Clevedon · Somerset
Bowing wall repairs in Clevedon
Sighting along a wall at your Clevedon 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£1,050per wall inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BS21
- Population
- about 21,000
- Area
- Somerset
- Pricing region
- South West
How do local ground conditions affect bowing wall repairs in Clevedon?
Clevedon, Somerset: about 21,000 residents across postcode districts BS21. Nearby places we cover include Nailsea (4 miles), Portishead (5 miles) and Weston-super-Mare (8 miles).
Somerset has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of Somerset lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across Somerset: Bath stone Georgian terraces, Victorian houses in Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, and post-war estates.
Bowing wall repairs prices in Clevedon
These are guide prices for Clevedon, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lateral restraint for a typical gable | £1,050 – £3,100 | per wall |
| Remedial restraint ties installed | £25 – £60 | per tie |
| Partial rebuild of a badly distorted sectionest. | £3,100 – £8,250 | per section |
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
Lateral restraint straps
Galvanised or stainless straps are fixed across three or more joists or rafters, turned down against the inside face of the wall and fixed into the masonry. They work well at ceiling and roof level, where the fixings stay hidden.
Best for: Gables and walls bowing near ceiling or roof level
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.
Open up inside
Floorboards or a ceiling strip are lifted along the affected wall to expose the joists. We fit noggins where joists run alongside, and plan furniture moves with you, since this is the most disruptive part of the job.
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
- Gutters or the roof edge no longer lining up with the wall
- Horizontal cracking at first-floor or ceiling level
- Internal plaster cracks where a wall meets the ceiling
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 Clevedon
How much should I budget for bowing wall repairs in Clevedon?
Guide prices for bowing wall repairs in Clevedon start from about £1,050 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.
Can you survey a property in Clevedon?
Yes, Clevedon is covered, along with postcode districts BS21. We also cover nearby Nailsea and Portishead.
Why do houses in Somerset crack?
Somerset mixes Lias clays, Mercia Mudstone, limestone hills and the peat and alluvium of the Levels around Bridgwater, which can settle. The former Somerset coalfield around Radstock and Midsomer Norton left recorded workings. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Will I need to move out during bowing wall repairs?
Usually not. Restraint work means lifting some floorboards or a strip of ceiling along one wall, so a room or two is disrupted for a few days. A partial rebuild of an external wall can be more involved, and we will talk it through with you first.
Can a bowing wall be pushed back straight?
Usually not. Masonry rarely returns to plumb without cracking, so the normal aim is to stop further movement and leave the wall where it is. If the bow is too great to accept, that section is rebuilt rather than forced back.
Related work in Clevedon
- Structural crack repairs
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Brick arch repairs
- Floor joist repairs
- Roof structure repairs
Bowing wall repairs near Clevedon
If a wall in Clevedon began bowing after building work next door, dated photos help us suggest who should look at it first.