Possible Subsidence in Insurance Claims?
UK's Subsidence Risk Postcode Calculator Helps Homeowners Assess Property Risks
A new online tool, the UK's Subsidence Risk Postcode Calculator, has been launched by Geobear, a provider of subsidence solutions. This tool allows homeowners to quickly and easily understand their property's risk level of subsidence by entering their postcode and indicating if there are large trees within ten meters of the property.
The calculator takes into account multiple key factors to provide a risk rating, categorized as low, medium, high, or very high. These factors include verified case data from over 25,000 subsidence reports, the local soil type, particularly clay-rich soil, and the density of nearby trees.
The tool's data-driven approach helps homeowners, property managers, and insurers take proactive measures to prevent or remedy subsidence-related structural damage caused by ground shifting. By mapping risk patterns at the community level and predicting the likelihood of subsidence before physical signs appear, the calculator provides valuable insights for property risk management decisions.
Clay-rich soil is highly susceptible to shrink-swell behavior, which can cause ground movement, crack walls, distort door frames, and devastate foundations. Subsidence claims can be costly, often reaching tens of thousands of pounds and leaving a permanent stigma on the affected property.
Geobear's Residential Services Director, Craig Dean, emphasizes the serious threat expansive clay soils pose during dry seasons and as temperatures rise, leading to increased subsidence risks.
Meanwhile, the insurance industry specialist Auger predicts that subsidence claims will continue into 2019 due to the record-breaking dry spell in the UK. The Association of British Insurers has expressed concern about subsidence risks in 2025, with early signs suggesting a repeat of the 2022 surge year, which saw over 23,000 valid subsidence claims, equating to one claim every 15 minutes during the second half of the year, costing insurers an estimated £219 million.
In response to the growing subsidence concerns, QuestGates, a leading specialist loss adjuster, is establishing a subsidence claims development academy based in Northampton. This academy is expected to supplement an existing facility in Bolton and further strengthen the industry's response to subsidence-related issues.
By using the UK's Subsidence Risk Postcode Calculator, homeowners can take an active role in understanding and mitigating the risks associated with subsidence, ensuring the safety and stability of their properties.
- Environmental science associated with climate change might indicate a rise in temperatures and drier seasons, contributing to an increase in subsidence risks as highlighted by Geobear's Residential Services Director, Craig Dean.
- The insurance industry, such as Auger, forecasts that subsidence claims will persist through 2019, possibly extending into subsequent years, including 2025, a year of concern for the Association of British Insurers, due to predicted repetitions of the 2022 surge year.
- To address the ongoing subsidence issues, QuestGates, a leading specialist loss adjuster, is implementing a subsidence claims development academy, which, along with an existing facility in Bolton, aims to reinforce the industry's efforts in responding to and managing subsidence-related concerns.
