Ealing · Greater London
Subsidence repairs in Ealing
Tapered cracks around the windows or doors of a Ealing home are worth taking seriously without assuming the worst. In most cases the cause can be found and removed, and the house then needs crack stitching and making good rather than new foundations.
Guide price from£3,100per property inc VAT
- Postcodes
- TW8, UB1, UB2, UB5, UB6
- Population
- about 370,000
- Area
- Greater London
- Pricing region
- London
What is the ground like in Greater London?
Ealing is one of the 32 London boroughs, with around 370,000 residents in districts such as TW8, UB1, UB2, UB5, UB6. Nearby places we cover include Brent (3 miles), Hounslow (4 miles) and Harrow (5 miles).
Greater London is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Across Greater London, most homes are Victorian and Edwardian terraces with shallow footings, inter-war semis in the outer boroughs, and converted flats and mansion blocks.
Methods for subsidence repairs
Foundation strengthening
Where the ground cannot be made stable, the load is carried down to firmer soil by underpinning, a beam-and-base scheme, mini-piles or resin injection, depending on the soil and access. It is designed by an engineer and is the exception, not the rule.
Best for: Ongoing movement where removing the cause has not worked
Crack stitching and making good
Once movement has stopped, cracked brickwork is cut along the bed joints, stainless helical bars are bonded in to tie the wall together, and the joints are repointed to match. Inside, plaster is renewed along the crack line before redecoration.
Best for: Category 1 to 3 cracking in walls that are otherwise sound
From first photo to finished repair
Send photos or call
Send photos of the cracks with a coin or tape for scale, and say when you first noticed them. We give a free initial assessment and suggest whether an engineer, a drain survey or your insurer comes first.
Find the cause
An independent chartered structural engineer inspects the house and, where needed, arranges a drain survey, trial pits or soil tests. We can arrange the engineer. The aim is to know what is moving, and why, before money goes on repairs.
Deal with the cause
Drains are repaired, vegetation is managed on the engineer’s advice, or a foundation scheme is designed if nothing else will work. Where monitoring is recommended, readings run for several months to show the movement has stopped.
Symptoms that point to subsidence repairs
- A gap opening between the skirting board and the floor
- Wallpaper rippling or tearing where the wall meets the ceiling
- Doors and windows that start to stick or no longer close
Guide prices for subsidence repairs in Ealing
For Ealing we use London 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Structural engineer's investigation and report | £625 – £2,500 | per property |
| CCTV drain survey (common first check) | £190 – £440 | per survey |
| Typical repair once the cause is dealt with: crack stitching and making goodest. | £3,100 – £15,000 | per property |
| Foundation strengthening where it is needed (see underpinning) | £1,250 – £4,400 | per metre of wall |
Rules for 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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of subsidence repairs in Ealing?
Guide prices for subsidence repairs in Ealing start from about £3,100 per property, including VAT, on London rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you carry out subsidence repairs in Ealing?
Yes, Ealing is covered, along with postcode districts TW8, UB1, UB2, UB5. We also cover nearby Brent and Hounslow.
Does the ground around Ealing cause cracking?
Most of Greater London sits on London Clay, among the most shrinkage-prone ground in the UK, with river gravels along the Thames. Subsidence claims here are among the most frequent in the country, especially after dry summers and near street and garden trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Should I cut down the tree near my house?
Not without advice, because felling a mature tree on clay can make things worse. As the roots stop drawing water, the clay swells and can lift the foundations, which is called heave. Pruning or staged removal may be advised instead. Check whether the tree is protected.
Can I sell a house that has had subsidence?
Yes, though buyers and lenders will want paperwork. Keep the engineer’s report, monitoring results, the repair specification and any building control sign-off. A repaired house shown to be stable is far easier to sell than one with an open problem.
More repairs we carry out in Ealing
- Gable end wall repairs
- Bowing wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Crack stitching
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
Subsidence repairs near Ealing
Send photos of the cracks in your Ealing home, with something for scale, and we will give a free initial assessment and tell you the sensible next step.