Bangor · Gwynedd
Underpinning in Bangor
Homeowners in Bangor often ask whether underpinning can be avoided, and in many cases it can. When movement continues after drains and trees have been dealt with, a well-designed scheme carries the house down to ground that no longer shifts with the seasons.
Guide price from£920per metre of wall inc VAT
- Postcodes
- LL57, LL59
- Population
- about 18,000
- Area
- Gwynedd
- Pricing region
- Wales
What is the ground like in Gwynedd?
Bangor is in Gwynedd and takes in postcode districts LL57, LL59. About 18,000 people live there. Nearby places we cover include Llangefni (8 miles), Caernarfon (9 miles) and Llandudno (14 miles).
Shrinkable clay is less common in Gwynedd than in south-east England. Old metal-mine shafts and workings are recorded in places, so mining searches are routine for some properties. Housing stock in Gwynedd: Slate and stone terraces, chapels and cottages, Victorian seaside houses and post-war estates.
Signs you may need underpinning
- Footings found to be very shallow during a trial pit
- One corner of the house visibly lower than the others
- Cracks that keep widening after the drains have been repaired
How much will underpinning cost in Bangor?
For Bangor we use Wales rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Mass-concrete underpinning | £920 – £1,400 | per metre of wall |
| Beam-and-base underpinning | £1,400 – £2,300 | per metre of wall |
| Mini-piled underpinning | £1,850 – £3,200 | per metre of wall |
| Engineer's design and building control feesest. | £735 – £2,300 | per scheme |
Which repair method suits a home in Bangor?
Beam-and-base underpinning
A reinforced concrete beam is cast beneath or alongside the existing footing and carries the wall onto mass concrete bases at intervals. It spreads load well across variable ground and can mean less digging than continuous underpinning along the whole wall.
Best for: Longer runs of wall or heavier loads over variable ground
Mass concrete underpinning
The traditional method. Short sections under the wall are dug out in a set sequence, usually about a metre at a time, and filled with concrete before the next section is opened. It suits moderate depths and good access, and it needs little specialist plant.
Best for: Shallow failures on firm ground found at moderate depth
What happens when we carry out underpinning in Bangor?
Engineer’s investigation
An independent chartered structural engineer studies the monitoring results, trial pits and soil tests, then decides whether underpinning is needed and which method suits. We can arrange the engineer if you do not already have one.
Fixed written price
With the design in hand we confirm a fixed price in writing, setting out the method, the length of wall, access arrangements and the making good. For insurance work we can price to the loss adjuster’s or engineer’s schedule.
Crack repairs and handover
Once the new foundation has cured, cracks are stitched and repointed, inside walls are made good, and paths or patios disturbed by the dig are reinstated. You receive the building control completion paperwork for your records.
Rules for underpinning in Wales
In Wales, the Welsh version of the Building Regulations applies. Underpinning and other work that alters or strengthens the structure needs building control approval and inspection; like-for-like repairs often do not. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies to work on party walls and excavation close to a neighbour’s foundations.
Underpinning in Bangor: questions and answers
What is the price of underpinning in Bangor?
Guide prices for underpinning in Bangor start from about £920 per metre of wall, including VAT, on Wales rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you carry out underpinning in Bangor?
We do. Bangor and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Llangefni and Caernarfon. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Does the ground around Bangor cause cracking?
Gwynedd and Anglesey are mostly hard rock with glacial deposits, so clay shrinkage is uncommon. Historic slate quarrying and metal mining have left tips and workings in places. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Will underpinning affect selling my house?
It needs explaining to buyers, but a properly documented scheme is far better than unresolved movement. Keep the engineer’s design, the building control completion certificate and any insurance paperwork. Lenders and surveyors will usually ask for these before agreeing a sale.
Do I need to tell my neighbours about underpinning?
In England and Wales you usually do. Underpinning a party wall normally needs two months’ notice, and excavating near a neighbour’s foundations needs one month’s notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Scotland and Northern Ireland have no equivalent Act, but agreeing the work in writing still helps.
More repairs we carry out in Bangor
- Chimney stack repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
Underpinning near Bangor
Call or send photos about your Bangor property, and we will explain the likely method, the approvals involved and a guide price before anything is booked.