Mainmark Ground Engineering UK is calling for a change in how subsidence claims are handled to help futureproof our homes from climate change.
This comes as the latest soil moisture data from the Meteorological Office Rainfall and Evaporation Calculation Systems (MORECS) is predicting one of the biggest subsidence surges in history, due to heatwaves rippling through the UK.
It’s no secret that we are in the midst of a climate crisis, with extreme weather events and natural disasters across the world causing unprecedented disruption and costing billions in emergency relief and repair. In the UK alone, subsidence-related insurance claims have already totalled £153 million in the first half of 2025, according to the ABI.
However, despite a rising threat of subsidence – which is likely to impact insurance premiums, claims costs and the structural integrity of our homes – there doesn’t seem to be in a rush to challenge the status quo in the UK.
If unaddressed, the UK might experience more climate disasters like sinkholes and landslides, which Nature Geoscience recently reported are being driven by ‘aging infrastructure, legacy land use, and increasingly, climate change.’
Freya Chapman, Residential Lead at Mainmark UK, said: “The immediate effects of climate change, such as flooded roads, damage to homes, and disruptions to public transport, are easily recognised. But there is a more serious threat developing underground that requires greater attention.
“Subsidence isn’t just a crack in your wall or a slope in your floor that requires superstructural, or ‘cosmetic’, repair. It’s a substructural issue where the ground sinks or shifts away from a property.
“While it can occur for a variety of reasons, one of the most common causes of subsidence is clay shrinkage during periods of extreme heat. The high temperatures cause water to evaporate from the soil quicker, compacting and destabilising the ground.
“Much too often, when subsidence-related damage does occur, the claims handling process will deal with the superstructure of a property, rather than the substructure. A roof or floor repair is definitely important when maintaining the safety of the public but not resolving the issue underground will only make future subsidence claims more likely and, probably, more costly for homeowners.
“MORECS is already predicting 2025 to be a surge year for us, thanks to climate change-related heat waves. Should the summer bring further higher temperatures and fewer episodes of rain, the subsidence and insurance industries must work together with local governments to re-evaluate the claims handling process for subsidence.”
Futureproofing our communities is a priority for Mainmark, who through its involvement with key events like Grand Designs Live (for which it was the official subsidence partner in 2024), is working on educating the public on the common signs of subsidence.
These include cracks appearing in walls which grow larger over time, sinking floors and water pooling around a property. In very severe cases, subsidence can result in sinkholes – much like the one witnessed by the Godstone, Surrey, community in February 2025.
Freya believes that through industry associations like the Subsidence Forum Committee, which recruits housing developers, architects, arborists, geologists, insurers and subsidence experts, collaboration to solve these issues head on is very achievable.
Freya continued: “For every potential climate threat, collaboration between local government and industry experts will be the ultimate solution to futureproofing. The likelihood of damage to homes and infrastructure from floods, storms, and draughts will only worsen the longer these risks lie unaddressed.
“There has been a lot of progress in recent years to research and developing new, sustainable methods of soil testing, which will hopefully provide housing associations and developers with ‘concrete’ evidence on soil quality, depth and structural integrity ahead of any large-scale construction projects.
“If backed by a comprehensive Climate Resilience Review, we can protect the estimated 6.54 million homes which will be at medium to high risk of subsidence by 2030.”
Mainmark UK, part of the Mainmark group of companies, was established in the UK in 2015. Headquartered in Milton Keynes – but with 14 locations across the world – the company is aiming to further its innovative and efficient solutions to a wide array of ground engineering challenges, with Freya at the helm of its residential offering.