Trowbridge · Wiltshire
Subsidence repairs in Trowbridge
Tapered cracks around the windows or doors of a Trowbridge 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£2,600per property inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BA14
- Population
- about 41,000
- Area
- Wiltshire
- Pricing region
- South West
Is Wiltshire prone to ground movement?
Trowbridge, Wiltshire: about 41,000 residents across postcode districts BA14. If you are just outside Trowbridge, we also cover Westbury (4 miles), Melksham (5 miles) and Bath (8 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Wiltshire. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Across Wiltshire, most homes are stone cottages, railway terraces in Swindon, and large post-war and new-build estates.
Subsidence repairs prices in Trowbridge
These are guide prices for Trowbridge, using South West 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 | £515 – £2,050 | per property |
| CCTV drain survey (common first check) | £155 – £360 | per survey |
| Typical repair once the cause is dealt with: crack stitching and making goodest. | £2,600 – £12,400 | per property |
| Foundation strengthening where it is needed (see underpinning) | £1,050 – £3,600 | per metre of wall |
How we usually approach 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
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
What happens during subsidence repairs, step by step?
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.
What to look for before calling about subsidence repairs
- A gap opening between the skirting board and the floor
- Fresh cracks showing on both the inside and outside of one wall
- Diagonal cracks wider at the top, running from window or door corners
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.
Questions about subsidence repairs in Trowbridge
What is the price of subsidence repairs in Trowbridge?
Guide prices for subsidence repairs in Trowbridge start from about £2,600 per property, including VAT, on South West 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 Trowbridge?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Trowbridge, including BA14, and from nearby places such as Westbury and Melksham. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Trowbridge cause cracking?
Southern Wiltshire is chalk, while the north around Swindon, Chippenham and Trowbridge sits on Oxford and Kimmeridge Clays that are prone to seasonal movement near trees. Bath stone was mined underground around Corsham. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
How long should I wait before repairing subsidence cracks?
Usually until the cause has been dealt with and the engineer is satisfied that movement has stopped. On clay that can mean watching the house through a summer and a winter. Repairing too early risks the same cracks opening again.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Trowbridge
- Roof structure repairs
- Bowing wall repairs
- Wall tie replacement
- Crack stitching
- Extension pulling away repairs
Subsidence repairs near Trowbridge
Worried about movement at your Trowbridge property? Share photos or ring for a free initial assessment before you spend anything on investigations.