Faversham · Kent
Structural surveys and crack monitoring in Faversham
If a valuer or insurer has asked for a structural report on your Faversham property, we can arrange an independent engineer. Their findings, and any monitoring they recommend, give buyers, lenders and insurers the evidence they need.
Guide price from£560per property inc VAT
- Postcodes
- ME13
- Population
- about 23,000
- Area
- Kent
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Faversham?
Faversham (ME13) has around 23,000 residents and sits in Kent. Nearby, we also cover Whitstable (7 miles), Sittingbourne (7 miles) and Canterbury (9 miles).
Shrinkable clay is widespread in Kent. Parts of Kent lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Kent: Victorian terraces in the Medway towns, weatherboarded and Wealden houses, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows.
How we usually approach structural surveys and crack monitoring
Tell-tales and crack-width monitoring
Gauges are fixed across key cracks and read at set intervals, or reference studs are measured with callipers to a fraction of a millimetre. The readings show whether each crack is widening, closing or stable, and whether any change follows the seasons.
Best for: Tracking individual cracks over the seasons
Level monitoring
Survey points are fixed around the building and their heights measured against a stable datum on each visit. This shows whether one part of the house is dropping or rising compared with the rest, which crack widths alone cannot reveal.
Best for: Suspected subsidence or heave across a whole house
What happens during structural surveys and crack monitoring, step by step?
Free initial assessment
Send photos of the cracks with something for scale and tell us when they appeared. We give a free view on whether an engineer’s inspection is worthwhile, and whether your insurer should be told first.
Engineer’s inspection
We can arrange an independent chartered structural engineer to inspect. They record the damage, assess likely causes and recommend whether monitoring, drain surveys or trial pits are needed before any repair decision.
Repair or close
If the readings show the house is stable, the engineer specifies the repair and we confirm a fixed price in writing. If movement continues, the cause is investigated further before a foundation repair is designed.
What to look for before calling about structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Doors and windows sticking at some times of year only
- A mortgage valuation recommending a structural engineer’s report
- Cracks that seem wider after a hot, dry summer
Structural surveys and crack monitoring prices in Faversham
Guide prices below are for homes in Faversham, on South East rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Structural engineer's inspection and report | £560 – £2,250 | per property |
| Crack monitoring: installation and three seasonal readings | £1,600 – £2,700 | per programme |
| Extra monitoring visit | £470 | per visit |
Rules for structural surveys and crack monitoring in England
Like-for-like repairs such as crack stitching and repointing do not usually need building control approval in England, but anything that changes or strengthens the structure, such as underpinning or rebuilding a wall, does. If the work touches a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Questions about structural surveys and crack monitoring in Faversham
How much will structural surveys and crack monitoring cost in Faversham?
Guide prices for structural surveys and crack monitoring in Faversham start from about £560 per property, including VAT, on South East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Faversham?
Yes, Faversham is covered, along with postcode districts ME13. We also cover nearby Whitstable and Sittingbourne.
Is the ground in Kent prone to subsidence?
North Kent sits on London Clay, central Kent on Gault and Weald Clays and the Downs on chalk, so shrinkable clay is widespread. East Kent around Deal and Dover had a small deep coalfield, worked until the late 1980s. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
When should I get a structural engineer’s report?
It is worth getting one when cracks are wider than a few millimetres, tapered, getting worse, or accompanied by sticking doors and sloping floors. A mortgage valuer or insurer asking for one is another clear trigger. Fine, stable hairline cracks often do not need one.
Can I monitor cracks myself?
You can keep a useful record by photographing cracks with a ruler and pencilling dated marks at their ends. That helps an engineer, but it does not replace measured monitoring, which insurers and lenders usually expect. Do not fill or decorate over cracks while monitoring.
Other structural repairs in Faversham
- Retaining wall repairs
- Wall tie replacement
- Chimney stack repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Crack stitching
Structural surveys and crack monitoring near Faversham
Unsure whether the cracks in your Faversham home are moving? Share dated photos, and we will suggest the most sensible first step.