Guide
Structural engineer's subsidence report: what it covers and costs
Updated
A structural engineer's subsidence report records the cracks, measures how far the building has moved and says what is causing it and what to do. Nine UK firms that print a price start one at £350 to £900, a median of £695, read on 27 October 2026.
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What the report does
It answers three questions a buyer, a seller or an insurer needs answered: is this movement, is it still happening, and what is causing it. One firm's own description of its subsidence assessment is an inspection, a record of every crack, a level survey along the brick courses and a diagnosis.
- Every crack recorded, with its width and pattern.
- A level survey, often along the brick courses, to show distortion.
- The likely cause: clay shrinkage, trees, leaking drains, poor ground or something that only looks like subsidence.
- What to do next: nothing, monitoring, drain repairs, tree work or underpinning.
What it costs
| Firm | Published price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| SBS Structural | £350 to £500 | structural survey for cracks and subsidence |
| Structural Engineer Calcs | £450 to £900 | structural survey |
| Structural Surveys | £450 to £495 | subsidence survey |
| EMA Structures | from £495 | subsidence and movement assessment |
| Met Surveyors | from £695 + VAT | specific issue survey |
| Harding Surveyors | from £700 | subsidence survey |
| Notting Hill Surveyors | around £700 | subsidence survey |
| JMS Engineers | from £750 | structural inspection |
| Alemara Reports | £900 including VAT | one structural report |
Source: Subsidence Report Fee Index: every row, with its source
Not every crack is subsidence
The Financial Ombudsman Service lists problems that look like ground movement but are caused by something else: sulphate damage, cracking, thermal movement, lintel failure, and poor design, materials or workmanship (financial-ombudsman.org.uk). Telling them apart is most of what the report is for.