Sutton Coldfield · West Midlands
Brick arch repairs in Sutton Coldfield
Rebuilding an arch in Sutton Coldfield is a precise job: a former cut to the exact curve, tight joints and a keystone set at the right height. Done well, the new arch looks as though it was always there.
Guide price from£400per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- B72, B73, B75
- Population
- about 110,000
- Area
- West Midlands
- Pricing region
- West Midlands
Why does the ground in West Midlands matter for brick arch repairs?
Postcode districts B72, B73, B75 cover Sutton Coldfield, a West Midlands town of about 110,000 people. If you are just outside Sutton Coldfield, we also cover Aldridge (5 miles), Birmingham (7 miles) and Tamworth (7 miles).
West Midlands has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of West Midlands lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Across West Midlands, most homes are Victorian terraces, inter-war semis, Black Country industrial housing and large post-war estates.
From first photo to finished repair
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.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Sutton Coldfield
Guide prices below are for homes in Sutton Coldfield, on West Midlands rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £400 – £1,200 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £900 – £1,300 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,800 – £2,600 | 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
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 should I budget for brick arch repairs in Sutton Coldfield?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Sutton Coldfield start from about £400 per arch, including VAT, on West Midlands 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 Sutton Coldfield?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Sutton Coldfield, including B72, B73, B75, and from nearby places such as Aldridge and Birmingham. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in West Midlands crack?
The West Midlands is mostly Mercia Mudstone and glacial till, with the South Staffordshire coalfield under much of the Black Country, where shallow coal and limestone workings are recorded around Dudley, Tipton and Walsall. 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.
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.
Related work in Sutton Coldfield
- Lintel replacement
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Crack stitching
Brick arch repairs near Sutton Coldfield
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Sutton Coldfield arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.