MET SURVEYORS

Why Would You Want an Independent Subsidence Survey?

 

An insurer investigating a subsidence claim will normally appoint professionals to investigate the problem on its behalf.

That may include a loss adjuster, surveyor, structural engineer or other specialist.

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Those professionals may be perfectly competent, but there are circumstances where a homeowner would still like their own independent advice.

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You may want another opinion because you do not understand the conclusions, disagree with the proposed cause, are concerned that movement is continuing or simply want someone independent to explain the position to you.

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Our role is to assess the available evidence and provide our professional opinion based on what we find.

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Do I Need to Have an Insurance Claim?

 

No.

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You can commission an independent survey whether or not an insurance claim has been made.

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Many homeowners contact us before they know whether the problem is subsidence at all.

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They may have noticed a diagonal crack, movement around an extension, a sloping floor or cracks that have recently reopened.

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In these circumstances, the objective of the survey is to establish what the visible evidence suggests and whether further investigation appears justified.

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Should I Contact My Insurance Company First?

 

If you believe your property may be suffering from subsidence, you should check your buildings insurance policy and any requirements relating to notification.

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Met Surveyors cannot advise you to withhold information from an insurer where your policy requires notification.

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An independent survey can, however, help you understand what you are seeing and provide an additional professional opinion.

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What If My Insurer Has Already Sent a Surveyor?

 

You can still obtain independent advice.

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You may wish to do this if you have questions about the insurer's findings or if the condition of the property appears inconsistent with what you have been told.

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An independent assessment can consider the visible condition of the building and, where supplied, relevant reports or monitoring information.

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Our report does not replace the insurer's own investigation and does not require an insurer to accept our conclusions.

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It provides you with an independent professional assessment that you can consider alongside the insurer's evidence.

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What If the Insurer Says It Is Not Subsidence?

 

There are many reasons why cracking can occur.

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It may relate to settlement, thermal movement, lintel failure, extension movement, floor settlement, drainage problems or other structural defects.

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An insurer may therefore conclude that the damage is not covered as subsidence.

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If you are uncertain about that conclusion, an independent survey can examine the pattern of movement and consider whether the explanation appears consistent with the visible evidence.

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This does not guarantee that another professional will reach a different conclusion, but it can help you understand the issue more clearly.

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What If I Disagree With the Proposed Repairs?

 

You may also want independent advice where remedial works have already been suggested.

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For example, you may have been advised to undertake significant structural repairs and want another opinion before proceeding.

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Alternatively, you may feel that the proposed repairs do not address the movement you can see.

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An independent assessment can consider whether the proposed approach appears consistent with the visible defect and whether additional investigation might be appropriate before significant works are undertaken.

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What If Underpinning Has Been Recommended?

 

Underpinning is a significant structural intervention.

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It may be appropriate in some circumstances, but it should not be assumed that every case of subsidence requires underpinning.

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Before major foundation works are carried out, it is important to understand the likely cause and extent of movement.

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Depending on the circumstances, investigation could involve monitoring, drainage investigation, trial holes, ground investigation or further structural engineering advice.

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An independent assessment may therefore be useful where major structural works are being considered.

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What If My Cracks Are Still Moving?

 

One of the most important questions is often whether movement is continuing.

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A single survey provides information about the condition of the property on the day it is inspected.

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Sometimes that evidence is sufficient.

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In other cases, the cracks need to be monitored over time.

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Met Surveyors can provide a Crack Monitoring and Structural Movement Monitoring Programme where appropriate.

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If monitoring is recommended during an initial Specific Issue Survey, the programme can normally be established while we are already at the property.

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Crack Monitoring Programme from £1,395 + VAT when upgraded during the initial visit.

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A standalone programme starts from £1,695 + VAT.

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What Can We Assess?

 

An independent subsidence or structural movement assessment can consider issues such as:

• Wall cracking and reopened repairs

• Diagonal cracking around doors and windows

• Movement between an extension and the original house

• Sloping, sinking or cracked floors

• Distorted doors and windows

• Possible settlement or differential movement

• Possible subsidence

• Evidence of historic repairs

• Movement following hot and dry weather

• The relationship between cracking, trees and drainage

• Reports or monitoring information already obtained

• Whether further investigation appears necessary

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The exact scope will depend upon the circumstances of the property.

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What Is Included in an Independent Survey?

 

Where the concern is one clearly defined structural issue, the service may be provided as a Specific Issue Survey.

