Structural crack repairs in Poole

Postcodes: BH14, BH15, BH17
Population: about 150,000
Area: Dorset
Pricing region: South West

Is Dorset prone to ground movement?

Poole is in Dorset and takes in postcode districts BH14, BH15, BH17. About 150,000 people live there. Neighbouring towns we cover: Bournemouth (5 miles), Wimborne Minster (5 miles) and Ferndown (7 miles).

Parts of Dorset have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. What you mostly find across Dorset: stone and brick villages, Victorian villas in Bournemouth, and inter-war and post-war semis.

What happens during structural crack repairs, step by step?

Send photos
Photograph the crack from a distance and close up, with a coin or tape measure for scale. From these we say whether it looks cosmetic, needs a visit or calls for an engineer.
Deal with the cause
Leaking drains, failed ties, a sagging lintel or ground movement are put right first, sometimes through an insurance claim. Repairing a crack before its cause is fixed usually means paying for the same job twice.
Written quote
You receive a no-obligation written quote listing each crack, the repair method chosen for it and the making good inside and out. Once the scope is settled, that becomes a fixed price in writing.

What to look for before calling about structural crack repairs

Cracks that reappear in the same place after filling and painting
Daylight or a draught coming through a crack in an outside wall
Doors or windows that have started sticking or no longer latch

Structural crack repairs prices in Poole

For Poole we use South West rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.

Guide prices inc VAT on South West rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
Item	Guide price	Per
Crack stitching with helical bars	£80 – £185	per metre of crack
Single crack, outside only (up to about 2 m)est.	£410 – £925	per crack
Internal making good and redecoration of the crack lineest.	£155 – £515	per room

How we usually approach structural crack repairs

Crack stitching with helical bars

Stainless steel helical bars are grouted into slots cut along the bed joints, bridging the crack so the masonry works as one piece again. It is the standard repair for wider stepped and vertical cracks once whatever caused them has stopped.

Best for: Stable cracks wider than about 5 mm, or ones that keep reopening

Filling and repointing

For hairline and narrow cracks that have stopped moving, the crack line is raked out and repointed in mortar matched to the original for strength, colour and texture. Inside, plaster cracks are cut out, filled with a flexible filler and redecorated.

Best for: Cracks up to about 5 mm that are no longer moving

Rules for structural crack 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.

Questions about structural crack repairs in Poole

How much should I budget for structural crack repairs in Poole?

Guide prices for structural crack repairs in Poole start from about £80 per metre of crack, including VAT, on South West 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 Poole?

We do. Poole and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Bournemouth and Wimborne Minster. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.

Why do houses in Dorset crack?

Dorset mixes chalk downs, Oxford and Kimmeridge Clays in the vales, and the sands and gravels of the Poole basin. Clay vales can shrink and swell, and parts of the coast are known for landslip. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.

When is a crack in a wall structural?

A crack is more likely to be structural when it is wider than about 5 mm, tapers, passes through the whole wall or keeps growing. BRE Digest 251 treats damage up to about 5 mm as aesthetic and over 25 mm as a stability concern. Width is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Can I just fill a crack and paint over it?

You can fill a fine crack that is not moving, and for many hairline cracks that is the right repair. Filling a crack that is still opening hides the evidence, and it will usually come back. If a filled crack returns within a year or two, have it assessed.

Related work in Poole

Structural crack repairs near Poole

For a guide price on crack repairs in Poole, try the quote tool or send us photos, and we will reply with the likely repair and its cost range.