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.
If you are planning brickwork and repointing anywhere in Scottish Borders, including Hawick, Galashiels, Peebles and Kelso, we can visit, measure up and talk through the options. The planning and building regulations we work to are those for Scotland, and we check them for your address before quoting. Prices remain guide figures for Scotland, at £2,400–£5,800 including VAT, until the survey is done.
- 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
Brickwork and repointing prices in Scottish Borders
Use the table to gauge the cost of brickwork and repointing in Scottish Borders before we visit. Figures include VAT and are scaled for Scotland, coming out about 4% below the national guide, which gives £2,400–£5,800 overall. After a free survey, you receive a fixed written price.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Scottish Borders |
|---|---|---|
| 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
- Number of bricks to replace and how well they match
- Scaffolding and access, including chimneys
- Condition of the existing mortar and how hard it is to remove
What do you get?
- 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
- Mortar mixed to suit the wall, in lime or cement
- Replacement of spalled or cracked bricks
- Clean-down of brick faces after pointing
Housing across Scottish Borders
Mill towns such as Hawick, Galashiels and Selkirk have stone terraces and tenements from the textile industry, Melrose and Kelso have older sandstone centres, and farmhouses and cottages across the Borders are built of whinstone or sandstone under slate roofs. Post-war and newer estates surround the larger towns.
Mill-town terraces and tenements often need lime repointing, re-roofing in slate and replacement windows. Newer homes commonly take extensions and garage conversions, and rural properties add fencing, porches and driveways.
Cold winters with frost and snow on higher ground, and the Tweed and Teviot can flood low-lying properties.
Do you need permission in Scottish Borders?
Which rules apply depends on where you live. For Scottish Borders, the answer is Scotland, and the points below reflect that; we verify them with the council before quoting.
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.
How does the job run?
We look at the job
We begin by looking at the job in person. During the free survey we discuss options, materials and budget for brickwork and repointing, and photograph or measure anything the quote needs to reflect.
Written quote
The quote arrives in writing, not over the phone. It covers the full scope, the finishes you've chosen, any exclusions and the payment schedule, with a fixed price tied to that specification.
Dates and permissions
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Scottish Borders property.
On site to finish
The job proceeds in the order set out in the programme, with dust and debris kept under control. Finally we tidy away, inspect the work together and pass the finished project over to you with its paperwork.
What you can expect from us
Questions about brickwork and repointing in Scottish Borders
When is the right time of year to repoint?
Repointing should be done in mild, dry weather, usually spring to early autumn. Fresh mortar must be kept from frost while it cures, and lime mortar in particular needs protection from frost, rain and strong sun for several days. We cover fresh work with hessian or sheeting where needed and plan the job around the forecast.
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.
How long will brickwork and repointing take?
On a typical home, allow 3–10 days for a typical house. Larger projects, older buildings and extra work found once things are opened up can extend that, while simpler jobs may be shorter. Your quote includes an estimate of time on site, and your point of contact keeps you updated on the programme as the work progresses.
Which postcodes in Scottish Borders do you cover?
We cover TD9, TD1, EH45 and TD5, along with the rest of Scottish Borders. 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.
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.
Towns in Scottish Borders
Below is our list of Scottish Borders towns for brickwork and repointing. If yours isn't shown, we may still cover it, so it is worth asking us directly.