester
- Crewe
- Ellesmere Port
- Widnes
- Macclesfield
- Northwich
- Winsford
- Congleton
- Wilmslow
- Sandbach
- Nantwich
- Neston
Frequently asked questions
Is the ground in Cheshire prone to subsidence?
Most of Cheshire is glacial till over Mercia Mudstone. Around Northwich and the Weaver valley, historic salt and brine extraction has caused subsidence in the past, and a separate brine subsidence compensation scheme exists for parts of the county. Historic brine and salt working has caused ground movement in parts of Cheshire in the past. Only an investigation on site can say why a particular building has moved.
How much will boundary and garden wall repairs cost in Cheshire?
On North West rates, boundary and garden wall repairs starts from about £290 per wall, including VAT. The written price depends on the extent of the damage, access and whether an engineer or building control is needed.
Can a leaning wall be pushed back upright?
Usually not in a way that lasts. Masonry does not bend back, and forcing a wall upright tends to crack it further. The normal repair is to rebuild the leaning section on a proper footing, reusing sound bricks, and add piers to stop it happening again.
Does the Party Wall Act apply to garden walls?
It can, in England and Wales. A boundary wall that stands astride the line of junction, used by both owners, can be a party fence wall under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, and some work to it needs notice. A wall wholly on one side is not covered in the same way. Scotland and Northern Ireland have no Party Wall Act.
Do I need permission to rebuild a front wall?
Usually not for a like-for-like rebuild. Building a front wall next to a road higher than the permitted height, or work in a conservation area or to a listed building, can need planning consent. Check with your council before changing a wall’s height or appearance.