Brick arch repairs in Hull

Postcodes: HU1, HU2, HU3, HU4, HU5
Population: about 310,000
Area: East Riding of Yorkshire
Pricing region: Yorkshire and the Humber

What should you know about the ground under Hull?

Hull is in East Riding of Yorkshire and takes in postcode districts HU1, HU2, HU3, HU4, HU5. About 310,000 people live there. We also take enquiries from nearby Beverley (8 miles), Goole (22 miles) and Bridlington (24 miles).

East Riding of Yorkshire 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. Across East Riding of Yorkshire, most homes are Victorian terraces in Hull, market-town houses in Beverley and Driffield, and post-war estates.

Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Hull

For Hull we use Yorkshire and the Humber rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.

Guide prices inc VAT on Yorkshire and the Humber rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
Item	Guide price	Per
Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest.	£380 – £1,150	per arch
Rebuilding an arch (one side)	£855 – £1,250	per opening
Rebuilding an arch (both sides)	£1,700 – £2,450	per opening

Methods for brick arch repairs

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

From first photo to finished repair

Look at the arch closely
Straight-on photos of the arch and the wall either side show us how far it has dropped, whether the bricks are sound and whether the cause seems to be the arch itself or the wall around it.
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.

Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs

Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest

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.

Frequently asked questions

How much will brick arch repairs cost in Hull?

Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Hull start from about £380 per arch, including VAT, on Yorkshire and the Humber rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.

Do you cover Hull?

Yes, Hull is covered, along with postcode districts HU1, HU2, HU3, HU4. We also cover nearby Beverley and Goole.

Is the ground in East Riding of Yorkshire prone to subsidence?

The Yorkshire Wolds are chalk, while Holderness and Hull sit on glacial till and estuarine clays and silts. Soft alluvial ground near the Humber can settle, and the Holderness coast is one of the fastest-eroding in Europe. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.

Why has the middle of my brick arch dropped?

The centre of an arch usually drops because the bricks have lost their wedge, either because the wall at the sides has moved or the mortar has worn away. A rotting timber hidden behind the arch is another common cause. The keystone slipping is the visible result.

Is a dropped brick arch dangerous?

A slightly dropped arch is not usually an immediate danger, but it is no longer carrying load as it should and tends to worsen. Loose bricks that could fall, or a fast-growing crack above, need prompt attention. Do not rely on the window frame to hold it.

Other structural repairs in Hull

Brick arch repairs near Hull

Have several dropped arches along one Hull elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.