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This normally includes review of information provided before the visit, inspection of the reported defect and relevant accessible areas, consideration of possible causes, photographs where appropriate and a written report setting out our observations and recommendations.

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Where the problem is more extensive, we may recommend a wider Structural Survey instead.

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Specific Issue Survey From £695 + VAT

 

For one localised concern, our Specific Issue Survey starts from £695 + VAT.

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This may be suitable where the issue relates to one area of cracking, one extension junction, one floor defect or another clearly defined structural concern.

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If the property has widespread cracking or several areas of structural movement, a broader investigation may be required.

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When Is a Wider Structural Survey Appropriate?

 

A wider Structural Survey may be more appropriate where movement affects several parts of the building.

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This may include properties where cracking is present throughout several rooms, multiple elevations are affected, floors are also moving or several doors and windows have become distorted.

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The survey can then consider the wider pattern rather than treating each crack as an isolated defect.

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Can You Review the Insurer's Report?

 

Yes, where the report is available.

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It can be useful for us to see what investigation has already taken place and what conclusions have been reached.

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We may also review relevant structural reports, monitoring records, photographs, drainage information and repair documentation supplied by the homeowner.

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Our role is not simply to disagree with another professional.

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It is to assess the information independently and explain whether our observations support the same conclusion or suggest that something further should be considered.

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Can You Challenge the Insurance Company for Me?

 

Our primary role is technical assessment.

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We can provide an independent written report explaining our observations and recommendations.

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If the issue subsequently becomes a formal insurance dispute, you may also require advice from your insurer, broker, solicitor or another specialist familiar with insurance claims and dispute resolution.

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The survey itself should concentrate on the building and the evidence.

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What If Further Investigation Is Needed?

 

A second opinion does not always produce an immediate final diagnosis.

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If the available evidence is insufficient, further investigation may be the professional answer.

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Depending on what we find, this might involve crack monitoring, level monitoring, CCTV drainage investigation, trial holes, foundation investigation, ground investigation, arboricultural advice or further structural engineering assessment.

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The purpose is to obtain sufficient evidence before major conclusions or expensive repairs are made.

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Independent Crack Monitoring

 

Monitoring can be particularly useful where there is disagreement about whether movement is still active.

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A crack may have existed for years but remained unchanged.

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Another crack may appear minor but still be moving.

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Monitoring provides measured evidence rather than relying simply on appearance.

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Where appropriate, gauges can be installed and readings taken during a series of return visits before a final monitoring report is prepared.

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What If Previous Monitoring Already Exists?

 

Send it to us.

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Previous monitoring results can be extremely useful because they may show how the building has behaved over a longer period.

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We can consider the monitoring records alongside the current visible condition and any previous structural reports supplied.

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Buying a Property With an Existing Subsidence Claim

 

Independent advice can also be particularly useful for purchasers.

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If you are buying a house with a subsidence history, you may inherit a property with previous claims, structural repairs or monitoring records that you did not commission yourself.

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Before purchasing, it can be useful to understand what happened, whether movement appears resolved and what documentation exists.

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The appropriate investigation should ideally take place before exchange of contracts.

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What Information Should You Send Us?

 

Before arranging an inspection, send us the property address, clear photographs, a brief description of your concerns and any documents already available.

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Particularly useful material can include insurer reports, structural reports, monitoring results, drainage surveys, photographs of previous cracking, details of repairs and information about when the problem first appeared.

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This helps us understand the history before attending the property.

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Who Pays for the Independent Survey?

 

Where Met Surveyors is instructed directly by the homeowner, the homeowner is normally responsible for our fee.

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You should not assume that your buildings insurer will reimburse the cost of an independent report.

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If you want your insurer to contribute towards independent professional fees, you should discuss this with them before instructing us.

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Will the Insurer Accept Our Report?

 

That decision belongs to the insurer.

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An independent report can provide additional professional evidence, but it cannot compel an insurer to change its position.

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The value of the report is that you have an independent assessment prepared for you rather than relying solely on information commissioned by another party.

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Which Service Should You Start With?

 

If you have one defined structural concern, start with a Specific Issue Survey from £695 + VAT.

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If monitoring is required, the survey can normally be upgraded on site to a Crack Monitoring Programme from £1,395 + VAT total.

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Where cracking or movement is widespread, contact us about a Structural Survey quoted according to scope.