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Does home insurance cover subsidence?
The short answer
Yes, buildings insurance normally covers subsidence, heave and landslip — but with a separate excess that's often £1,000. Damage to drives, paths, patios and boundary walls is usually only covered if the house itself is damaged at the same time.
What subsidence means
Subsidence is downward movement of the ground under your home, commonly from clay soil shrinking in dry weather, nearby tree roots, or leaking drains washing soil away. Heave is upward movement; landslip is sideways.
Cracks that matter are usually wider than 3mm, diagonal, wider at one end, visible inside and out, and getting worse — often around doors and windows.
The excess and the process
Almost every policy applies a higher subsidence excess, typically £1,000, separate from your standard excess. Claims are long: monitoring often runs 6–12 months before repairs are agreed.
Insurers appoint their own engineer. Keep your own dated photographs of each crack with a ruler in frame from the start.
Common exclusions
Movement of solid floors unless the walls move too, settlement of new-build structures, damage from your own alterations, and outbuildings, walls, gates and hard landscaping when the house is undamaged.
Check these on your own policy
- Confirm the subsidence excess on your schedule
- Dated crack photos with a scale
- Any history of trees, drains or previous claims declared to the insurer
- Report early — delay can prejudice a claim
Common follow-up questions
Will a subsidence claim make my home unsellable?
No, but you must declare it. A completed claim with a certificate of structural adequacy and the insurer's repair record helps buyers get cover.
Can I switch insurer after a subsidence claim?
It's harder, and the current insurer generally has to keep covering you. Specialist brokers handle this market.