Builder advice about your cracks
Send photos of the crack. A builder with nearly 30 years on site tells you what it most likely is, whether to fill it, monitor it or get an engineer in — and what the repair usually costs.
Upload your photos, add your details, then pay · money-back if it isn’t clear
- Read by Ben Murrell, a builder for nearly 30 years
- 19 five-star Google reviews (4.9 from 21)
- FMB member
- Independent — we never quote for or do the repair
- Written answer and a call within 24 hours
Send photos of your crack. Within 24 hours you get:
- What the crack most likely is — plaster, seasonal movement, a lintel, or ground movement
- Whether to fill it, monitor it, or get a structural engineer in
- What the repair usually costs, from current UK site prices
- What to ask an engineer, your insurer or the seller
- A one-to-one call to talk it through
£59 for one property. No repair quotes, referral fees or upselling.
Four photos tell us most of what we need
- One wide shot Stand back so we can see the whole wall, the crack and any window or door near it.
- One close-up with a scale A ruler, tape or a coin held right beside the widest part of the crack.
- The other side of the wall If the crack shows inside and outside in the same place, photograph both.
- A line about its history When you first noticed it, whether it has grown, and whether doors or windows have started to stick.
Not sure how wide it is? The crack severity checker shows you how to measure it with a coin.
The range is huge — which is why the cause comes first
Typical UK costs for the repairs cracks most often lead to. Where your crack sits in these ranges depends on what is causing it, and that is what your review tells you.
- Hairline cracks in plaster — fill and redecorate £150–£600
- Structural engineer’s report, where movement needs ruling out £500–£1,200
- Replacing a failed lintel over a window or door £900–£3,500
- Bay window dropping or cracking £2,500–£12,000
- Confirmed subsidence — from tree work and monitoring to underpinning £5,000–£45,000
Ben Murrell
I’m a carpenter by trade — I started as an apprentice in the late 1990s and have spent nearly 30 years on UK building sites since. When you send photos of a crack, I’m the one who looks at them and the one who rings you. Not a salesperson, not a call centre, not a chatbot.
4.9 stars across 21 Google reviews
“… His advice was absolutely spot on and gave a list of red flags and items that needed attention on a retaining wall that was being built. With the knowledge and experience of Ben I was able to create a strong case with the builder to rectify and re-do substandard workmanship. …”
“Thank you very much for the detailed advice regarding the kitchen and lounge wall; it was incredibly helpful and gave me a much clearer understanding of the structural requirements and building regulations involved.”
How it works
- Upload photos of the crack In the form above — or tick the box and WhatsApp or email them straight after paying.
- Pay £59 Card payment on Stripe — no account, no subscription. One property or one job, one fee.
- Written review and a call within 24 hours Ben Murrell looks at your photos himself: what the crack most likely is, what to do about it and what it usually costs, in writing — then a one-to-one call.
- Refund if it is not clear If what comes back does not give you a clear answer on your crack, you get every penny back — no forms, no quibble.
What a builder can and can’t tell you from photos
We can
- Tell you what the pattern of the crack usually points to
- Say whether it looks cosmetic, one to monitor, or one for an engineer
- Give likely repair-cost ranges from current UK site prices
- Tell you how to monitor it, and what to ask next
We can’t
- Replace a structural engineer’s inspection or report
- Confirm subsidence from photos — that takes monitoring or an engineer
- See anything your photos don’t show
- Give you a fixed quote for the repair
If a crack is widening and you own the house, tell your buildings insurer — they will usually arrange the engineer. Full detail in our terms.
Before you book
Do you need to come and see the crack?
No. We work from your photos, which is why it’s quick: one wide shot, one close-up with a ruler or coin, both sides of the wall if it shows on both, and a line on when it appeared. If something needs eyes on site, we say so and tell you who to call.
Is this a structural engineer’s report?
No. It’s an experienced builder’s read of the crack: what it most likely is, how urgent it is, what the repair usually costs and what to do next. If it looks like movement an engineer should rule out, we tell you — and what to ask them.
Most cracks are nothing, aren’t they?
Most are cosmetic, yes. Fine cracks up to about 5mm are generally treated as aesthetic. What changes that is the pattern: a crack that tapers, shows on both sides of the wall, keeps getting wider, or comes with doors that stick. That is what we look for in your photos.
I’m buying a house with cracks. Can you help?
Yes. Send photos of the cracks (the agent’s photos are a start, your own from a viewing are better) and anything you’ve been told about them. We tell you what they most likely are, what they could cost to put right, and what to ask the seller before you go further.
Do I upload the photos before I pay?
Yes, if you can — upload them in the form, add your name, email and phone, then pay. If the photos are on another device, tick the box and send them after paying: the next screen gives you a WhatsApp and an email link with your booking reference filled in.
Are you independent?
Yes. We never quote for or carry out the repair we advise on, and we take no referral fees, so there is nothing in it for us either way.
What if I’m not happy?
If what comes back doesn’t give you a clear answer on your crack, you get a full refund. No forms.
Free guides on cracks
- Crack severity checker Grade your crack on the scale engineers and insurers use.
- Subsidence, settlement or thermal movement? How to tell which one you are looking at.
- Cracks above doors and windows The usual causes and when to worry.
- Lintel problems Signs, causes and repair costs.
- Cracks after a hot summer Clay shrinkage or subsidence?
- Bay window cracking What it means and what it costs.