Structural crack repairs in Yeovil

Postcodes: BA20, BA21
Population: about 50,000
Area: Somerset
Pricing region: South West

What should you know about the ground under Yeovil?

With roughly 50,000 people, Yeovil spans postcode districts BA20, BA21 in Somerset. We also take enquiries from nearby Dorchester (18 miles), Bridgwater (21 miles) and Taunton (21 miles).

Clay soils are found in parts of Somerset. Parts of Somerset lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across Somerset: Bath stone Georgian terraces, Victorian houses in Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, and post-war estates.

What to expect when we carry out structural crack repairs

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.
Survey and record
On site we measure the width along the crack, note its pattern and check nearby drains, trees and openings. If the cause is unclear, gauges can be fixed across it and read over several months.
Repair and make good
Cracks are stitched, repointed or rebuilt as specified, with mortar matched to the existing wall. Internal crack lines are filled and redecorated where included, and you get a written note of what was done.

Is it time for structural crack repairs? Common signs

A crack noticeably wider at the top than the bottom, or the reverse
Daylight or a draught coming through a crack in an outside wall
Stepped cracks zigzagging through the mortar joints of outside brickwork

What should you budget for structural crack repairs in Yeovil?

For Yeovil 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

Repair options we may recommend

Rebuilding a cracked section

Where bricks have split or the wall has moved out of line, the damaged area is taken down and rebuilt, bonded into sound masonry on either side. Reclaimed or matched bricks keep the repair discreet, with temporary support used where needed.

Best for: Badly displaced or broken brickwork

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

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.

Your structural crack repairs questions

What is the price of structural crack repairs in Yeovil?

Guide prices for structural crack repairs in Yeovil 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.

Do you carry out structural crack repairs in Yeovil?

Yes, Yeovil is covered, along with postcode districts BA20, BA21. We also cover nearby Dorchester and Bridgwater.

Does the ground around Yeovil cause cracking?

Somerset mixes Lias clays, Mercia Mudstone, limestone hills and the peat and alluvium of the Levels around Bridgwater, which can settle. The former Somerset coalfield around Radstock and Midsomer Norton left recorded workings. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.

What do stepped cracks in brickwork mean?

Stepped cracks usually mean part of the wall has moved and the weakest path, the mortar joints, has given way. They are common with subsidence and around openings. A thin stepped crack unchanged for years is often cosmetic, while a wide or tapered one should be looked at.

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.

More repairs we carry out in Yeovil

Structural crack repairs near Yeovil

If a crack in Yeovil keeps coming back, send photos taken a few weeks apart and we will help you work out whether it is still moving.