Bognor Regis · West Sussex
Brick arch repairs in Bognor Regis
A dropped keystone over a front door is a familiar sight on older streets, in Bognor Regis and beyond, and it rarely fixes itself. We look at whether the arch bricks are sound and whether the wall either side has moved, then recommend the lighter repair where it will work.
Guide price from£450per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- PO21, PO22
- Population
- about 64,000
- Area
- West Sussex
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Bognor Regis?
Postcode districts PO21, PO22 cover Bognor Regis, a West Sussex town of about 64,000 people. Nearby, we also cover Chichester (6 miles), Littlehampton (6 miles) and Emsworth (12 miles).
Much of West 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. Housing stock in West Sussex: Wealden cottages, 1930s semis and bungalows on the coast, and new-town estates in Crawley.
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
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
From first photo to finished repair
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.
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.
Symptoms that point to 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
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Bognor Regis
Prices in Bognor Regis are worked out on South East 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. | £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 |
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
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Bognor Regis?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Bognor Regis 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 carry out brick arch repairs in Bognor Regis?
We do. Bognor Regis and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Chichester and Littlehampton. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Does the ground around Bognor Regis cause cracking?
North West Sussex around Crawley and Horsham sits on Weald Clay, the South Downs are chalk, and the coastal plain has brickearth and gravels. The Weald Clay is prone to shrink-swell movement near trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Is a dropped brick arch dangerous?
A slightly dropped arch is not usually an immediate danger, but it is no longer carrying load as it should and tends to worsen. Loose bricks that could fall, or a fast-growing crack above, need prompt attention. Do not rely on the window frame to hold it.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Bognor Regis
- Gable end wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Underpinning
Brick arch repairs near Bognor Regis
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Bognor Regis arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.