Causes and warning signs
The ABI identifies clay drying, tree-related moisture changes and leaking drains among possible causes. Cracks around openings, unexplained sticking doors and other changes can be warning signs, but similar symptoms can arise for different reasons. [1]
Take dated photographs from safe positions and record when the symptoms appeared. Include recent leaks, alterations or nearby works in your report to the insurer or investigating professional. Do not remove trees or commission underpinning merely because they have been suggested as common solutions online.
Speak to the insurer before agreeing permanent repairs
RICS recommends checking whether the policy covers investigation and repair and establishing who will appoint the experts. Costs should not be assumed recoverable simply because an engineer has been instructed independently. Ask the insurer about its process and the applicable excess before authorising non-emergency work. [2]
For the claim record, request a named contact, the next investigation step and written confirmation of what has been authorised. Keep urgent safety action distinct from a later permanent repair proposal.
Why investigation can take time
The Financial Ombudsman Service expects insurers to investigate the cause adequately. Relevant evidence can include trial holes, soil information, drain surveys and movement monitoring. Observations across the seasons can help distinguish active or seasonal ground movement from other damage. [3]
Ask what each test is intended to establish and when its results will be reviewed. A monitoring programme should have a purpose and a contact for deteriorating conditions, rather than an unexplained waiting period.
Does subsidence always mean underpinning?
No. Repairing a leaking drain or addressing another verified cause may stabilise the situation without underpinning. RICS describes underpinning as a more disruptive intervention that should not be assumed necessary before the cause and options are understood. [2]
Ask for the proposed repair scope, the reason it addresses the diagnosed mechanism and the evidence needed before finishes are reinstated. Keep the investigation, repair design and completion records together.
Cover and disagreements
The Financial Ombudsman Service distinguishes subsidence from settlement and explains that policy definitions, exclusions and the cause of damage affect the claim. Damage to a patio or an isolated floor slab is not automatically covered on the same basis as movement of the main foundations. [4]
Where you disagree with a decision, ask the insurer for its evidence and relevant policy wording. Make a formal complaint to the insurer first; the Financial Ombudsman Service can consider eligible unresolved complaints under its published procedure. [4]
Do not describe a general insurance guide as a promise about your own policy. The useful next step is an evidenced diagnosis and a written coverage decision, with urgent safety concerns dealt with immediately rather than left awaiting the claim outcome.