Local Subsidence Risk

Subsidence risk by postcode and UK city

Want to check the subsidence risk for a postcode before you buy? Subsidence risk changes with geology and mining history. London Clay areas behave differently from the Sherwood Sandstone north-west; granite around Aberdeen is different again. This index covers 46 UK cities, with the local BGS clay risk, mining-era ground issues, and what your survey should focus on.

Last updated: 16 July 2026. Editorially reviewed: 24 June 2026.

Subsidence warning signs and risk factors including crack patterns, sticking openings, soil, trees, drains, claim history and specialist inspection — Subsidence screening should combine visible building signs with soil, tree, drainage and claim-history factors, then move to qualified survey or engineering advice. Original graphic by MyPropertyScan; updated 2026-07-16.

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Check subsidence signals for a UK address in 15 seconds

BGS clay susceptibility, building age, tree context and the things to ask your surveyor.

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What a subsidence risk postcode checker can tell you

A postcode check can flag local clay shrink-swell, historic mining context and address-level prompts to raise with your surveyor. It cannot prove active movement by itself. Use it to decide whether to commission Level 3, structural, drainage or insurance follow-up before exchange.

How to check subsidence risk by postcode

There is no single official subsidence score for an address, but you can build a reliable subsidence risk rating for a postcode from free public data in three steps:

1Read the BGS shrink-swell band. The British Geological Survey rates clay susceptibility from A (low) to E (high). That band is the closest thing to an official subsidence risk rating for the postcode.
2Add the mining and made-ground context. Coal, stone, chalk or ironstone workings and poorly compacted made ground can drive movement even where clay risk is low. The city guides below summarise the local picture by area.
3Run the address through the scanner above. It combines BGS clay susceptibility, building age and local context into one buyer report, then tells you exactly what to put in front of your surveyor before you offer.

For the full buyer playbook, viewing red flags, insurance and mortgage impact, and the negotiation script, read the subsidence risk buying guide.

How to use the local guides

Start with the local guide for the city, then use the address scanner to check the specific postcode. The guide explains the geology and mining context a buyer should know before reading a survey. The address check helps you decide whether the property needs a deeper survey, a structural engineer, a drain survey or a specific question to the seller.

Subsidence pages are separate from flood pages because the buyer workflow is different. Flood risk usually starts with insurance and conveyancing searches. Subsidence risk usually starts with soil, trees, drains, mining history, crack patterns and whether any movement is historic or active.

What changes the risk profile

Clay shrink-swell: high-plasticity clays, mature trees and dry summers are the classic claim pattern.
Historic mining: coal, chalk, stone or other local workings can matter even where clay risk is low.
Drainage and foundations: older drains, shallow foundations and local made ground can turn a moderate city-wide risk into a serious address-level question.

Cities covered

Frequently asked questions

How do I check subsidence risk for a UK property?

The British Geological Survey publishes a National Shrink-Swell dataset showing clay susceptibility across England. Your conveyancer's environmental search includes a ground stability assessment. On-site indicators worth checking include visible crack patterns, door and window frames that have dropped out of square, and significant trees close to the property.

Does subsidence affect getting a mortgage?

A history of subsidence makes a property harder to mortgage. Lenders require evidence that the cause was identified, remedied and stabilised — typically a structural engineer's report confirming works and a monitored period with no further movement. Buildings insurance for previously subsided properties is also more expensive and some insurers will not cover the risk.

What causes subsidence in UK homes?

The majority of UK subsidence claims are caused by clay shrink-swell: high-plasticity clays shrink in dry summers and swell in wet periods, causing foundation movement. Large trees close to the house accelerate this by drawing moisture from the clay. Other causes include leaking drains washing away soil, historic mine workings, and poorly compacted made ground.

Is the south of England more at risk from subsidence?

Yes. London Clay — covering much of south-east England — is a high-plasticity clay with elevated shrink-swell susceptibility. Areas like Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and parts of Essex and Kent have higher historical subsidence claim rates. Northern cities founded on harder sandstone and limestone typically have lower risk, though historic coal mining around Yorkshire, the Midlands and South Wales creates separate ground stability concerns.

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Related guides

Editorial review

Reviewed by the MyPropertyScan editorial team. Editorial owner: BiteRight Ltd, operator of MyPropertyScan. We review buyer guides against UK public property datasets, RICS survey wording, lender requirements, and common buyer questions.

Pages are updated when source coverage, property-risk guidance, survey cost assumptions, or product checks materially change. Methodology and dataset limitations are explained on the MyPropertyScan methodology page.

Sources used

We use UK public and specialist sources where they are available. Public datasets can be incomplete, delayed, or missing for some addresses. Treat them as a starting point, not as a replacement for professional advice.

Source standard: preference goes to official government datasets, statutory bodies, professional standards, and primary dataset publishers. We cite the source family on the page and explain coverage limits rather than filling gaps with unsupported estimates.

Check this with: Environment Agency long-term flood risk mapOfficial flood-risk service for England, including river, sea, surface water, reservoir and groundwater where available.
Data source: HM Land Registry Price Paid DataRegistered residential sale prices for England and Wales.
Official register: Energy Performance Certificate RegisterPublic EPC certificate lookup for an address, postcode, street or certificate number.
Data source: British Geological Survey GeoSure shrink-swellPrimary BGS dataset page for shrink-swell clay susceptibility, a key subsidence indicator.
Data source: Police.uk crime dataOpen street-level crime data for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Check this with: Ofcom broadband checkerOfficial checker for broadband availability and speeds.
Check this with: Ofcom mobile coverage checkerOfficial predicted mobile coverage by network.
Data source: Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratingsPublic register used to identify nearby food and drink venues.
Official register: Ofsted inspection reportsSchool and provider inspection report lookup for England.
Official register: Historic England National Heritage ListListed buildings, scheduled monuments and other protected heritage entries in England.

General information only. Not legal, mortgage, insurance, or surveying advice. Always confirm with your own surveyor, broker, and conveyancer before making decisions. MyPropertyScan is operated by BiteRight Ltd.