March · Cambridgeshire
Brick arch repairs in March
Older March houses often carry their window and door heads on brick arches built without any steel at all. When the centre bricks slip, the arch either needs reinforcing in place or rebuilding over a timber former.
Guide price from£420per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- PE15
- Population
- about 21,000
- Area
- Cambridgeshire
- Pricing region
- East of England
What should you know about the ground under March?
With roughly 21,000 people, March spans postcode districts PE15 in Cambridgeshire. Neighbouring towns we cover: Wisbech (8 miles), Ely (13 miles) and Peterborough (14 miles).
Much of Cambridgeshire sits on clay that shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. What you mostly find across Cambridgeshire: Victorian terraces in Cambridge and Peterborough, fen-edge cottages, and extensive post-war and new-build estates.
Which repair method suits a home in March?
Rebuilding over a former
A timber former is cut to the arch profile and propped under the opening. The old arch is carefully taken down, bricks cleaned for reuse, and the arch rebuilt over the former with tight joints and a properly set keystone. The former stays until the mortar is strong enough to carry the load.
Best for: Badly dropped arches or ones with loose voussoirs
Rebuilding both faces
Where the arch shows inside as well as outside, or a rotten timber behind it has also failed, both faces are rebuilt. The inner timber is replaced with a suitable lintel, and the outer arch is reformed in front. The two are worked in sequence so the wall is supported throughout.
Best for: Arches with a failed timber or inner face
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in March?
Choose reinforce or rebuild
We recommend reinforcement where the arch is sound and only slightly displaced, and a rebuild where it has dropped badly or bricks are loose. If the wall beside the opening is moving, that is dealt with first.
Repair the arch
Bars are bonded into the joints above a sound arch, or the arch is taken down and relaid over the former using the original bricks where possible, with matched replacements for any that are damaged.
Strike the former and point
Once the mortar has cured enough, the former and props are removed. Joints are finished to match the surrounding wall, and any cracks running from the arch into the wall are repaired at the same visit.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
How much will brick arch repairs cost in March?
The ranges below reflect typical East of England costs for brick arch repairs, including VAT. Scaffold, access and making good can push a job to the top of the range.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £420 – £1,250 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £945 – £1,350 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,900 – £2,750 | per opening |
Rules for brick arch 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.
Brick arch repairs in March: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in March?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in March start from about £420 per arch, including VAT, on East of England rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover March?
Yes, March is covered, along with postcode districts PE15. We also cover nearby Wisbech and Ely.
Is the ground in Cambridgeshire prone to subsidence?
Gault Clay underlies much of the Cambridge area and Oxford Clay the west of the county around Peterborough and Huntingdon, while the northern fens are peat and silt that can shrink as they dry. Both clay and peat ground can move with the seasons. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Do flat brick arches need a lintel?
Many flat soldier arches were built with a hidden steel bar or timber behind, because they have little true arch action. When repairing one, we check what is supporting it and, where needed, reinforce it with bars or add suitable support behind.
Can a dropped arch be repaired without rebuilding it?
Yes, if the drop is small and the brickwork is in good condition. Bars bonded into the joints above can take the load off the arch and hold it in place. If the bricks are loose or the arch has dropped badly, rebuilding is the more reliable repair.
Other structural repairs in March
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Subsidence repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
Brick arch repairs near March
Request a written, no-obligation price for arch repairs in March; every arch is itemised, along with any work needed on the inside face.