Folkestone · Kent
Subsidence repairs in Folkestone
Seasonal movement is behind a lot of subsidence, and once its cause is clear it is usually manageable for a home in Folkestone as much as anywhere. The repair that follows is mostly crack stitching, repointing and replastering, with foundation work kept for houses that need it.
Guide price from£2,800per property inc VAT
- Postcodes
- CT19, CT20
- Population
- about 66,000
- Area
- Kent
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Folkestone?
Folkestone, Kent: about 66,000 residents across postcode districts CT19, CT20. If you are just outside Folkestone, we also cover Dover (7 miles), Ashford (13 miles) and Deal (14 miles).
Much of Kent sits on clay that shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters. Parts of Kent lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across Kent: Victorian terraces in the Medway towns, weatherboarded and Wealden houses, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows.
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.
Repairs and making good
Cracks are stitched and repointed outside, plaster is renewed along the crack lines inside, and sticking doors are eased. Where the work needs it, we deal with building control and hand over the paperwork.
Symptoms that point to subsidence repairs
- A gap opening between the skirting board and the floor
- Diagonal cracks wider at the top, running from window or door corners
- Fresh cracks showing on both the inside and outside of one wall
Guide prices for subsidence repairs in Folkestone
These are guide prices for Folkestone, using South East rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Structural engineer's investigation and report | £560 – £2,250 | per property |
| CCTV drain survey (common first check) | £170 – £390 | per survey |
| Typical repair once the cause is dealt with: crack stitching and making goodest. | £2,800 – £13,400 | per property |
| Foundation strengthening where it is needed (see underpinning) | £1,100 – £3,900 | per metre of wall |
Methods for subsidence repairs
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
Remove the cause, then repair
Most subsidence is dealt with this way. The drain is repaired or the vegetation managed, the house is watched to confirm it has stabilised, and then the cracks are stitched, repointed and made good inside. It is the least disruptive route and usually the cheapest.
Best for: Clay movement or drain leaks where the cause can be removed
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
How much should I budget for subsidence repairs in Folkestone?
Guide prices for subsidence repairs in Folkestone start from about £2,800 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.
Can you survey a property in Folkestone?
Yes, Folkestone is covered, along with postcode districts CT19, CT20. We also cover nearby Dover and Ashford.
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. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Do you need to visit before giving a price?
Not at first. We give a free initial assessment from your photos or a call, and a no-obligation written quote once the scope is clear. A fixed price follows in writing once the repair is specified, which normally needs a survey.
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.
Related work in Folkestone
- Crack stitching
- Retaining wall repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
Subsidence repairs near Folkestone
For a no-obligation written quote on subsidence repairs in Folkestone, call us or send a few photos and a short note on when the cracks appeared.