Repointing is raking out old, crumbling mortar from between bricks and replacing it with fresh mortar, sealing the joints against rain and protecting the wall; brickwork repairs replace spalled or cracked bricks and rebuild damaged sections.
Cost is usually the first question about brickwork and repointing, so here is the guide for Scotland: £2,400–£5,800 including VAT. We cover the whole of Highlands and Islands, with Inverness, Isle of Lewis, Fort William and Nairn among the main centres. Because each UK nation sets its own rules, we check the requirements in Scotland for your property, then put a firm price on paper following a free survey.
- Guide price
- £2,400–£5,800 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 3–10 days for a typical house
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Price level
- About 4% below the national guide
- Towns listed
- 4
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does brickwork and repointing cost in Highlands and Islands?
Every figure below is a guide for brickwork and repointing in Highlands and Islands, inclusive of VAT. Regional pricing for Scotland works out about 4% below the national guide, and the overall span is £2,400–£5,800. The survey costs you nothing, and after it we commit to a firm price for your specification in writing.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Highlands and Islands |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney or small area | Repointing a chimney stack, gable or single wall, including access. | £600–£1,750 |
| Typical semi-detached | Repointing the main elevations of a 3-bed semi, including scaffolding. | £2,400–£5,800 |
| Detached or lime work | Larger houses, or period homes repointed in lime with brick repairs. | £4,800–£9,600 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Wall area to repoint and the height of the house
- Mortar type: cement or lime, and joint style
- Number of bricks to replace and how well they match
- Scaffolding and access, including chimneys
Scope of the work
- Survey of mortar, bricks, cracks and the cause of any damp
- Scaffolding or access towers where needed
- Raking out old mortar to the correct depth
- Colour and joint style matched as closely as possible
- Replacement of spalled or cracked bricks
- Waste removal and a tidy site
Homes in Highlands and Islands
Inverness has Victorian villas and terraces and large modern estates, while rural Highland homes range from harled stone cottages and croft houses to modern timber-frame kit houses, which are common across the region. Orkney uses local flagstone, and island and coastal communities mix traditional stone homes with newer bungalows.
Croft houses and stone cottages often need lime harling, re-roofing and window renewal. Bungalows commonly take extensions and loft rooms, and remote projects need careful planning for materials and access.
Exposure to wind, rain and snow can be severe, especially on the west coast and islands, and remote sites need allowance for ferries and weather delays.
Do you need permission in Highlands and Islands?
Planning law differs across the UK. For a home in Highlands and Islands, it is the Scotland rules below that count, and we check them with the council ahead of any quote.
In Scotland, repointing and like-for-like masonry repairs are maintenance; listed buildings and conservation areas may need consent if materials or appearance change.
A building warrant is not normally needed for repointing; structural rebuilding of walls or chimneys can need one.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
From survey to handover
Free site survey
A free survey comes first. It gives us what we need to price brickwork and repointing properly, including dimensions, existing materials and access for deliveries, and gives you the chance to ask anything you like.
Your fixed price
After the survey we send a quote for brickwork and repointing that fixes the price for the scope we've agreed. If you want to change materials or scope, we revise it in writing before anything is booked.
Booking the work
Once you accept, we agree start dates, order materials and deal with any planning, building control or neighbour notices the job needs. You'll know who is coming and when before work begins.
Build and hand over
Work goes ahead as scheduled and you deal with one contact throughout. When the last trade leaves, we clear and clean the site, talk you through what has been done and pass on any certificates and care instructions.
What you can expect from us
Questions about brickwork and repointing in Highlands and Islands
Which postcodes in Highlands and Islands do you cover?
We cover IV1, HS1, PH33 and IV12, along with the rest of Highlands and Islands. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
Can you combine brickwork and repointing with other work?
Yes. Because we manage several trades under one contract, we can plan brickwork and repointing alongside other work on your Highlands and Islands home, such as new windows with rendering, or a kitchen refit with an extension. Combining jobs can reduce repeat set-up such as scaffolding, skips and access, and every element is listed and priced in the same written quote.
What causes bricks to crumble?
Bricks usually crumble, or spall, when water gets into them and turns to ice, pushing the face off. This is often caused by hard cement mortar or impermeable paint trapping moisture in soft bricks, or by leaking gutters soaking the wall. Damaged bricks can be cut out and replaced with matching ones, or turned round if the back face is sound. We fix the cause at the same time.
Should my house be repointed with lime or cement?
Houses built before about the 1920s were usually built with soft bricks and lime mortar, and should normally be repointed in lime. Hard cement mortar in these walls traps moisture and can cause the brick faces to crumble. Newer homes built with cement mortar are usually repointed in a similar mix. We check your wall construction before recommending a mortar.
Is repointing messy or noisy?
Raking out old mortar is noisy and dusty, especially when power tools are used on hard mortar. We sheet scaffolding to contain dust, keep windows closed nearby and clear up at the end of each day. The noisy phase moves around the house elevation by elevation. Inside, you may notice some dust on windowsills, so it helps to keep windows shut.
Towns in Highlands and Islands
Find your town below. Every place listed in Highlands and Islands is covered for brickwork and repointing, with the same survey, written quote and fixed-price process.