Lincoln · Lincolnshire
Bowing wall repairs in Lincoln
Sighting along a wall at your Lincoln home and seeing a curve can be unsettling. Send us photos with a level held against it, and we will explain what is likely holding it, or not, and what the repair involves.
Guide price from£980per wall inc VAT
- Postcodes
- LN6
- Population
- about 100,000
- Area
- Lincolnshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
What should you know about the ground under Lincoln?
Lincoln is in Lincolnshire and takes in postcode districts LN6. About 100,000 people live there. Nearby, we also cover Gainsborough (14 miles), Newark-on-Trent (16 miles) and Sleaford (17 miles).
Lincolnshire has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Lincolnshire: Victorian terraces in Lincoln and Grimsby, fenland brick houses, seaside bungalows and post-war estates.
How we usually approach bowing wall repairs
Restraint ties into the floor
Stainless restraint ties are drilled through the wall and fixed into the floor joists or into blocking between them. Where joists run parallel, noggins are fitted across several joists so the tie has something solid to hold. A neat plate or a buried fixing is left on the outside face.
Best for: Walls bowing at floor level where joists run alongside
Partial rebuild
A section that has bowed beyond safe limits, or where bricks have crushed, is propped, taken down and rebuilt plumb with restraint built in. It is the most disruptive option, so it is kept to the area that genuinely needs it.
Best for: Badly distorted sections that cannot be tied back
What happens during bowing wall repairs, step by step?
Assess the bow
We look at where the wall bows, how far it is out of plumb and how the floors and roof meet it. Photographs from your phone held flat against the wall often show the shape clearly before anyone visits.
Decide restrain or rebuild
If the wall is badly out of plumb, has bricks crushing or follows removed internal walls, we recommend an engineer, and can arrange one. Their view sets whether restraint is enough or a section needs rebuilding.
Fit the ties and straps
Ties are drilled through and fixed, or straps fitted and secured, at the spacing specified. Any rebuild is carried out at this stage, with temporary propping in place until the new brickwork has gained strength.
What to look for before calling about bowing wall repairs
- A visible belly in the wall when you sight along it
- Gaps opening between floorboards and the skirting on an outside wall
- Internal plaster cracks where a wall meets the ceiling
Bowing wall repairs prices in Lincoln
These are guide prices for Lincoln, using East Midlands rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Lateral restraint for a typical gable | £980 – £2,950 | per wall |
| Remedial restraint ties installed | £25 – £60 | per tie |
| Partial rebuild of a badly distorted sectionest. | £2,950 – £7,850 | per section |
Rules for bowing wall repairs in England
In England, underpinning and other work that alters or strengthens a wall or foundation is building work under the Building Regulations (Part A, structure), so building control approves and inspects it. Like-for-like repairs often are not, and we tell you which applies before a price is agreed. Work to a party wall, or excavation close to a neighbour’s foundations, can also need a notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Questions about bowing wall repairs in Lincoln
How much should I budget for bowing wall repairs in Lincoln?
Guide prices for bowing wall repairs in Lincoln start from about £980 per wall, including VAT, on East Midlands rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Lincoln?
Yes, Lincoln is covered, along with postcode districts LN6. We also cover nearby Gainsborough and Newark-on-Trent.
Why do houses in Lincolnshire crack?
Lincolnshire has Lias, Oxford and Kimmeridge clays on the vales, chalk on the Wolds and soft silts and peat in the fens around Boston and Spalding. Fen ground and clay can both settle or shrink in dry years. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Is a bowing wall dangerous?
A bowing wall is not always dangerous, but it should never be ignored. Many have been slightly out of line for decades. A bow that is growing, crushing bricks or appeared after building work is more serious, and an engineer should look at it promptly. Your engineer will confirm.
Does a bowing wall need an engineer?
Often it does, especially if the bow is large, growing or linked to removed internal walls or chimney breasts. Small, long-standing bows can sometimes be restrained to a standard detail. Where the repair needs an engineer’s design or sign-off, we can arrange an independent chartered structural engineer.
Related work in Lincoln
Bowing wall repairs near Lincoln
If an engineer has already drawn a restraint design for your Lincoln home, we will price the scheme exactly as specified, tie by tie.