MET SURVEYORS
Expert Advice on Property Matters
How Much Does a Subsidence Survey Cost?
The Cost Depends on Whether You Have One Localised Concern, Need Monitoring or Require a Wider Structural Investigation
There is no single fixed price for every subsidence investigation.
A property with one localised crack may require a relatively focused inspection. A house with widespread cracking, sloping floors, distorted openings or movement affecting several areas may require a much broader structural assessment.
In other cases, an inspection may identify movement but it may not be possible to establish from one visit whether that movement is historic, seasonal or continuing. This is where a Crack Monitoring Programme may be appropriate.
At Met Surveyors, there are generally three main routes.
Specific Issue Survey from £695 + VAT for one clearly defined structural concern.
Crack Monitoring Programme from £1,395 + VAT where movement needs to be measured over time and the programme is established during an initial Specific Issue Survey.
Structural Survey for more extensive cracking, widespread movement or wider concerns about the structure. This is quoted according to the property and scope required.
How Much Is a Specific Issue Survey?
Our Specific Issue Survey starts from £695 + VAT.
This is usually the most appropriate starting point where you have one particular structural concern.
Examples include:
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One area of cracking
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A diagonal crack around a door or window
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Cracking to one wall
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Movement around a bay window
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Cracking where an extension meets the original house
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A localised sloping or sinking floor
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One structural defect identified in a Building Survey
The inspection concentrates on the particular problem rather than providing a structural assessment of the entire property.
What Is Included in the £695 Specific Issue Survey?
The standard service normally includes:
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Review of photographs and information supplied before the visit
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Site inspection of the reported problem
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Visual assessment of relevant accessible areas
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Consideration of the likely cause
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Photographic record where appropriate
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Written report
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Recommendations for appropriate next steps
The survey may conclude that no further investigation is necessary.
Alternatively, we may recommend monitoring or another form of investigation where the available evidence is not sufficient to reach a reliable conclusion.
Is £695 a Full Subsidence Survey?
No.
This is an important distinction.
The £695 + VAT fee relates to a Specific Issue Survey for one defined concern.
It should not be interpreted as a fixed price for investigating possible subsidence throughout an entire property.
Where cracking or movement affects several areas, a broader Structural Survey may be required.
We recommend sending us photographs and details of the problem first so that we can advise which service appears appropriate.
What If We Cannot Tell Whether the Crack Is Still Moving?
A single inspection shows us the condition of the property on that particular day.
Sometimes that is enough to determine the likely cause.
Sometimes it is not.
For example, we may establish that a crack has characteristics consistent with structural movement but be unable to determine whether that movement:
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Happened many years ago
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Has now stabilised
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Is seasonal
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Is still continuing
In this situation, crack monitoring may be the appropriate next step.
How Much Does Crack Monitoring Cost?
Our Crack Monitoring Programme starts from £1,395 + VAT when upgraded during a Specific Issue Survey.
Where monitoring is recommended during the initial inspection, we can normally install the monitoring equipment while we are already at the property.
This allows the initial survey visit to become the first stage of the monitoring programme.
A Standalone Crack Monitoring Programme starts from £1,695 + VAT.
Where we have not already inspected the property, a separate first visit is required to assess the problem, select suitable monitoring locations, install the equipment and establish baseline measurements.
Save £300 by Starting With a Specific Issue Survey
For most homeowners, we recommend beginning with the Specific Issue Survey from £695 + VAT.
If we conclude during the inspection that monitoring is appropriate, you can normally upgrade to the full Crack Monitoring Programme from £1,395 + VAT total.
This saves £300 + VAT compared with commissioning a standalone monitoring programme later.
It also means that monitoring can begin immediately rather than arranging another visit.
What Does the Crack Monitoring Programme Include?
Our standard programme can include:
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Initial structural assessment
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Installation of crack monitoring gauges
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Baseline measurements
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Baseline photographic record
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Three scheduled monitoring visits
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Recorded measurements at each visit
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Comparison against previous readings
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Review of any measurable movement
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Final written monitoring report
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Recommendations for the next appropriate step
Additional monitoring points, visits or an extended monitoring period can be quoted separately where required.
Why Might Crack Monitoring Be Necessary?
Monitoring can be particularly useful where:
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Cracks have reopened after previous repairs
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The age of the movement is uncertain
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Subsidence is suspected
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Movement may be seasonal
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An extension appears to be moving
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Cracking appeared after prolonged hot weather
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There is uncertainty about whether the building is still moving
The purpose of monitoring is not merely to watch the crack.
It creates a recorded history of movement that can help determine whether further investigation or remedial work is justified.
How Long Does Crack Monitoring Take?
There is no single monitoring period suitable for every property.
Some movement may be assessed over several months.
Where possible subsidence or seasonal ground movement is involved, monitoring may need to extend over a longer period because the building can behave differently as ground moisture levels change.
Our standard programme includes three return monitoring visits.
Where the results indicate that additional readings would be useful, further visits can be arranged.
How Much Does a Structural Survey for Subsidence Cost?
Where movement is more extensive, the fee will depend on the property and the scope of investigation required.
Factors can include:
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Size of the property
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Number of storeys
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Number of areas affected
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Extent of cracking
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Whether several elevations are involved
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Whether floors are sloping or sinking
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Presence of extensions
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Previous structural alterations
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Accessibility
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Complexity of the construction
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Amount of historic information requiring review
For this reason, wider structural investigations are quoted individually.
When Is a Wider Structural Survey More Appropriate?
A Structural Survey may be more appropriate where:
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Cracking affects several rooms
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Several external elevations are affected
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Floors are visibly moving
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Several doors and windows have become distorted
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Movement appears widespread
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Significant previous repairs have reopened
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There are concerns about foundations
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Several different structural problems are present
In these circumstances it may be misleading to treat the problem as one isolated defect.
