How do I find out if I have subsidence in my area?

One of the easiest ways to check whether there is a subsidence risk in the area where you live or are planning to live is to consult a 'hotspot' map based on databases of information.

How do I get a subsidence check?

If you think you may have subsidence, the first step is to contact your buildings insurer. The sooner it is picked up the easier it will be to deal with. The insurance company will arrange for a surveyor to inspect your home and confirm if it is subsidence.

How do you find out if a property has a history of subsidence?

Common tell-tale signs of possible subsidence include interior and exterior cracks, doors and windows that do not fit properly and sloping or sagging floors. (These may be caused by other structural problems too, however.) A crack over 3mm in width could be a sign of subsidence.

Does my house have subsidence?

If you're concerned about dealing with subsidence, the first thing to do is check you have it and the extent of the damage. Cracks in a wall are one of the most common signs of subsidence. But they could also be the natural swelling/shrinking of your home's walls in response to temperature.

Who can tell me if I have subsidence?

A chartered surveyor will be able to work out whether there is subsidence and what the likely cause is. It is imperative that whoever is engaged to inspect the damage has adequate training and experience to be able to ascertain whether the damage is consistent with foundation movement or some other cause.

Subsidence: What Is It? What Can Be Done? | Phil Spencer's Tips

How does a surveyor identify subsidence?

What is involved in a subsidence survey? A specialist will come to your property to carry out an investigation into the existence and extent of subsidence. This will begin with a visual inspection to look at cracks in the walls, sticking doors and windows and other obvious signs of subsidence.

Does a homebuyers survey check for subsidence?

The Homebuyer Survey uncovers any serious structural problems with the building such as subsidence. The surveyor will also inspect damp-proofing, drainage, insulation, and damp test the walls to ensure damp is not present in the property.

How does a structural engineer check for subsidence?

The subsidence investigation usually involves accurate monitoring of any movement of the building or structure. This includes precise datum monitoring of principal fractures and, where appropriate, precision level survey monitoring of datum fixed close to the foundations of the building or structure.

What are the warning signs of ground subsidence and collapse?

How can you tell if your house is sinking?

Do you have to disclose subsidence when selling a house?

Unfortunately, there is no limit on how long you have to declare subsidence. If your property has been affected by subsidence at any point in the past, particularly if an insurance claim on that basis has been made about it, then you do have to declare it to the estate agent and the buyer.

Do cracks in walls mean subsidence?

The major sign of subsidence is cracks in walls. Cracks caused by subsidence are normally of a diagonal nature and will suddenly appear in plaster work inside the building and on brickwork outside.

Will building insurance cover subsidence?

Most buildings insurance policies only cover the cost of repairing the damage caused by subsidence, not proactively preventing any future subsidence.

How much does subsidence devalue a property?

How much does subsidence devalue a property? The level of severity will determine how much subsidence devalues a property, but generally speaking, you could find that it decreases the market value of your home by as much as 20%.

How do you check for subsidence cracks?

How do I know if my house is structurally sound?

Can you have subsidence without cracks?

Do cracks mean I have got subsidence? More often than not no. All houses crack sometimes – after all they are big solid boxes that get hot and cold, wet and dry and altered. Very often cracks in old houses are due to regular thermal and moisture changes in the structure and brickwork and are not a cause for worry.

How can you tell the difference between subsidence and settlement?

What is the difference? With subsidence, the supporting soil moves away from the structure taking away its support and allowing the structure to move. Settlement is where the structure moves the soil due to application of load.

Can you get rid of subsidence?

“Resin injection is now the go-to solution for subsidence of any size – it's an effective and permanent method to stabilise buildings affected by structural movement. Resin injection takes a day to implement and homeowners don't need to move out, rather than weeks or months of underpinning and piling.”

How long does subsidence take to fix?

So how long does it take to fix subsidence? The building work needed to fix subsidence can take as long as 6 weeks, or as little as two days. This depends on the extent and severity of the problem.

How long can you leave subsidence?

There is no statute of limitation for subsidence claims - I have to notify any potential insurers of the claim forever. However, builders, insurance companies, surveyors and anyone else involved, by law, only need to keep records of the claim for seven years.

What is worse heave or subsidence?

Heave is likely to be progressive, as the clay will take up moisture following tree removal until it finds a new equilibrium. This can result in upward movement of foundations over a number of years with the damage resulting to the buildings often being substantially more severe than that resulting from subsidence.

How can you tell if crack is structural?

How do you know if cracks in your walls are serious?

Severe – cracks up to 25mm wide could be a sign of structural damage and should be inspected and repaired by a professional. Very severe – any crack above 25mm in width indicates serious structural damage and will need major repair work, which could include underpinning and rebuilding.

Are hairline cracks in plaster normal?

If your home has walls that are plastered, then straight vertical cracks typically form when the plaster expands in humidity and shrinks as it dries. These are normal and are usually the type of cracks you'll find in a new build property.