Visible indicators

Cracks on internal and external walls

Cracks are the most common sign of subsidence. Here are the key types to watch for:

A stair step crack in brickwork on an external residential home wall

Stair-step cracks

Follows the mortar lines in brickwork, stepping up or down the wall.

External corner of residential home bricks with settlement cracking visible in the brickwork

Settlement cracks

A general term for cracks caused by the home's foundation settling downwards.

Close up view of series of hairline cracks on a white wall.

Hairline cracks

Very fine, thin cracks that can appear in plaster, often the earliest sign.

Close up view of a vertical crack in an exterior home wall

Vertical cracks

Runs straight up and down, often wider at the top or bottom.

Close up of diagonal cracks moving from top of a door frame to the ceiling on an internal wall of a home.

Diagonal cracks

Spreads out from corners of windows or doors, usually at a 45-degree angle.

Close up of a horizontal crack originating from the bottom right corner of a window along the internal wall of a home.

Horizontal cracks

Runs sideways along walls, potentially indicating significant structural stress.

Floors, windows, doors, and extensions

While cracks are the most famous sign of subsidence, the earliest clues can be more subtle. When the ground beneath your home moves, it can gently twist the entire frame of the building. This distortion can show up in ways you might not immediately connect to a ground problem, from sloping floors to doors and windows that suddenly begin to stick.

View of a level spanning a depression in a residential home's wooden floor

Uneven and sinking floors

You may notice a sinking or sloping feeling when walking across a room. Furniture might lean to one side, or you may see a visible gap appearing between your floor and the skirting boards. This is often a clear indication that the ground beneath your floor is no longer providing adequate support.

Large window frame with adjacent subsidence cracks visible from the frame's left side.

Misaligned and hard to open doors and windows

When your home's foundation shifts, it distorts the frames of doors and windows. This causes them to stick, jam, or no longer close properly. You might also notice that latches no longer line up, or gaps have appeared around the frames, letting in drafts.

View of side elevation of brick exterior home extension which is subsiding

Sinking bay windows or home extensions

Bay windows and extensions are often built on shallower foundations than the main house, making them more vulnerable to movement. You may notice cracks appearing where the extension joins the main property, or the entire structure may seem to be pulling away from the house.

resii - plaster ripple from cracks

Wall coating damage

Subsidence movement often causes cosmetic damage indoors. Look for crinkling or tearing in wallpaper with no signs of damp, or fine cracks appearing through plaster or render. These signs often correspond with larger structural cracks hidden underneath the wall's surface.

3D illustration of a sinkhole in a yard being filled with geopolymer.

 

Appearance of ground voids and sinkholes

In some cases, you might notice dips or holes appearing in your garden or driveway near your home’s foundation. This can be a sign of soil being washed away or compacting, leaving an unsupported void beneath the ground that can lead to sudden settlement.

Most common causes of subsidence in the UK

3D illustration of a home with subsidence being treated. Drains and tree roots are shown as well as injection bulbs into clay soil
1
Clay shrinkage

Clay soil, common in London and the South East, shrinks as it dries during long, hot summers, causing the ground to shift.

2
Leaking drains and water mains

Water washing away or softening the soil beneath your foundations is one of the leading causes of subsidence.

3
Tree roots

Large trees and shrubs growing too close to your home can draw vast amounts of moisture from the soil, causing it to shrink.

4
Poor ground compaction

If the ground was not properly compacted when your home was built, it can consolidate over time, causing settlement.

Worried about your home?

If you've noticed any of these signs, don't wait for the problem to get worse. Contact our expert team today for a professional assessment and a clear plan to secure your home.

Arrange Your Free Assessment
Bear pointing Bear pointing

Frequently asked questions about subsidence

When you see potential signs of subsidence, it’s natural to have a lot of questions and concerns. Below, we’ve answered some of the most common queries we hear from homeowners to give you clear, straightforward information.

These terms describe different types of ground movement.

Settlement is the normal, even, downward movement a new building experiences as the ground compacts under its weight.

Subsidence is the uneven sinking of the ground beneath an existing property, caused by problems with the soil.

Heave is the opposite of subsidence—it's the upward movement of the ground, usually when clay soil swells after a long dry spell or the removal of a large tree.

While the classic signs include diagonal cracks, sticking doors, and rippling wallpaper, the only way to be certain is with a professional site investigation.

An expert can assess the signs and determine the specific cause of the movement, which is the first step toward the right solution.

No. Most homes have minor hairline cracks in the plaster that appear over time due to normal temperature changes. Subsidence cracks are different—they are typically diagonal, wider than 3mm (the width of a 10p coin), and are often visible both inside and outside the property.

It is extremely rare for a property in the UK to collapse due to subsidence. The process is usually very slow, developing over months or years. While it is a serious issue that needs to be addressed to prevent further damage, it does not typically pose an immediate risk to your safety.

Yes, absolutely. Modern engineered solutions are highly effective. The Geobear solution is designed to fix the problem at its source by strengthening the weak ground beneath your home. We improve the ground conditions to provide stable support for your foundations once more.

Traditional underpinning methods can take weeks or even months of disruptive building work. By contrast, the Geobear solution is very fast. Most residential projects are completed in just one or two days, allowing you to get back to normal life with minimal disruption.

If you suspect subsidence, you must inform your insurer. Having an unresolved subsidence issue can make it difficult to get insurance or switch providers. However, once the problem has been professionally resolved with a guaranteed solution, this will satisfy the requirements of most insurers.

Yes, you can take simple steps to reduce the risk. Regularly maintain your drains and gutters to prevent leaks, and ensure large trees are planted a safe distance from your home's foundations. Pruning large, established trees can also help reduce the amount of water they draw from the soil.