Brick arch repairs in Guildford

Postcodes: GU1, GU2, GU4
Population: about 72,000
Area: Surrey
Pricing region: South East

What should you know about the ground under Guildford?

Guildford is in Surrey and takes in postcode districts GU1, GU2, GU4. About 72,000 people live there. Nearby, we also cover Godalming (4 miles), Woking (6 miles) and Aldershot (8 miles).

Much of Surrey 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. Typical buildings in Surrey: Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and detached houses in the commuter towns, and post-war estates.

Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs

Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall

What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Guildford?

Guide prices below are for homes in Guildford, on South East rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.

Guide prices inc VAT on South East rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
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

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

What to expect when we carry out brick arch repairs

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.

Your brick arch repairs questions

How much will brick arch repairs cost in Guildford?

Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Guildford 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 Guildford?

Yes, Guildford is covered, along with postcode districts GU1, GU2, GU4. We also cover nearby Godalming and Woking.

Is the ground in Surrey prone to subsidence?

North Surrey sits on London Clay, the south on Weald Clay, with chalk along the North Downs and sands in the west. Large gardens with mature trees on clay make seasonal subsidence a familiar problem. 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.

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.

Other structural repairs in Guildford

Brick arch repairs near Guildford

Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Guildford; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.