Usually, subsidence claims are covered unless expressly excluded from your building insurance policy.

TIP: It is not advisable to shop around yearly for building insurance to avoid issues in the future if you suffer subsidence and need to make a claim. It can be challenging to establish liability if there are multiple insurers over the years. This is different from other insurances, e.g., car insurance.

You can usually employ your engineer under the terms of your policy and have their reasonable costs covered unless it’s expressly excluded. Ask to be shown the wording by the insurer’s loss adjuster if you are told you can’t appoint your own engineers. Insurers typically appoint their engineer and loss adjuster on a subsidence claim to advise them. However, we recommend appointing your own subsidence engineer and loss assessor to represent you during the insurance claim process.

TIP: If you receive consultancy advice, ensure you have a contract signed with whomever you receive professional advice from. The insurers should refund the reasonable professional fees if liability is accepted.

Subsidence cracking can occur at any time, typically after events like leaking drains or water pipes wash away or soften the ground below foundations. The speed and extent of crack appearance depend on factors like soil conditions, the severity of the triggering event, and the extent of the damage. It’s important to note that cracking can have different causes, not just subsidence, so it’s essential to employ a chartered engineer to investigate. If subsidence is established, PKT can prepare a proposed solution for pricing.

Subsidence is the downward movement of the ground supporting the building, unrelated to the building’s weight. Essentially, it occurs when the soil beneath the foundation is unstable. Settlement occurs when the ground bearing the structure yields under the building’s load. Settlement is not usually covered under insurance, whereas subsidence is typically covered.

If the movement is progressive and left unrepaired, the building can deteriorate structurally, possibly requiring more expensive solutions to repair or demolition in extreme situations. In my experience, the cost of subsidence repairs increases the longer the building subsidence movement is left in progress.

Discussing the current market values for similar properties with an estate agent is recommended. However, they will need to know how much it would cost to repair the subsidence issue to give a more accurate potential value. An investigation by a chartered engineer with experience in assessing the extent of the damage and potential repair solutions would help in this analysis. Depending on its extent, a subsidence issue can generally make it more challenging to sell. Banks may sometimes be reluctant to provide finance for the property or may want detailed costs for the required repairs.

TIP: Having the subsidence repairs specified, monitored, and certified by a chartered engineer would be beneficial.

A full investigation by a chartered engineer is required to establish the severity of the issue. Factors to assess include the extent of cracking, the rate of progression, the degree of structural deterioration, and the impact on floors, doors, windows, and walls.

Various forms of underpinning can be utilized to fix subsidence, depending on factors like the building’s age, construction type, access to the property, extent of the subsidence, soil type, and foundation type. A chartered engineer with experience in fixing subsidence can advise on the best approach.

TIP: If your insurers accept liability and are repairing directly, we recommend appointing your engineer to independently review their proposed method of underpinning and its suitability to resolve your issue entirely.

The cost of subsidence repair depends on the extent of the issue and must be assessed by a chartered engineer experienced in subsidence projects. Investigations, testing, and inspections are typically required before a repair cost can be calculated. PKT would be happy to provide a quote for the same.

PKT conducts an initial preliminary assessment to determine if subsidence is a potential cause and if immediate emergency temporary supports are required. This is followed by testing and a detailed report to confirm the extent of the problem and possible solutions.

The cost of a subsidence survey depends on factors like the building’s age, size, and location. Please call our offices at 01 491 2415 or email us at info@pkt.ie to get a personalised quote.

Resin injection underpinning is advertised as a quick, non invasive fix to subsidence. However, it comes with many issues. Resin is less predictable in deep fill soils, peat, or water-bearing ground, and many guarantees have important exclusions, such as problems caused by groundwater or if resin spreads into drains or neighbouring land. You should always consult independent engineers such as PKT, to review the ground conditions and recommend the best long term underpinning solution.