Your questions, answered

Diagonal cracks at window corners or door frames are a common early sign, and the crack is typically wider at the top than at the base. Mortar beds cracking in a stepped pattern along brickwork, walls pulling away from ceilings, and doors or windows that begin to bind can each indicate ground movement beneath the building. London clay shrinks noticeably in dry summers, which makes these signs more common across the capital than in many other parts of the country.

Ground movement that goes unaddressed tends to continue. Cracks widen, frames pull further out of square, and foundations that have partially lost support can settle more deeply over time. The longer the root cause goes unaddressed, the more extensive the repair work that follows is likely to be. Once the cause is identified, a specialist can tell you whether the right course is to monitor movement over time or to carry out active repair work.

A specialist will attend the property, examine crack patterns and widths, assess the foundations, check drainage, and identify what is causing the ground to move. They may carry out a drainage survey, a tree root assessment, or crack monitoring depending on what they find. After the visit the specialist sets out the repair options in writing, whether that is resin injection, underpinning, void filling, or another method suited to the ground conditions.

Cost varies with the cause of the movement, the repair method required, how much of the wall or foundation is affected, and the difficulty of access to the site. Resin injection under a limited area costs less than underpinning a longer wall run. A specialist will visit the property and produce a written quote based on their findings. There is no charge for that quote.

Absolutely. Where a survey has noted cracking, past movement, or shallow foundations, a specialist can inspect the property before you reach exchange. When you get in touch, give the property address, the exchange date you are working towards, and the relevant findings from your survey report. The specialist will set out what investigation is needed and supply a written quote covering any work they identify.

Filling cracks without addressing the ground movement underneath means the cracks come back once the soil shifts again. A subsidence specialist pinpoints what is causing the movement before choosing a repair approach matched to the foundation depth and soil conditions on site. The specialist can also supply paperwork that a home insurer or mortgage lender will accept, something a surface-level repair cannot provide.

How quickly a specialist firm can attend depends on where the property sits within Greater London and how busy the firm is at the time. Repair timescales depend on the method chosen: crack monitoring can run for several months while the specialist confirms the ground has stabilised, whereas resin injection into a confined area is completed far more quickly. Once the cause is established and a repair method agreed, the specialist firm will set out a programme with dates you can plan around.

A specialist firm working in your part of Greater London will call you to talk through what you have seen and set up a site visit. That firm handles all surveys, ground investigation and repair work from start to finish. The specialist reviews the property, finds the cause of the movement, and explains what your options are. The quote for any work is free.