Floor joist repairs in Aberdeen

Postcodes: AB10, AB11, AB12, AB15, AB16
Population: about 200,000
Area: Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Pricing region: Scotland

What is the ground like in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire?

With roughly 200,000 people, Aberdeen spans postcode districts AB10, AB11, AB12, AB15, AB16 in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Nearby, we also cover Westhill (7 miles), Stonehaven (13 miles) and Inverurie (14 miles).

Most of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire is on firmer ground than the clay belts of the south-east. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, most homes are granite tenements and terraces in Aberdeen, fishing-town cottages and post-war estates.

Methods for floor joist repairs

Replacing joists and boards

When rot or woodworm runs through most of a floor, it is usually cheaper to replace the joists, strutting and boards together. Where joists run parallel to an outside wall, restraint straps tie the new floor back to it so the wall keeps its lateral support.

Best for: Widespread rot, or a whole floor that has dropped

Splicing ends and fitting hangers

Where only the end has rotted, it is cut back to sound timber and a new piece is fixed alongside, bearing on the wall or on a new joist hanger. Missing or under-nailed hangers elsewhere are replaced at the same time. The damp in the wall must be fixed too.

Best for: Rotten joist ends in damp solid walls

From first photo to finished repair

Photos and a call
Send photos of the dip or soft area, the outside wall at ground level and any air bricks. A short call about when it started, and any recent plumbing or heating work, tells us whether the problem is local or widespread.
Repair the structure
Boards are lifted and numbered if they are going back, and rotten timber is cut out. New treated timber is fixed and checked with a level before strutting, hangers and any restraint straps go in.
Relay and ventilate
Boards are relaid or replaced, skirting refitted and air bricks cleared or added outside. We point out anything that would let damp back in, such as soil heaped against the wall, so the repair lasts.

Symptoms that point to floor joist repairs

A musty smell, or fungal strands showing between the boards
Floor dipping towards an outside wall or in the middle of the room
A gap opening up between the skirting board and the floor

Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Aberdeen

These are guide prices for Aberdeen, using Scotland rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.

Guide prices inc VAT on Scotland rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
Item	Guide price	Per
Splicing or sistering a damaged joist	£240 – £380	per joist
Whole room of joists and boards	£1,900 – £5,700	per room
Sleeper wall rebuild and ventilationest.	£380 – £1,400	per room

Rules for floor joist repairs in Scotland

In Scotland, small repairs often do not need a building warrant, but structural alterations and strengthening generally do. Check with the council’s building standards service if unsure; there is no Party Wall Act in Scotland.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I budget for floor joist repairs in Aberdeen?

Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Aberdeen start from about £240 per joist, including VAT, on Scotland 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 Aberdeen?

Yes, Aberdeen is covered, along with postcode districts AB10, AB11, AB12, AB15. We also cover nearby Westhill and Stonehaven.

Why do houses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire crack?

The north-east is mostly granite and other hard rock with glacial till and sands, so clay shrinkage is uncommon. Granite buildings, older lime mortars and coastal exposure shape most repairs. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.

Can floor joists be repaired without taking up the whole floor?

Yes, in most cases only the boards over the affected joists need lifting, and three or four boards are often enough to sister a joist or splice a rotten end. Widespread rot is the exception, because the whole floor must come up to remove the decay.

What is sistering a floor joist?

Sistering is fixing a new length of timber alongside an existing joist so the two share the load. It strengthens a notched, cracked or sagging joist without removing it, so it is quicker and less disruptive than replacement.

Related work in Aberdeen

Floor joist repairs near Aberdeen

Got a bouncy or sinking floor in Aberdeen? Send a short video of someone walking across it, and we will tell you what it is likely to need.