Great Yarmouth · Norfolk
Brick arch repairs in Great Yarmouth
Before repairing a brick arch at a Great Yarmouth property, we check what sits behind it. A rotting timber lintel on the inner face is a frequent hidden cause, and fixing only the visible arch would leave the real problem in place.
Guide price from£420per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- NR29, NR30, NR31
- Population
- about 63,000
- Area
- Norfolk
- Pricing region
- East of England
What is the ground like in Norfolk?
With roughly 63,000 people, Great Yarmouth spans postcode districts NR29, NR30, NR31 in Norfolk. Nearby places we cover include Lowestoft (9 miles) and Norwich (18 miles).
Norfolk 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 Norfolk: Flint and brick cottages, Victorian terraces in Norwich and Great Yarmouth, and post-war bungalows.
Which repair method suits a home in Great Yarmouth?
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
Reinforcing a sound arch
Where the arch has only dropped slightly and the bricks are sound, stainless helical bars are bonded into the bed joints just above it, extending well into the wall on each side. The bars turn the courses above into a reinforced band of masonry, so the arch no longer has to carry the full load. Joints are repointed to match.
Best for: Slightly dropped or cracked arches with sound bricks
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Great Yarmouth?
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.
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- 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 Great Yarmouth?
For Great Yarmouth we use East of England rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.
| 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 Great Yarmouth: questions and answers
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Great Yarmouth?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Great Yarmouth 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 carry out brick arch repairs in Great Yarmouth?
Yes, Great Yarmouth is covered, along with postcode districts NR29, NR30, NR31. We also cover nearby Lowestoft and Norwich.
Does the ground around Great Yarmouth cause cracking?
Norfolk is chalk covered by glacial sands, gravels and boulder clay, with fen silts in the west and soft cliffs on the north-east coast. Boulder clay areas can shrink near trees, and historic chalk mines are recorded under parts of Norwich. 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 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.
More repairs we carry out in Great Yarmouth
- Bowing wall repairs
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
Brick arch repairs near Great Yarmouth
Send a straight-on photo of the dropped or cracked arch at your Great Yarmouth home, and we will offer a free view on whether it needs reinforcing or rebuilding.