Should I start a subsidence claim ?

ShowmetheSavings

MIC_78 said:

Finally one note of caution I would raise in regard to your extension, is if the insurers investigate and find the builder failed to adequately account for the potential causes of subsidence when constructing the extension (the stated oak tree and clay soil, which would need foundations of a certain type and depth) then your claim could be declined due to defective design. In this instance any remedial works should be conducted by (or certainly paid for) by your builder.

Yes these were accounted for.
The building inspector inspected the site and determined they needed to go down another meter . I forget exactly how deep they are but they are deeper than 2 meters. 

ShowmetheSavings

Zorillo said:

They cannot simply decide it is not subsidence if a structural engineer has already determined it is. In any case, if they can prove that it is not subsidence, then you should not have to declare the history or suffer increased premiums or terms. It cannot be subsidence and not subsidence at the same time!

Hi, yes the engineer said it was subsidence and recommended monitoring as it wasn't serious.  It was him who first suggested that telling the insurance company might not be wise just yet.  But he he was kind of like "tell 'em dont tell 'em  this is minor"
and then wondered if they can get us to cut the neighbours' (protection ordered) tree any way.
I should add there is no report from him he came round as a colleague of the builder to offer an opinion on what was going on.

I spoke to an estate agent I know today he thinks subsidence isn't the drama suggested to most people buying a house and not getting the insurers involved from the outset runs risks of being 'blackballed'  in the future.
he said they will probably suggest a engineer/surveyor to make an initial report and to take it from there.

kittennose

Hi @ShowmetheSavings - what ever happened with this? We are in the same dilemma though have not contacted any surveyors etc yet - just noticed some cracks etc.

dunstonh

kittennose said:

Hi @ShowmetheSavings - what ever happened with this? We are in the same dilemma though have not contacted any surveyors etc yet - just noticed some cracks etc.

Are the cracks movement or subsidence?

In our area, if you don't have cracks, you haven't got a house.   All of them being down to movement rather than subsidence.

Most cases of movement are cosmetic only and do not worry insurers.    If you start referring to it as subsidence then its a whole different ball game.

Annemos

Hello kittennose.

Just a couple of questions for you....

1. Do you have any large trees or bushes near your place?

2, And what ground are you built on? Put your postcode in here at the top right, for an idea. Is it clay? Or something else? 

https://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html?&_ga=2.233781079.877405302.1651856105-1853634048.1651856105

3. Can you see the same cracks inside and outside? Are any of the outside ones zig-zag/stepped in shape?