Kent · England
Mining subsidence repairs in Kent
Across Kent, requests for mining subsidence repairs usually begin with a crack someone has noticed getting wider. Shrinkable clay is widespread in Kent. A repair only lasts if the reason for the movement has stopped.
Guide price from£90per metre of crack inc VAT
- Area
- Kent
- Pricing region
- South East
- Ground
- Shrinkable clay widespread
- Towns listed
- 22
Why does the ground in Kent matter for mining subsidence repairs?
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.
Parts of Kent lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Across Kent, most homes are Victorian terraces in the Medway towns, weatherboarded and Wealden houses, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows.
What to expect when we carry out mining subsidence repairs
Report and photograph
Photograph every crack with a scale and note the date it appeared. Report suspected coal-mining damage to the Mining Remediation Authority, or the operator of a working mine, and notify your home insurer. Time limits can apply, so report promptly.
Written price to the scope
We price the repair from the engineer’s or claim schedule and confirm a fixed price in writing once the work is specified. Where a claim body or insurer is handling the repair, their own process for appointing contractors applies.
Repairs and records
Work proceeds once any ground treatment is complete and the engineer is satisfied. We stitch, stabilise or underpin as specified, make good inside and out, deal with building control where needed, and hand over records for your file.
Is it time for mining subsidence repairs? Common signs
- Cracks running through the foundations and up both faces of a wall
- The whole house leaning slightly, with doors swinging open
- Steps or ridges forming in paths, kerbs or garden walls
- Cracks appearing suddenly across several walls at once
What should you budget for mining subsidence repairs in Kent?
For Kent we use South East rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Crack stitching and making good | £90 – £200 | per metre of crack |
| Re-levelling or ground stabilisation by resin injection | £895 – £1,700 | per metre of wall |
| Underpinning where the engineer specifies it | £1,100 – £3,900 | per metre of wall |
| Repair schedule for a claim (pricing an engineer's scope)est. | Free to request | — |
Repair options we may recommend
Crack stitching and making good
Where the ground has stopped moving and the damage is cracking, the walls are stitched with stainless helical bars, repointed and replastered. This covers a large share of mining damage, especially legacy movement that settled years ago and left cracks behind.
Best for: Cracking after movement that has now stopped
Ground stabilisation by resin injection
For localised settlement in the upper soil layers, expanding resin can be injected beneath the footings to firm the ground and sometimes reduce a small tilt. It is not suitable for large voids deep below, which need grouting or other specialist treatment first.
Best for: Shallow settlement once deeper voids are ruled out or treated
Underpinning to sound ground
Where the engineer specifies it, foundations are taken down by mass concrete, beam-and-base or mini-piles to ground that will not move further. On mining sites the design often follows grouting of old workings so the new foundation sits above a stable mass.
Best for: Ongoing movement or damage beyond what crack repairs can hold
Do you need approval for mining subsidence repairs in England?
In England, underpinning and other work that alters or strengthens a wall or foundation is building work under the Building Regulations (Part A, structure), so building control approves and inspects it. Like-for-like repairs often are not, and we tell you which applies before a price is agreed. Work to a party wall, or excavation close to a neighbour’s foundations, can also need a notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Find mining subsidence repairs in your Kent town
- Maidstone
- Gillingham
- Tunbridge Wells
- Folkestone
- Margate
- Ashford
- Canterbury
- Sittingbourne
- Gravesend
- Dartford
- Ramsgate
- Dover
- Tonbridge
- Strood
- Whitstable
- Deal
- Sevenoaks
- Herne Bay
- Faversham
- Swanley
- Longfield
- Swanscombe
Your mining subsidence repairs questions
Why do houses in Kent crack?
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. Parts of Kent lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Only an investigation on site can say why a particular building has moved.
How much will mining subsidence repairs cost in Kent?
On South East rates, mining subsidence repairs starts from about £90 per metre of crack, including VAT. The written price depends on the extent of the damage, access and whether an engineer or building control is needed.
How do I make a mining subsidence claim?
Start by reporting the damage to the Mining Remediation Authority, describing when it appeared and including photographs. They will usually arrange an inspection and investigation. Report promptly, because time limits can apply. Keep copies of everything you send, and notify your home insurer in parallel.
Can mining subsidence start again years later?
It can, particularly over shallow workings or old shafts, where collapse can happen long after mining ended. Movement from deep longwall mining generally settled within a few years of extraction. An engineer can judge whether current damage is old, settled cracking or new movement.
Is my house affected by mining because it is on a coalfield?
Not necessarily. Many homes on coalfields have no mining-related damage at all, and cracks there can still come from clay, trees or drains. A coal mining report shows recorded workings nearby, and an engineer’s inspection is needed to link damage to mining.