Horsham · West Sussex
Structural crack repairs in Horsham
If you have found a crack in a wall at your Horsham property, the first job is to work out why it appeared. Our crack repairs start with the cause, so the stitching, repointing or rebuilding that follows has a fair chance of lasting.
Guide price from£90per metre of crack inc VAT
- Postcodes
- RH12
- Population
- about 51,000
- Area
- West Sussex
- Pricing region
- South East
Is West Sussex prone to ground movement?
Horsham (RH12) has around 51,000 residents and sits in West Sussex. Nearby, we also cover Crawley (7 miles), Horley (11 miles) and Haywards Heath (11 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. What you mostly find across West Sussex: Wealden cottages, 1930s semis and bungalows on the coast, and new-town estates in Crawley.
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
- Diagonal cracks running from the corners of windows and doors
- Daylight or a draught coming through a crack in an outside wall
Structural crack repairs prices in Horsham
Prices in Horsham 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Crack stitching with helical bars | £90 – £200 | per metre of crack |
| Single crack, outside only (up to about 2 m)est. | £450 – £1,000 | per crack |
| Internal making good and redecoration of the crack lineest. | £170 – £560 | per room |
How we usually approach structural crack repairs
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
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.
Questions about structural crack repairs in Horsham
What is the price of structural crack repairs in Horsham?
Guide prices for structural crack repairs in Horsham start from about £90 per metre of crack, 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 structural crack repairs in Horsham?
Yes, Horsham is covered, along with postcode districts RH12. We also cover nearby Crawley and Horley.
Does the ground around Horsham 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.
What causes vertical cracks in walls?
Vertical cracks are most often caused by thermal or moisture movement in long walls, or by the joint between old and newer work. An even-width vertical crack is usually cosmetic. One clearly wider at the top or bottom can indicate foundation movement at one end.
Should I tell my insurer about cracks in my house?
Yes, if you think the cracks could come from subsidence or heave, tell your insurer before any permanent repair, because repairing first can make a claim harder to prove. Cracks from normal shrinkage or ageing are not usually covered, and the insurer decides which applies.
More repairs we carry out in Horsham
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Subsidence repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Bowing wall repairs
- Brick arch repairs
Structural crack repairs near Horsham
Worried about a crack in Horsham? Photograph it with a tape measure across it, send it over, and we will tell you plainly whether it needs repair.