Sevenoaks · Kent
Underpinning in Sevenoaks
If an engineer has recommended underpinning for your Sevenoaks home, we can price the scheme from their drawings and calculations. You receive a fixed price in writing that covers the method, the length of wall, access and the making good afterwards.
Guide price from£1,100per metre of wall inc VAT
- Postcodes
- TN13
- Population
- about 30,000
- Area
- Kent
- Pricing region
- South East
What is the ground like in Kent?
With roughly 30,000 people, Sevenoaks spans postcode districts TN13 in Kent. Nearby places we cover include Tonbridge (6 miles), Swanley (9 miles) and Bromley (10 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. Typical buildings in Kent: Victorian terraces in the Medway towns, weatherboarded and Wealden houses, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows.
From first photo to finished repair
Fixed written price
With the design in hand we confirm a fixed price in writing, setting out the method, the length of wall, access arrangements and the making good. For insurance work we can price to the loss adjuster’s or engineer’s schedule.
Excavation and concrete
Work runs in the sequence the engineer sets so the wall is never left unsupported over a long length. Building control inspects the excavations before concrete goes in, and each section is dry-packed tight to the footing above.
Crack repairs and handover
Once the new foundation has cured, cracks are stitched and repointed, inside walls are made good, and paths or patios disturbed by the dig are reinstated. You receive the building control completion paperwork for your records.
Symptoms that point to underpinning
- Cracks that keep widening after the drains have been repaired
- One corner of the house visibly lower than the others
- Movement continuing through more than one winter of monitoring
Guide prices for underpinning in Sevenoaks
Prices in Sevenoaks are worked out on South East rates. They include VAT and are a starting point: access, the extent of the damage and whether an engineer or building control is involved all move the figure.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Mass-concrete underpinning | £1,100 – £1,700 | per metre of wall |
| Beam-and-base underpinning | £1,700 – £2,800 | per metre of wall |
| Mini-piled underpinning | £2,250 – £3,900 | per metre of wall |
| Engineer's design and building control feesest. | £895 – £2,800 | per scheme |
Methods for underpinning
Mass concrete underpinning
The traditional method. Short sections under the wall are dug out in a set sequence, usually about a metre at a time, and filled with concrete before the next section is opened. It suits moderate depths and good access, and it needs little specialist plant.
Best for: Shallow failures on firm ground found at moderate depth
Beam-and-base underpinning
A reinforced concrete beam is cast beneath or alongside the existing footing and carries the wall onto mass concrete bases at intervals. It spreads load well across variable ground and can mean less digging than continuous underpinning along the whole wall.
Best for: Longer runs of wall or heavier loads over variable ground
Rules for underpinning 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 will underpinning cost in Sevenoaks?
Guide prices for underpinning in Sevenoaks start from about £1,100 per metre of wall, 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 Sevenoaks?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Sevenoaks, including TN13, and from nearby places such as Tonbridge and Swanley. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
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.
Can you underpin only part of a house?
Yes, partial underpinning of one corner or one wall is common, though the engineer must think about the junction with the unstrengthened part. A sudden change in foundation depth can cause new cracking, so the scheme may step down gradually or include a movement joint.
Will underpinning affect selling my house?
It needs explaining to buyers, but a properly documented scheme is far better than unresolved movement. Keep the engineer’s design, the building control completion certificate and any insurance paperwork. Lenders and surveyors will usually ask for these before agreeing a sale.
Other structural repairs in Sevenoaks
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Concrete repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Floor joist repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
Underpinning near Sevenoaks
Call or send photos about your Sevenoaks property, and we will explain the likely method, the approvals involved and a guide price before anything is booked.