Hastings · East Sussex
Brick arch repairs in Hastings
Older Hastings 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£450per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- TN34, TN35, TN37, TN38
- Population
- about 93,000
- Area
- East Sussex
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Hastings?
Hastings is in East Sussex and takes in postcode districts TN34, TN35, TN37, TN38. About 93,000 people live there. Nearby, we also cover Bexhill-on-Sea (5 miles), Hailsham (14 miles) and Eastbourne (14 miles).
Much of East Sussex 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. Across East Sussex, most homes are Regency and Victorian terraces on the coast, Wealden timber-framed houses, and inter-war bungalows and semis.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Hastings?
These are guide prices for Hastings, using South East rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £450 – £1,350 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £1,000 – £1,450 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £2,000 – £2,900 | per opening |
Which repair method suits a home in Hastings?
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 Hastings?
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.
Support the opening
Props carry the brickwork above, and for a rebuild a former is made to the exact profile of the arch. The window or door frame is protected so it is not asked to carry any load.
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.
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 Hastings: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Hastings?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Hastings start from about £450 per arch, including VAT, on South East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Hastings?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Hastings, including TN34, TN35, TN37, TN38, and from nearby places such as Bexhill-on-Sea and Hailsham. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Is the ground in East Sussex prone to subsidence?
Inland East Sussex is Weald Clay and Wealden sands, while the South Downs and the coast around Brighton and Eastbourne are chalk. The Weald Clay areas are prone to shrink-swell movement near trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Can you match the original bricks?
Usually, because most arches are rebuilt with their own cleaned bricks, which is the best match of all. Damaged bricks are replaced with reclaimed or new bricks chosen for size, colour and texture, and the mortar is matched to the surrounding joints.
Should a brick arch be repaired with lime mortar?
On older houses built with soft bricks and lime, yes, in most cases. Lime mortar lets the wall breathe and is weaker than the brick, so any movement or frost damage happens in the joints rather than the bricks. Modern hard brickwork can take a cement-based mortar.
Other structural repairs in Hastings
Brick arch repairs near Hastings
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Hastings arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.