Huddersfield · West Yorkshire
Brick arch repairs in Huddersfield
Flat soldier arches on Huddersfield 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
- HD1, HD2, HD3, HD4, HD5
- Population
- about 150,000
- Area
- West Yorkshire
- Pricing region
- Yorkshire and the Humber
What is the ground like in West Yorkshire?
Postcode districts HD1, HD2, HD3, HD4, HD5 cover Huddersfield, a West Yorkshire town of about 150,000 people. Nearby, we also cover Elland (3 miles), Brighouse (4 miles) and Mirfield (4 miles).
Parts of West Yorkshire have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Historic coal workings are recorded beneath parts of West Yorkshire, and a coal mining search is worth checking where movement is unexplained. Housing stock in West Yorkshire: Stone back-to-backs and terraces, mill housing, Victorian villas and post-war estates.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Huddersfield?
These are guide prices for Huddersfield, using Yorkshire and the Humber rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| 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 |
Which repair method suits a home in Huddersfield?
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
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
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Huddersfield?
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.
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 Huddersfield: questions and answers
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Huddersfield?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Huddersfield 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 Huddersfield?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Huddersfield, including HD1, HD2, HD3, HD4, and from nearby places such as Elland and Brighouse. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in West Yorkshire crack?
West Yorkshire lies largely on the Coal Measures, with shallow historic workings around Leeds, Wakefield and Kirklees, and gritstone hills to the west. Steep sites mean retaining walls are common. 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 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 Huddersfield
- Wall tie replacement
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Floor joist repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Mining subsidence repairs
Brick arch repairs near Huddersfield
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Huddersfield arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.