Exeter · Devon
Boundary and garden wall repairs in Exeter
Where older streets in Exeter and across Devon keep their original brick front walls, those walls often sit on shallow footings with soft lime mortar. Matching the bricks and mortar matters as much as the repair itself if the wall is to look right afterwards.
Guide price from£310per wall inc VAT
- Postcodes
- EX1, EX2, EX3, EX4
- Population
- about 130,000
- Area
- Devon
- Pricing region
- South West
Why does the ground in Devon matter for boundary and garden wall repairs?
With roughly 130,000 people, Exeter spans postcode districts EX1, EX2, EX3, EX4 in Devon. Nearby, we also cover Exmouth (9 miles), Tiverton (12 miles) and Newton Abbot (14 miles).
Shrinkable clay is less common in Devon than in south-east England. Old metal-mine shafts and workings are recorded in places, so mining searches are routine for some properties. What you mostly find across Devon: cob and stone cottages, Victorian terraces in Exeter, Plymouth and Torbay, and post-war estates.
Guide prices for boundary and garden wall repairs in Exeter
These are guide prices for Exeter, using South 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. | £310 – £1,250 | per wall |
| Rebuilding a leaning sectionest. | £155 – £360 | per m² of wall face |
| New brick piersest. | £260 – £620 | per pier |
Methods for boundary and garden wall repairs
Dealing with roots and soil loading
Soil banked against the wall is dug back. Where roots are the cause, the wall can be rebuilt with a lintel bridging the root zone, or realigned to give the tree room. Decisions about the tree are made with its owner and, where needed, a tree specialist.
Best for: Walls lifted by roots or pushed over by banked soil
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
From first photo to finished repair
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.
Repair and rebuild
Sections are taken down, footings dug, and the wall rebuilt or repointed with a damp-proof course and coping. Reclaimed or matched bricks keep the wall consistent, and spoil and old materials are removed at the end.
Symptoms that point to boundary and garden wall repairs
- Coping stones or brick-on-edge tops loose, cracked or missing
- Wall rocking or moving slightly when pushed at the top
- A tree close to the wall, with the base lifted or cracked
Rules 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.
Frequently asked questions
How much will boundary and garden wall repairs cost in Exeter?
Guide prices for boundary and garden wall repairs in Exeter start from about £310 per wall, including VAT, on South West rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Exeter?
We do. Exeter and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Exmouth and Tiverton. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Is the ground in Devon prone to subsidence?
Devon's ground is mostly older mudstones, sandstones and granite, so shrinkable-clay subsidence is less widespread than further east. Older solid-walled and cob buildings, steep sites and retaining walls are the more common structural concerns. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Does home insurance cover a fallen garden wall?
Sometimes, but many policies exclude garden walls or cover them only for certain events, such as vehicle impact or storm. Frost, wear and tree root damage are usually excluded. If a vehicle caused the damage, the driver’s insurer may pay. Check your policy and tell your insurer before permanent repairs start.
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.
Other structural repairs in Exeter
- Underpinning
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Concrete repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
Boundary and garden wall repairs near Exeter
The written quote for your Exeter wall separates repointing, rebuilding and new piers, then becomes a fixed price in writing once the repair is specified.