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Subsidence & Underpinning in Edinburgh
Subsidence in Edinburgh tends to start quietly. A diagonal crack above a window, a door that no longer closes square, a slope you can feel in the kitchen floor. Our underpinning teams diagnose what is actually moving and design a repair that fits the building you own, whether that is a Georgian flat off Heriot Row or a 1930s semi in Corstorphine.
Problem
Cracks above lintels widen month by month. Skirting opens up. The bay window sits lower than the rest of the front wall.
Why it matters
Subsidence rarely fixes itself. Foundations keep moving until the cause is dealt with, and the longer that takes, the more decoration, plaster and joinery has to come out alongside the structural work.
Our solution
Find the cause first, then design an underpinning scheme to suit the building. Mass concrete suits older shallow strip foundations. Mini-piles take the load deeper when ground is soft or made up. Either way, a chartered engineer signs the design before we dig.
Why choose us for subsidence & underpinning
Edinburgh-specific knowledge
Tenement party walls, sandstone foundations and clay pockets near the Water of Leith are routine for our crews.
Engineered, not guessed
Every scheme is signed off by a chartered structural engineer before any excavation begins.
Insurance-ready files
Cause, scheme and works documented in the format loss adjusters expect to see.
Tidy occupied sites
Floors protected, openings dust-sealed, site cleared at the end of every shift.
How we work
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1
Site inspection
A senior surveyor walks the property, photographs every crack, checks levels and reviews drainage.
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2
Cause investigation
If we suspect a leak or tree-related shrinkage, we test for it before designing a scheme.
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3
Engineered scheme
Mass concrete, mini-piles or beam-and-pile depending on ground conditions and access.
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4
Controlled works
Bays dug in sequence so the wall above is never destabilised.
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5
Sign-off
Final report, photographs and engineer certificate, ready for your insurer or future buyer.
Areas we cover for subsidence & underpinning
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Frequently asked questions
Worried about a crack or a sinking floor?
Talk to a real Edinburgh subsidence specialist. We will tell you straight what is wrong and what it takes to fix it.
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