Subsidence

Subsidence and Heave are signs that a building’s foundations have moved, and may still be moving, downwards (subsidence) and upwards (heave).

Movement can result from many ground related factors, including the effects of mining activities and the compression of filled ground. Subsidence is not caused by the weight of the building, but by processes affecting the ground. New buildings normally have some slight settlement into the ground. If this is unevenly spread, it can result in the appearance of small cracks, but these can usually be dealt with easily.

Subsidence in older buildings, where mining is not a factor, is normally due to erosion of the soil from leaking drains or pipes, or most commonly, shrinkage of clay soil near the surface and around trees.

We can give advice if you think that your property is affected by subsidence. We can carry out surveys and monitor buildings over a period of time. We can also submit claims to insurers where it is considered that subsidence has occurred and there is a valid claim. It can be difficult to get insurers to accept claims for subsidence. Also, if a property has had a subsidence claim there may be problems in obtaining cover in the future. This could obviously affect the value of the property. We are members of The Subsidence Forum, an industry wide group concerned with insurance matters relating to subsidence.