March · Cambridgeshire
Wall tie replacement in March
Plenty of cavity-walled houses, in March as elsewhere, were built when galvanised steel ties were standard, and those ties are now reaching the end of their life. A survey shows whether yours are sound, thinning or actively swelling and cracking the brickwork.
Guide price from£1,900per house inc VAT
- Postcodes
- PE15
- Population
- about 21,000
- Area
- Cambridgeshire
- Pricing region
- East of England
What is the ground like in Cambridgeshire?
We cover March and its postcode districts PE15, part of Cambridgeshire, with a population of roughly 21,000. Nearby places we cover include Wisbech (8 miles), Ely (13 miles) and Peterborough (14 miles).
Much of Cambridgeshire 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 Cambridgeshire: Victorian terraces in Cambridge and Peterborough, fen-edge cottages, and extensive post-war and new-build estates.
How we usually approach wall tie replacement
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
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
What happens during wall tie replacement, step by step?
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.
Install the new ties
New stainless ties are drilled and fixed to the specified grid, with closer spacing around windows, doors and the roofline. Sample ties can be pull-tested to confirm they are holding in your particular brick and block.
What to look for before calling about wall tie replacement
- Cracked render with a regular horizontal pattern
- Mortar joints that look wider or opened up on one elevation
- A house built before the 1980s on an exposed or coastal site
Wall tie replacement prices in March
Guide prices below are for homes in March, on East of England rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-terrace houseest. | £1,900 – £3,700 | per house |
| Semi-detached house | £2,600 – £5,250 | per house |
| Detached houseest. | £3,700 – £7,350 | per house |
| Scaffolding where neededest. | £630 – £1,900 | per elevation |
Rules for wall tie replacement 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 wall tie replacement in March
What is the price of wall tie replacement in March?
Guide prices for wall tie replacement in March start from about £1,900 per house, including VAT, on East of England rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you carry out wall tie replacement in March?
We do. March and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Wisbech and Ely. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Does the ground around March cause cracking?
Gault Clay underlies much of the Cambridge area and Oxford Clay the west of the county around Peterborough and Huntingdon, while the northern fens are peat and silt that can shrink as they dry. Both clay and peat ground can move with the seasons. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Is wall tie failure covered by insurance?
Usually not, because insurers treat it as gradual deterioration. Damage caused by a sudden event, such as part of a wall collapsing in a storm, may be treated differently under some policies. Check your policy wording, and tell your insurer if you are unsure.
Can wall ties be replaced on a rendered house?
Yes, new ties can be fitted through render, with each drill hole made good afterwards. The repairs can show on painted render, so redecoration of the affected elevation is often worth including. Render can also hide the cracking pattern, so a survey matters more.
More repairs we carry out in March
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Crack stitching
- Underpinning
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
Wall tie replacement near March
Pick your house type in our quote tool for a March wall tie guide price, then book a survey to confirm what condition the ties are in.