Subsidence

No. Every home settles a little in its first few years as the ground compresses under the weight of the new structure — that’s normal, predictable, and usually doesn’t cause damage. Subsidence is different. It’s movement that comes from outside the original design — reactive soil, a leaking pipe, a tree drawing moisture from one side. Settlement happens once and stops. Subsidence keeps moving as the cause keeps acting. The clearest signal is cracks that grow, doors that get worse, or floors that slope further over months or years.

Five things, roughly in this order. One — being built on reactive clay (which covers most of Melbourne’s west, Western Sydney, South East Queensland, and the ACT). Two — a mature tree within 10 metres of the foundation. Three — older homes with shallow brick or stone footings, particularly Federation-era and pre-1960 cottages. Four — poor drainage around the home (disconnected downpipes, cracked stormwater). Five — major construction or excavation on a neighbouring property in the past few years. Most homes that develop subsidence have at least two of these working together.

Usually no. Most Australian home insurance policies specifically exclude subsidence damage — it sits in the same category as ground movement and is generally treated as a maintenance issue, not a sudden event. Some policies cover sudden subsidence from an insurable trigger (a burst water main, for example), but gradual movement from reactive clay or tree roots is almost always excluded. Worth checking your policy wording specifically rather than assuming.

Most subsidence is fixed with GeoPoly™ resin injection. The resin is injected through coin-sized holes beneath the footings, where it compacts loose soil, fills voids, and lifts the foundation back towards level — typically in 1–2 days, no digging required. Traditional mass concrete underpinning works too, but takes weeks. Read the full underpinning guide for the complete process, pricing range, and warranty.