Why Does a Structural Investigation Cost More Than a Site Visit?
A professional survey involves considerably more than the time spent looking at a crack.
An instruction may involve:
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Reviewing the enquiry
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Studying photographs
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Telephone or email consultation
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Travelling to the property
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Carrying out the inspection
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Taking measurements and photographs
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Reviewing the construction
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Considering possible causes
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Preparing the written report
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Setting out recommendations
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Dealing with reasonable follow up queries
Where monitoring is involved, there are also several return visits, repeated measurements, comparison of readings and a final assessment.
The value lies in the professional interpretation of the evidence, not simply attendance at the property.
What Affects the Cost?
Several factors can influence the fee.
A single localised crack requires a different level of investigation from widespread movement throughout several rooms.
A small terraced house will generally require less time than a large detached or multi storey property.
Sloping, sinking or cracked floors can mean the investigation needs to extend beyond wall cracking.
Where an extension is moving differently from the original building, both structures may need to be considered.
Removed walls, large openings, loft conversions and previous extensions can also affect how cracking is interpreted.
Repeated repairs may require consideration of whether movement has continued.
Where movement cannot be confirmed as stable during one visit, a monitoring period may be required.
What Additional Investigations Might Be Recommended?
A Structural Survey or Specific Issue Survey does not automatically include every specialist investigation that might ultimately be required.
Depending on what we find, recommendations could include:
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Crack monitoring
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Level monitoring
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CCTV drainage survey
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Trial holes
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Foundation exposure
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Ground investigation
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Soil testing
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Arboricultural assessment
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Structural calculations
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Further structural engineering investigation
These would normally be separately instructed where necessary.
How Much Does Subsidence Monitoring Cost?
For a typical residential property:
Specific Issue Survey: from £695 + VAT
Monitoring programme upgraded during the initial survey: from £1,395 + VAT total
Standalone monitoring programme: from £1,695 + VAT
More complex properties, additional gauges or extended monitoring periods may cost more.
Does Every Crack Need Monitoring?
No.
Monitoring is only worthwhile where it helps answer a genuine question about whether movement is continuing.
Many cracks can be associated with:
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Shrinkage
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Thermal movement
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Normal settlement
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Plaster movement
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Lintel defects
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Poor masonry bonding
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Local construction defects
If the cause can reasonably be identified during the initial survey, monitoring may provide little additional value.
What About Sloping or Sinking Floors?
Floor movement can form an important part of a structural investigation.
Possible signs include:
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Floors developing a slope
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Concrete slabs cracking
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Screeds breaking up
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Tiles repeatedly cracking
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Gaps beneath skirting boards
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A change in level between an extension and the original house
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Localised sinking
Where appropriate, level measurements may be considered alongside crack monitoring.
If several floors or other parts of the building are affected, a wider Structural Survey may be more appropriate.
What About Trees and Subsidence?
Trees can sometimes contribute to ground movement, particularly where properties are built on shrinkable clay.
Factors may include:
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Tree species
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Size and maturity
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Distance from the building
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Soil conditions
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Foundation depth
A nearby tree should not automatically be assumed to be responsible.
Where appropriate, an arboricultural assessment may be recommended.
What About Drains?
Leaking underground drains can sometimes affect the ground beneath or close to foundations.
Where drainage may be relevant, we could recommend a CCTV drainage inspection.
This is separate from the structural survey because the condition of underground pipes cannot normally be established visually from inside the property.
Will I Need Trial Holes?
Not necessarily.
Trial holes may be recommended where establishing foundation depth or construction is important to understanding the movement.
They are not required simply because a crack exists.
The investigation should always be proportionate to the available evidence.
Buying a House With Possible Subsidence
If you are purchasing a property and your Building Survey has identified possible movement, the appropriate service will depend upon the extent of the concern.
This may be a Specific Issue Survey from £695 + VAT for one localised concern, or a Structural Survey where the movement is more extensive.
If existing cracks need to be monitored over time, this can create practical issues for a purchaser because monitoring may extend beyond the normal buying timetable.
For that reason, it is important to obtain professional advice as early as possible.
Is the Cheapest Subsidence Survey the Best Option?
Not necessarily.
The objective is to commission the right level of investigation.
A low cost inspection that does not adequately address the problem may simply result in further surveys being required later.
Equally, a homeowner with one straightforward localised concern should not automatically have to pay for an extensive whole property structural investigation.
Our approach is therefore to match the scope and cost to the evidence.
Which Service Do I Need?
For one specific structural concern, a Specific Issue Survey from £695 + VAT may be appropriate.
For one specific concern where we need to establish whether movement is continuing, a Crack Monitoring Programme from £1,395 + VAT when upgraded during the initial survey may be the right next step.
For widespread cracking, significant movement or wider structural concerns, a Structural Survey quoted according to scope may be more suitable.
How Do I Get a Quotation?
Send Met Surveyors:
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The property address
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Clear photographs of the cracking or movement
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A brief description of the problem
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When you first noticed it
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Whether it appears to be changing
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Details of previous repairs
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Photographs of any sloping or sinking floors
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Any previous survey or structural reports
We can then advise which type of investigation appears most appropriate.
Need Advice About Subsidence Survey Costs?
You do not need to decide which survey you need before contacting us.
For one clearly defined structural concern:
Specific Issue Survey From £695 + VAT
Where monitoring is recommended during that visit:
Crack Monitoring Programme From £1,395 + VAT Total
For extensive or more complex structural movement:
Structural Survey Quoted According to Scope
