As the UK experiences some of its wettest periods throughout 2024, the adverse weather is expected to have a substantial effect on subsidence incidents and related insurance claims, which will resonate into 2025.
Beginning with significant rainfall, the first quarter of this year was included in the wettest period the UK has seen since records began. This damp trend continued throughout 2024 and saw southern and central England experience record-breaking rainfall in September.
Property insurance claims throughout this period reflected the severe weather, highlighted in a recent report from the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Latest data revealed that claims for damage to homes from storms, heavy rain and frozen pipes reached £136 million in the third quarter of 2024, 6 per cent higher than the £128m paid out in the same period of 2023. Claims for weather damage to commercial premises also saw an increase of 28 per cent (totalling £90 million) on the same quarter last year.
The report also highlighted a 61 per cent increase in subsidence-related insurance claims, at £66 million, compared to the previous year. The rise underscores the growing prominence of subsidence as a cause for property claims, and this year’s extreme weather conditions are expected to continue this spike.
Freya Chapman, Residential Lead at subsidence specialist Mainmark UK, comments: “While hot weather is more commonly known to cause subsidence, prolonged periods of rainfall, and the resulting flooding, create an equally alarming risk. The ongoing wet weather we’ve experienced following last year's record heat will have had a profound effect on ground saturation and the frequency of floods. The resulting washout and foundation movement is expected to cause cases of subsidence to peak, with central regions such as Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire, which saw record rainfall in 2024, at a more significant risk.
“We can expect to see a peak in subsidence cases in coming months, and due to the lengthy process, from surveying to payout, which can take upwards of six months, we most likely won't see these claims come to fruition until late 2025 or early 2026. Homeowners should ensure they know the key signs for spotting subsidence in their home and act quickly to reduce structural damage to the property.”
Subsidence is one issue that often gets overlooked and could become a major and costly issue if not addressed. It occurs when the ground beneath a building sinks and can be caused by multiple factors, including adverse weather conditions like heatwaves, which excessively dries the soil, and heavy rain which we’ve experienced this year, which washes out soil.
Despite an estimated 4.5 million UK homes being at risk of subsidence, over half of homeowners don’t know what to look out for. The key five warning symptoms of subsidence are:
- Cracked walls: cracks appearing in the walls, paths and driveways is a common sign. While small cracks could be simply cosmetic, indicators of subsidence will be cracks wider than five millimetres or those following a stepped or zigzag pattern along the mortar of the brickwork.
- Sloping or sinking floors: this indicates that the ground beneath your home is unstable. This requires urgent attention from an expert.
- Skirting boards separating from floors and walls: any physical gap appearing unexplained throughout your home indicates some kind of structural movement. If you spot this, it is worth raising with an insurer or subsidence specialist.
- Jamming doors and windows: subsidence might cause misalignment in the weakest points in a structure – for example, around door frames and windows. While this might also be due to settlement (common in the first 10 years of a property’s life), it’s worth monitoring closely.
- Unexplained puddles forming: if a drainage issue is suspected in the foundations of your home, for instance, a burst pipe or blocked drain, you might see puddles forming around your home and gardens. It’s important to address this as soon as you can, as excess water can soften and compress the soil further, exacerbating the problem.
Mainmark Ground Engineering (UK) Ltd is a subsidiary of the Mainmark group of companies established in 2016. The company, located in Milton Keynes, has over three decades experience and has established itself as a pioneering force in the industry, leading the way in developing and delivering cutting-edge solutions. Mainmark has earned international recognition as an award-winning ground engineering organisation.