Wall tie replacement in Dundee

Postcodes: DD1, DD2, DD3, DD4, DD5
Population: about 150,000
Area: Angus and Dundee
Pricing region: Scotland

Is Angus and Dundee prone to ground movement?

Dundee is in Angus and Dundee and takes in postcode districts DD1, DD2, DD3, DD4, DD5. About 150,000 people live there. We also take enquiries from nearby Carnoustie (11 miles), Forfar (12 miles) and Arbroath (16 miles).

Most of Angus and Dundee 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. Housing stock in Angus and Dundee: Sandstone tenements in Dundee, fishing-town houses and post-war estates.

Wall tie replacement prices in Dundee

For Dundee we use Scotland 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 Scotland rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
Item	Guide price	Per
Mid-terrace houseest.	£1,700 – £3,300	per house
Semi-detached house	£2,400 – £4,750	per house
Detached houseest.	£3,300 – £6,650	per house
Scaffolding where neededest.	£570 – £1,700	per elevation

How we usually approach wall tie replacement

Partial rebuild of the outer leaf

If a section of the outer leaf has bulged too far to be tied back, it is carefully taken down and rebuilt with new ties built in as the work goes up. This is uncommon, and is usually limited to a gable top, a parapet or a panel under a window.

Best for: Outer leaf too distorted to tie back safely

Isolating the old ties

Where the old ties are swelling and cracking the brickwork, fitting new ties alone may not stop further damage. Each old tie can be isolated, usually by cutting it through within the cavity or sleeving its outer end, so it can no longer lift the outer leaf as it continues to corrode.

Best for: Thick mild steel ties still causing horizontal cracking

What happens during wall tie replacement, step by step?

Tie survey
A metal detector locates the existing ties and shows their pattern. Small holes are then drilled at sample points and a borescope passed into the cavity to see the tie condition, type and embedment. The holes are made good afterwards.
Report and quote
You receive a written summary of what the survey found on each elevation, which walls need new ties, whether old ties should be isolated or removed, and a no-obligation written quote with scaffold shown separately.
Access
Ties are fitted across the whole of each affected elevation, so scaffold or a tower is usually needed above ground floor. We plan access around conservatories, extensions, neighbours’ land and any parking that must be suspended.

What to look for before calling about wall tie replacement

Mortar joints that look wider or opened up on one elevation
The roof edge or verge lifting slightly above the brickwork
A house built before the 1980s on an exposed or coastal site

Rules for wall tie replacement 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.

Questions about wall tie replacement in Dundee

How much will wall tie replacement cost in Dundee?

Guide prices for wall tie replacement in Dundee start from about £1,700 per house, including VAT, on Scotland rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.

Do you cover Dundee?

Yes, Dundee is covered, along with postcode districts DD1, DD2, DD3, DD4. We also cover nearby Carnoustie and Forfar.

Is the ground in Angus and Dundee prone to subsidence?

Angus and Dundee sit on Old Red Sandstone and igneous rock with glacial and raised-beach deposits. Hillside sites in Dundee mean retaining walls are common. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.

Do the old wall ties have to be removed?

Not always, because thin wire ties that cannot swell are usually left in place once new ties are fitted. Thicker ties that are still expanding and cracking the wall are isolated or removed so they stop causing damage. The survey decides which applies.

Which houses are most at risk of wall tie failure?

Cavity-walled houses built before the 1980s are most at risk, especially those with mild steel ties, black ash mortar or an exposed position. Coastal and hilltop houses, and elevations facing the prevailing weather, tend to fail first.

Other structural repairs in Dundee

Wall tie replacement near Dundee

Send photos of any horizontal cracking at your Dundee property and we will tell you whether a wall tie survey looks worthwhile.