Subsidence Insurance
- No subsidence in the last ten years? We can cover you!
- Signs of historical subsidence? No problem!
- Underwritten by AXA Insurance.
- Average quote time is only 10 minutes.
More information
What is subsidence?
Subsidence is the sinking of a building’s foundations caused by downward movement in the ground, usually after soil under the building dries and shrinks in hot weather, or when underground pipes leak and weaken the soil beneath the foundations.
Signs of subsidence may include cracks in the walls, ceilings and around windows or door frames.
Homeprotect can also cover landslip and heave.
Heave is the upward or sideways movement of the site on which the buildings and outbuildings are situated. It must be caused by swelling of the ground and not due to the weight of the building or settlement.
Landslip is the sudden movement of the soil on a slope (or the gradual creep of a slope over time) on which the Buildings and Outbuildings are situated. The cause must be something other than the weight of the building or settlement.
Home insurance for properties with a history of subsidence
Subsidence will typically be covered by your home buildings insurance, if it’s a new incident and not historical damage. However, if your property has a history of subsidence, many providers will refuse a policy. Homeprotect is happy to quote for home insurance for properties with a history of subsidence.
What’s covered by buildings insurance?
Having buildings insurance means you won’t be out of pocket if you need to repair or rebuild your home if it’s been damaged or destroyed.
What we offer
Emergency help when you need it most
If you have a home emergency — such as a power outage, uncontrollable leak or a broken lock — our 24/7 Home Emergency cover is included as standard.
- We aim to get an engineer to you within four hours
- For serious water leaks, we’ll try to have a plumber with you in two hours
Response times may vary during extreme weather. Policy terms and claim limits apply.
5 star rated cover
Our insurance has received the highest rating from independent financial researchers, Moneyfacts.
24-month repair guarantee
All buildings work we arrange after a claim is guaranteed for two years.
Legal support when you need it
Family Legal Protection is included as standard. You’ll have access to expert telephone legal advice on personal matters under the laws of the UK and most of Europe.
What isn’t covered?
There are some things we can’t cover, including:
Gradual damage, wear and tear, or issues you knew about but didn’t fix
Faulty design, construction, or workmanship.
Damage caused by poor maintenance or neglect
Keeping your home and belongings in good condition is essential. If damage happens because of neglect or poor maintenance, your claim may be declined, and your policy could be cancelled.
BUILDINGS Insurance Cover Levels
Our buildings insurance is designed to protect your home against insured events such as fire, storm, flood, escape of water, theft, malicious damage, subsidence, landslip or heave.
Buildings cover
Protects the main structure of your home, including attached garages and conservatories, and permanent outdoor features such as patios, driveways and boundary walls.
up to £1 million
(more cover available if you need it)
Alternative accommodation
We’ll help cover the cost of temporary accommodation for you and your pets if you can’t stay in your home after an insured event — or if you’ve been advised to evacuate. If you stay with friends or family instead, we’ll cover your extra living costs.
up to £75,000
Home emergency
Covers sudden, unexpected emergencies — like an uncontrollable leak — that require immediate action to prevent damage or make your home secure. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
up to £500
Family legal protection
Covers legal costs relating to insured events. There must be a reasonable chance of success, and the event must happen during your policy term. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
up to £25,000
Trace and access
We’ll pay to detect the source of a water or oil leak, and cover the cost of reinstating floors, walls or paths that were disturbed in the process.
up to £10,000
Outbuildings cover
Covers detached garages, greenhouses, sheds, summerhouses and other outbuildings within your boundary or any communal area you’re legally responsible for.
from £20,000
Liability cover
Covers legal liability for accidental death, injury or illness to someone else, or damage to their property.
up to £5 million
Accidental damage
Optional cover for sudden, unexpected damage caused by you, a guest, a third party or wild animal — such as a broken window or spilt paint. Two levels of cover are available.
Optional
do i need subsidence insurance?
Subsidence can often be repaired simply by fixing drains or removing trees, without too much time or cost. However, if subsidence were to cause significant structural damage to your home – which, unsurprisingly, can be expensive and stressful – subsidence home insurance could help cover some of these costs.
how much does subsidence insurance cost?
Subsidence insurance premiums are calculated on the perceived risk to the provider – based on a range of factors, including the value of the home and any history of subsidence.
This means there is no standard policy cost and premiums will reflect the value of cover provided.
However, compared with the potential costs of repairing serious instances of subsidence, home insurance can prove valuable for homeowners and landlords.
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Your subsidence Questions Answered
The following situations cannot be covered by Homeprotect:
- Where there is ongoing subsidence, heave or landslip claims or issues
- Where existing damage has not been rectified
- Where subsidence, heave or landslip has occurred within the last 12 months (although we may be able to offer cover, provided that the issue has been rectified, but excluding subsidence, landslip, heave damage)
- Where the property is within 200 meters of any cliff face, or in areas where coastal erosion is a concern
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has an agreement with all its members that if subsidence is identified within eight weeks of switching provider, your previous insurer has responsibility for handling the claim.
No, settlement and subsidence are not the same thing, and will require different insurance solutions that reflect the unique incidents or risks facing a property. While both terms refer to the downward movement of a building, they are caused by different factors.
Settlement is the downward movement of a property in the first 10 years of it being built, caused by the weight of the home. Subsidence, however, refers to the downward movement of a property caused by issues with the foundation under the home, such as trees growing under the property or drain leaks moistening the soil.
Yes, if your home has experienced subsidence, you will always need to declare this on your home insurance, even if it has been over 10 years since the incident. This is because many home insurance providers will refuse policies to homes with a history of subsidence.
Homeprotect is happy to quote for home insurance, even for properties with a history of subsidence.
The most common cause of subsidence is the shrinkage of soils, particularly clay types, as moisture is extracted from them. This often occurs as a result of tree roots growing under the property, which becomes more likely in extended periods of hot and dry weather.
Another common cause is drain leakage, where water escapes from underground pipes and washes away (or softens) soils so that they are no longer able to support the weight of the foundations. It can also occur as a result of a history of mining excavations beneath or around your home, so it is always worth checking for these before buying a property.
Underpinning means a solid foundation is laid below ground level to support or strengthen a building. This may be necessary due to subsidence, for instance, when the ground under a property moves and impacts its foundations.
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*Survey data of 1,089 buying customers from 30th October – 12th November 2024
New Customer?
If you’re deciding on whether to buy home insurance with us, you can use our latest policy booklets as a guide.
Existing Customer?
Find answers to some of your questions here. Your latest policy documents are also available to view and download.
Additional Cover Options
Accidental Damage
The Homeprotect policy includes the option of Basic Accidental Damage, which covers electrical home entertainment equipment (such as desktop computers and monitors, DVD and Blu-Ray players, gaming consoles, home cinema systems, sound systems and TVs) up to £1,500 per claim. An upgrade …
Legal expenses cover
The insurance policy includes Basic Legal Expenses cover which provides up to £25,000 for legal fees you may face for disputes associated with your home; such as ownership of the insured property; and the sale or purchase of the insured property. You can upgrade to Full Legal Expenses cover.
Home emergency cover
The insurance policy includes Basic Home Emergency cover which provides cover for common home emergencies including burst pipes; failure of the domestic power supply (gas or electricity); and removal of pests or vermin. You can upgrade to Full Home Emergency to include cover for roof …
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