A practical UK guide to preserving cover, understanding exclusions and preparing the evidence insurers may need
Trying to arrange home insurance with subsidence monitoring underway can be difficult because the risk has not yet been resolved. Monitoring may ultimately show active movement, historic movement that has stabilised, ordinary thermal or seasonal movement, or another defect altogether. Until the outcome is known, a new insurer cannot assess the property in the same way as a standard home.
If you are still establishing what the signs mean, our guide to subsidence causes, warning signs, remedies and insurance claims explains the wider investigation and repair process.
Important distinction: Obtaining buildings insurance is not necessarily the same as obtaining buildings insurance that covers subsidence, heave and landslip. Read the policy schedule and every endorsement carefully before you buy.
Subsidence monitoring is used to establish whether a building is moving, how significant any movement is and whether it follows a seasonal pattern. Depending on the circumstances, an insurer, loss adjuster, surveyor or structural engineer may use crack gauges, level surveys, drainage investigations, trial pits or other evidence.
Monitoring can take months and may need to cover different seasons. The Financial Ombudsman Service says a thorough investigation sometimes involves monitoring over a year so that all seasons are covered. The appropriate period will depend on the property, the suspected cause and the professional advice received.
The fact that monitoring has been recommended does not, by itself, prove that the property has active subsidence. The final evidence may instead point to:
That distinction matters to insurers. While the investigation is open, however, many will take a cautious position because the outcome and potential cost remain uncertain.
It depends on whether you are renewing with the insurer already responsible for the risk or approaching a new insurer. It also depends on whether you need general buildings cover or a policy that includes subsidence.
Start with the insurer handling the claim. If it is willing to renew the policy, staying with that insurer will usually provide the clearest continuity while monitoring, remedial work and repairs continue. Moving purely to obtain a lower premium can leave you with fewer options, particularly if a replacement policy excludes subsidence.
A new insurer may be prepared to consider buildings insurance, but subsidence cover is likely to be excluded until the monitoring has concluded and the outcome is clear. This may also apply where monitoring was commissioned privately rather than through an insurer.
The position may still be treated as unresolved. An insurer may want to see the final monitoring report, understand the cause, confirm that recommended investigations or works have been completed, and review evidence that the property has remained stable.
BIBA’s subsidence guidance says an existing insurer will normally continue cover after subsidence. Financial Ombudsman decisions also refer to ABI guidance under which the insurer handling a subsidence claim should usually offer continuing buildings insurance, including subsidence cover, in relevant circumstances. This is guidance rather than a guarantee, and the premium, excess or other policy terms may change at renewal.
Continuity can be valuable because the existing insurer:
However, continuation is not guaranteed and may not be within the customer’s control. An insurer may decline to renew, withdraw a product, change its underwriting appetite or stop participating in a broker’s panel. If the same insurer cannot continue cover, equivalent subsidence protection may not be available elsewhere while the claim or monitoring remains unresolved.
You can approach another insurer, but a new policy does not simply take over an existing claim or cover damage that occurred before the new policy began. A replacement insurer may decline the risk, offer buildings cover with subsidence excluded, or impose other terms after an individual assessment.
The Financial Ombudsman Service explains that the ABI’s Domestic Subsidence Agreement can determine how participating insurers handle certain claims discovered after a change of insurer. You should not treat that arrangement as a substitute for disclosing known cracking, monitoring or movement when applying for a policy.
If you knew about a concern and did not disclose it accurately, the insurer may take action under the policy and relevant insurance law. Answer every question fully and tell the insurer or broker if a survey, valuation, claim or monitoring programme has referred to settlement or movement.
Continuation is not always possible, including where an insurer withdraws a product, changes its underwriting appetite or is no longer available through a broker’s panel. Ask for the decision and its reasons in writing. If the insurer is responsible for an accepted subsidence claim, ask it to explain how it has considered the relevant continuation-of-cover guidance. If you believe you have been treated unfairly, use the insurer’s complaints process; the Financial Ombudsman Service can consider eligible complaints after the insurer has had the opportunity to respond.
