Describe your cracks

Subsidence help in Hampshire

Subsidence survey for Hampshire homes

You have noticed a crack or a sticking door and want to know if it matters. A subsidence survey is how a specialist finds out. Send the details of what you see at home and receive guidance on the next step.

  • No repair method chosen from photos
  • Clear steps before any work starts
  • Guidance for worried homeowners
A group of people standing around a construction site

Describe what you have seen

One independent subsidence specialist receives what you send here, and that firm may pay us at the point your enquiry is passed on. You owe this website nothing, quotations elsewhere are entirely yours to seek, and our privacy notice explains further what becomes of your details.

Or write to hello@hampshiresubsidence.co.uk

Repair methods used after investigation

Once the cause of movement is established, a separate specialist firm carries out the physical repair. The right method depends entirely on what the ground and the walls reveal during the investigation.

  • brown brick wall

    Underpinning

    A specialist excavates below the existing foundation and pours new concrete to reach stable soil where the original footing has failed.

  • a street with buildings on both sides

    Resin injection

    A specialist pumps expanding resin beneath the footing to compact loose soil and lift settled masonry back towards its original level.

  • A picturesque aerial view of terraced houses amidst lush greenery in a Welsh valley.

    Concrete cracking

    A specialist stabilises cracked slabs, drives or patios that have dropped because the ground beneath them has shifted or washed away.

  • Exterior of residential building with brick wall with black doors and windows located on terrace with metal barrier and green plants

    Screw piling

    A specialist drives steel piles through soft fill to reach load-bearing strata, supporting homes built on made ground near the coast.

  • a house with a tower in the background

    Flint, cob and chalk block

    A specialist repairs cracks in traditional Hampshire walls built from flint, cob or chalk block using lime mortar rather than modern cement.

What you might be seeing around your home

Movement shows itself in ways that are easy to miss until they worsen. A crack does not always mean subsidence, but certain patterns and changes tell a specialist where to look first when investigating how subsidence is diagnosed in older houses.

  1. 1

    Diagonal cracks near windows

    A crack wider at one end running diagonally from a window or door corner often points to uneven settlement in the wall below.

    Three construction vehicles parked in a field
  2. 2

    Doors that stick or jam

    Frames distort as walls shift. A door that no longer closes smoothly, especially after dry weather, suggests movement nearby.

    A village destroyed by an earthquake, showcasing damaged buildings and debris.
  3. 3

    Gaps between skirting and floor

    Floors drop away from walls when the ground beneath them settles. A visible gap along the skirting board can indicate this.

    black shovel leaning on brown brick wall
  4. 4

    Cracks reopening after filling

    A filled crack that splits again means the movement is still active. This pattern tells a specialist the ground has not yet stabilised.

    A monochrome depiction of an active construction site featuring an excavator.

The order of investigation

  1. 01

    Visual inspection of the walls

    A specialist walks around the home, maps every crack, checks their width and notes which direction they run across the brickwork.

  2. 02

    Drainage and pipe checks

    A drain survey for a subsidence cause involves sending a camera down pipes to find leaks that might be washing soil away from the footings.

  3. 03

    Soil sampling and testing

    Boreholes are drilled beside the foundation so a specialist can extract soil samples and test them for moisture content and shrinkage potential.

  4. 04

    Crack monitoring over time

    Glass tell-tales or digital gauges are fixed across cracks. A specialist returns over weeks or months to measure whether the movement continues.

How this site works

This site takes enquiries from homeowners who suspect movement. Separate specialist firms then carry out the investigation and any subsequent repair work on their own account. You deal directly with the firm doing the work at your home.

  • Enquiries are taken here and passed to independent firms who do the work
  • No repair method is recommended until a physical investigation is complete
  • Photographs alone cannot establish the cause of cracking or movement
  • Specialist firms operate independently and set their own terms and prices

Questions about subsidence surveys in Hampshire

These answers cover what happens during the investigation and what to expect before any repair begins at your home.

What happens during the survey
A structural survey for cracks in Hampshire involves mapping damage, checking drains with cameras, taking soil samples and fitting monitors to measure ongoing movement.
Why photos are never enough
A photograph shows surface damage but hides the soil, roots and pipes underneath. No cause can be named without physical measurements taken at the house.
How long the investigation takes
Initial visits happen quickly, but crack monitoring for a house in Hampshire often runs for several months to prove whether movement is seasonal or progressive.
Drains and camera surveys
Leaking drains wash soil away and cause settlement. A specialist sends a camera through underground pipes to rule this out before considering other causes.
Soil samples and your garden
A hand auger extracts small cores of earth near the foundation. It leaves holes roughly the width of a coin, easily filled with soil afterwards.
If no subsidence is found
Thermal expansion, lintel failure or poor construction can all produce cracks. If the ground is stable, a specialist identifies the actual cause instead.

Areas covered around Hampshire

Separate specialist firms handle investigations and repairs across the county. Soil types change from coastal silts to inland chalk and clay, so local knowledge matters when choosing who investigates subsidence claims at your address.

If your town is not listed, send an enquiry anyway. Firms cover most of Hampshire.

Get help with suspected movement at your home

Describe the cracks or changes you have noticed. Receive guidance on whether a subsidence survey is the right next step for your house.

Ask about your home Read the signs guide
A group of people standing around a construction site