Adwick-le-Street · South Yorkshire
Brick arch repairs in Adwick-le-Street
Flat soldier arches on Adwick-le-Street houses tend to sag once a hidden bar rusts or an old window frame is replaced. Reinforcing them with stainless bars in the joints above is often enough, without taking the arch down.
Guide price from£380per arch inc VAT

- Postcodes
- DN5, DN6
- Population
- about 19,000
- Area
- South Yorkshire
- Pricing region
- Yorkshire and the Humber
What is the ground like in South Yorkshire?
Adwick-le-Street is in South Yorkshire and takes in postcode districts DN5, DN6. About 19,000 people live there. Nearby places we cover include Doncaster (4 miles), South Elmsall (4 miles) and Conisbrough (6 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of South Yorkshire. Historic coal workings are recorded beneath parts of South Yorkshire, and a coal mining search is worth checking where movement is unexplained. Typical buildings in South Yorkshire: Brick and stone terraces, colliery housing, inter-war council estates and post-war semis.
What to expect when we carry out brick arch repairs
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.
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.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Adwick-le-Street?
Prices in Adwick-le-Street are worked out on Yorkshire and the Humber rates. They include VAT and are a starting point: access, the extent of the damage and whether an engineer or building control is involved all move the figure.
| 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 |
Repair options we may recommend
Lime mortar repairs
On older houses built in soft brick and lime, the arch is rebuilt or repointed in a lime mortar matched to the original. Lime lets moisture escape and moves slightly with the wall, so it protects the bricks rather than forcing damage into them, as hard cement mortar can.
Best for: Pre-1919 houses and soft historic brick
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
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.
Your brick arch repairs questions
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Adwick-le-Street?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Adwick-le-Street 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.
Can you survey a property in Adwick-le-Street?
We do. Adwick-le-Street and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Doncaster and South Elmsall. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Why do houses in South Yorkshire crack?
South Yorkshire lies largely on the Coal Measures, with a long history of shallow and deep mining around Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster. Sheffield's hillside sites add retaining walls and steep ground to the mix. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
What is a former in arch building?
A former, sometimes called a centre, is a temporary timber frame cut to the exact shape of the arch. It supports the bricks while the arch is laid and the mortar cures, and is removed once the arch can carry itself.
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.
Related work in Adwick-le-Street
- Subsidence repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Crack stitching
Brick arch repairs near Adwick-le-Street
If bricks in an arch at your Adwick-le-Street property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.