At the same time, speak to a specialist broker before the policy expires. Be prepared for the possibility that any alternative policy will exclude subsidence while the concern remains unresolved. A broker can help you understand whether the proposed cover still meets your needs and any requirements imposed by a mortgage lender.
Providing organised, relevant evidence can make the position easier to assess. Depending on the case, you may be asked for:
A mortgage valuation is unlikely to provide the same level of structural detail as a survey or engineer’s report. A Certificate of Structural Adequacy may form part of the evidence after remedial work, but an insurer may still request more detailed professional information.
You can read more about the role and limitations of a Certificate of Structural Adequacy in our separate guide.
A purchase adds another complication because the seller’s claim and policy do not automatically become the buyer’s. Before exchanging contracts, establish whether the monitoring relates to an accepted claim, who commissioned it, what the latest readings show and what work remains outstanding.
A prospective buyer should normally:
There is no single timetable or automatic route. An insurer will consider its own underwriting appetite and the evidence for the individual property. In practice, the prospects of obtaining subsidence cover from a new insurer are likely to improve when:
Even when subsidence cover is available again, the policy may carry a higher subsidence excess or specific endorsements. Compare the cover and conditions, not only the premium.
A specialist broker can help when a standard insurer cannot accommodate the property, but specialist does not mean that every unresolved subsidence risk can be covered. While active concerns or monitoring remain outstanding, full subsidence cover from a new insurer is unlikely; a policy may only be considered with subsidence excluded.
If your incumbent insurer has withdrawn cover, or monitoring and remedial work have concluded, Intelligent Insurance may be able to consider the circumstances individually. Find out more about our approach to subsidence home insurance or speak to our team about the evidence available. We may not be able to quote in all circumstances, and limits, restrictions or conditions may apply.
No. Monitoring is an investigation. It may identify active or progressive movement, but it may instead show thermal movement, settlement, a local defect or no continuing movement. The final professional report is more useful to an insurer than the fact that monitoring occurred.
Where possible, the insurer handling an accepted subsidence claim will often be the best route to continued cover, and industry guidance supports continuity in relevant circumstances. Renewal is not automatic, however. The insurer may be unable or unwilling to continue, and the premium, excess or terms may change. Ask the insurer to confirm its position well before renewal.
You can seek alternative insurance, but a new insurer is unlikely to include subsidence cover while a claim or concern is unresolved. The new policy will not ordinarily cover known damage that predates it, and you must disclose the claim and monitoring accurately.
There is no fixed period. Some investigations take several months; others may cover a full year so movement can be assessed across the seasons. The engineer, surveyor or insurer handling the investigation should explain the monitoring plan and the evidence needed to reach a conclusion.
Buildings insurance may be available, but a new insurer is unlikely to include subsidence while monitoring remains unresolved. Check the proposed exclusions with your lender and solicitor before exchanging contracts, obtain appropriate structural advice, and investigate whether the seller’s insurer can offer any continuity.
A final monitoring report and a structural engineer’s report are usually the strongest evidence. Depending on the cause, an insurer may also request drainage, tree or survey reports, details of repairs, the claim status and evidence of stability after remedial work.
No new policy should be assumed to cover damage or movement that occurred before it started. Intelligent Insurance policies do not cover loss or damage that occurred before the policy began. Always check the wording, schedule and endorsements for the policy you are considering.
Yes, if the insurer asks about cracking, movement, surveys, claims or investigations, answer fully and accurately. Do not wait for a final diagnosis if you already know that monitoring is taking place. If you are unsure how to answer a question, ask the insurer or broker before buying the policy.
Important information: This article provides general information and does not replace professional structural, legal, mortgage or insurance advice. Policy cover is subject to the wording, schedule, exclusions and endorsements. Eligibility and terms depend on the insurer and the individual risk.
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A Certificate of Structural Adequacy records the outcome of a structural investigation and any completed repairs.