This is where a subsidence survey comes into play. At Mainmark UK, our ground engineering experts conduct subsidence surveys for both residential and commercial buildings, giving property owners a clear picture of the issue.

What is a subsidence survey?

A subsidence survey is a detailed inspection of a property to assess whether ground movement has caused structural damage. It goes beyond a standard building survey by focusing on the causes and effects of ground instability. Standard building surveyors might be able to spot (or confirm) the signs, but it takes specialist knowledge to fully understand the scale.

Typically a survey should only take about 3-4 hours for a residential building. Larger sites would take longer, potentially a couple of days. From there, most surveyors would supply a report within a week.

During the survey, our experienced engineers will:

• Inspect visible signs of damage, such as cracks or misaligned structures

• Assess the causes, such as soil shrinkage, water leaks, or tree root intrusion

• Recommend next steps, including whether remedial ground engineering is required

For commercial properties such as warehouses, subsidence surveys are especially important and getting it done by a professional when you first notice the signs can save valuable time and cost. For example, uneven floors in warehousing can disrupt forklift traffic, damage racking systems, or compromise automation equipment, all of which directly affect productivity.

For homeowners, a subsidence survey provides clarity and clear guidance if they are worried about cracks or considering selling the home.

How much does a subsidence survey cost?

The cost of a subsidence survey varies depending on the size and complexity of the property. While some surveys may cost only a few hundred pounds, more detailed inspections for large or complex sites can be higher. While our subsidence surveys are free of charge for the purposes of understanding the cause and what treatment is needed, building owners don’t receive a report at the end; only our recommendations.

What’s key is the value behind the survey. Catching and understanding the scale of subsidence early can prevent future damage and secure the property sooner. The risk of ignoring this issue, or only treating the perceived issue, is that it does not address the root of the problem.

Is subsidence covered by insurance?

For residential properties subsidence is often covered by buildings insurance, although policies vary. For commercial properties, it is not always covered so it pays to review your policy to check whether you’re covered or not (potential link to insurance blog once live). It’s worth noting that often an insurer will request a professional survey before confirming cover or authorising repairs.

Can I sell a house with subsidence?

Yes, there’s no legal reason why you can’t. However, presence of subsidence does make a home harder to sell and could affect the homes value. Having a recent subsidence survey, along with a record (or plan) of remedial works gives potential buyers reassurance and can make the sale process smoother.

How is subsidence then treated?

If the survey confirms the signs, then there are several options for treatment. While traditional underpinning is an option, screw piling can be an appropriate solution – ground permitting. However, we find many properties would benefit from resin injection as a treatment (link to resin vs. underpinning blog).

In short, while many methods solve the structural issue, in the right ground conditions resin injection is often a faster, more efficient solution which doesn’t require occupants to leave.

This makes it a more favoured choice for managing subsidence. Mainmark’s Teretek® (link) solution is proved to effectively support and re-level homes, commercial sites, and more.

Should tree roots be identified as a contributing factor (link to tree root blog) then our combined methodology of preventative tree root barriers alongside the required ground repair method treats the symptoms and the cause in one.

How can I book a subsidence survey?

If you suspect your property or building is affected, then you can fill in our contact form so one of our team can understand your requirements (link to contact page).

From there, one of our local experts will visit, conduct the survey, and recommend a treatment best suited to the challenge.

At Mainmark UK, our surveys are backed by decades of expertise and paired with innovative solutions like Teretek® and JOG that deliver fast, non-invasive, and sustainable repairs.

Remember, address the issue now to save it from becoming a larger problem.