Subsidence
What is this?
Subsidence is the vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by the loss of support of the ground beneath the foundations. It results in cracking and can cause significant property damage over time. Property damage can also occur when there is upward movement of the ground supporting the building - this is known as heave. Both subsidence and heave are usually covered under standard buildings insurance policies.
What causes it?
- Soil shrinkage.
- Tree roots in clay soil.
- Leaking drains and pipes.
- Man-made excavations such as when extensions are built or vibrations caused by heavy and constant traffic.
Subsidence is known to affect as many properties as floods. It may be that cracks have been developing over a long period of time and are continuing to get worse. If so, then you should seek the services of E-value8 (UK) Ltd to help get your property repaired. If this problem is not resolved, it may affect your ability to obtain the appropriate insurance cover and even the future sale of the property.
We will assess the damage and produce a detailed schedule of works for submission to the loss adjuster. Negotiations then take place to achieve the best settlement for you. Once approved, we then seek the services of a building contractor to carry out the repairs and oversee their successful completion. The works are only signed off when they have been completed to the required standard, incorporating your needs as well as can be reasonably expected and justified.
Our services are normally free of charge to you, as they are paid for by your insurance company. Only in the very unusual event of the loss adjuster refusing to do this, would you be liable for payment of our professional fees. This would be known at an early stage, thus avoiding any hidden costs. Not many people realize that they can employ a building surveyor to act on their behalf, but it is normally included in the detail of your insurance policy. The most important issue for you to think about is employing someone who has the knowledge and expertise to help you out when you need it most. Here at E-value8(UK) Ltd we believe we have those skills in place - assessing what needs to be done at every stage of the project and making sure that the works are carried out as soon as possible to a high specification.
At what point should you call E-value8(UK) Ltd?
It’s potentially never too late to call us in. If it’s some weeks or months since the claim and you are still experiencing problems, or if you are unhappy with the proposed repair works, we can step in on your behalf. This can include taking over the negotiations and project managing the repair works.
We also specialise in resolving claims for insurers, loss adjusters and their advisors. We have experience of challenging cases, which may be considered a major loss and/ or involve unusual construction. Such claims require knowledge and expertise gained from operating in the insurance industry for a number of years.
