[Help] Urgent Advice Required Re Hole Under Driveway.

[BLOCK F]

We have a brick paved driveway and yesterday I discovered that a hole/void/sinkhole has appeared under the driveway resulting in a brick disappearing into it. I managed to retrieve the brick by stretching down into it, but have measured, via the scientific use of a broom handle, that the hole goes down to about three and a half feet. I suppose this could be caused by either a leaking sewer pipe or mains water supply pipe, or maybe not. There are no foul smells emanating from the hole and there is no great puddle of water down there, but as expected, it is damp. We don’t have a water meter so I can’t investigate a possible leak via that, but there is no obvious loss of water pressure at the kitchen tap and there appears to be no obvious blockage of waste water and sewage.
The hole is to the side of the driveway and not far from a detached garage and obviously I want to find out the cause of the hole before it does more damage and before I get it filled in.
. Should I contact the relevant water companies first or perhaps my insurance company? Any advice from those on here who know about these things would be greatly appreciated. At my advanced years, things like this stress me a bit!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Maybe call the Police? They can look into it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

My friend feel into a hole full of water. He couldn’t see that well.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

You could try one of these

 

[dazzer6666]

I’d definitely report it to the water co…….almost certainly a water leak. They’ll inspect for free

Report A Problem – Southern Water

If you're experiencing an issue with your water, such as a leak, flood or issue with your supply, you can report your problem here.

www.southernwater.co.uk

 

[BLOCK F]

I’d definitely report it to the water co…….almost certainly a water leak. They’ll inspect for free

Report A Problem – Southern Water

If you're experiencing an issue with your water, such as a leak, flood or issue with your supply, you can report your problem here.

www.southernwater.co.uk

Seems very likely. We have our water supplied by Portsmouth Water Co.and waste taken away by Southern.

 

[Weststander]

Collapsed soakaway?

 

[BLOCK F]

Collapsed soakaway?

I am a bit clueless about these matters, but I have no idea whether or not I have a soakaway.

 

[Rogero]

. Listen to the Bottomless Hole by the Hansome family

 

[Zeberdi]

. Should I contact the relevant water companies first or perhaps my insurance company? Any advice from those on here who know about these things would be greatly appreciated. At my advanced years, things like this stress me a bit!

Just a cautionary word - establish who has the responsibility rectify the problem to start with which you can do by contacting the water company.

If the utilities companies say a fault/damage is not their responsibility because for example, a leak has not occurred in a pipe they have a duty to maintain, I would never let a tradesman/utilities person actually start doing any work on a potentially big problem (and therefore unknown cost to rectify it) until a claim has been initiated with an insurance company. It can invalidate the claim, if you have already started the work that is being claimed for with your own contractor and not one the insurance company has appointed. One can always cancel the claim at a later time if the problem has been diagnosed as an ‘cheap’ easy fix and you chose to cover the work yourself ( Decent Buildings Insurance policies will cover track and trace remedial works too … ).

 

[Mr Bridger]

Water company to investigate/ rule out any main or sewer supply.
Buildings insurance to cover the cost of reinstatement if covered.
If water main leak it will also be covered under trace & access part of the policy, usually around £5k cover on a domestic policy.

 

[banjo]

I am a bit clueless about these matters, but I have no idea whether or not I have a soakaway.

What is a Soakaway? – UKDN Waterflow

A soakaway is a hole dug into the ground that is filled with coarse stone and rubble or plastic crates. It allows water to filter through it, and literally soak into the ground (away). Soakaways are used to manage surface water at its source, and serve as an alternative option to draining off...

ukdnwaterflow.co.uk

 

[BLOCK F]

Just a cautionary word - establish who has the responsibility rectify the problem to start with which you can do by contacting the water company.

If the utilities companies say a fault/damage is not their responsibility because for example, a leak has not occurred in a pipe they have a duty to maintain, I would never let a tradesman/utilities person actually start doing any work on a potentially big problem (and therefore unknown cost to rectify it) until a claim has been initiated with an insurance company. It can invalidate the claim, if you have already started the work that is being claimed for with your own contractor and not one the insurance company has appointed. One can always cancel the claim at a later time if the problem has been diagnosed as an ‘cheap’ easy fix and you chose to cover the work yourself ( Decent Buildings Insurance policies will cover track and trace remedial works too … ).

Hi there Zeb,
Thanks for your reply. I have contacted Southern Water who take away waste water and they said that I will have to ascertain whether or not a leak on the waste pipe has caused the hole. They gave me the name of one of their recommended contractors who will charge to do a CCTV survey, which I understand. I also contacted Portsmouth Water who supply my water. They were quite helpful and one of their team is coming round next Tuesday to ascertain whether or not there is a leak via the supply, either outside my property or inside my boundary,(free of charge). Depending on what they find, I will then investigate/or not! the waste side either via Southern or my insurance company. Hopefully we will discover what the problem is and the fix is relatively straightforward and not too disruptive. Thanks for the cautionary word. No works will be carried out besides the investigations, as above!

 

[BLOCK F]

Water company to investigate/ rule out any main or sewer supply.
Buildings insurance to cover the cost of reinstatement if covered.
If water main leak it will also be covered under trace & access part of the policy, usually around £5k cover on a domestic policy.

Hi there,
Thanks for your post. My reply to Zeberdi explains all I think.

 

[Bodian]

Be very wary about getting insurance involved too early. 24 years ago, the drain at the front of our house blocked/cracked leading to 'water escape' and a small crack appearing in a wall. It was all solved relatively easily, with the drain being dug up and relined, and the slight crack in one wall of our house and the neighbours house being stabilised. 24 years ago.

But because the then owners employed a 'subsidence company' and organised the work on behalf of them and the neighbours - we have been stuck with house insurance premiums that are double our neighbours for every year since then. It's impossible to get cheap online quotes - because they always ask about subsidence (even though it wasn't really subsidence and isn't likely to happen again just because it happened once - that is, it's not an underlying geological problem), and chuck you out of the system. You have to approach the companies direct.

Fortunately, some places ask about 'subsidence in the last 25 years' - so I'm hoping it will go away as a problem next year.

 

[Zeberdi]

Hi there Zeb,
Thanks for your reply. I have contacted Southern Water who take away waste water and they said that I will have to ascertain whether or not a leak on the waste pipe has caused the hole. They gave me the name of one of their recommended contractors who will charge to do a CCTV survey, which I understand. I also contacted Portsmouth Water who supply my water. They were quite helpful and one of their team is coming round next Tuesday to ascertain whether or not there is a leak via the supply, either outside my property or inside my boundary,(free of charge). Depending on what they find, I will then investigate/or not! the waste side either via Southern or my insurance company. Hopefully we will discover what the problem is and the fix is relatively straightforward and not too disruptive. Thanks for the cautionary word. No works will be carried out besides the investigations, as above!

Great news re. Portsmouth Water.

In which case, personally, I would contact your insurance company to let them know what’s happening - they won’t activate a claim unless you ask them to but will have it on file should it be necessary and their advice is free - The key is to avoid doing anything to invalidate a potential claim - your policy should cover the CCTV that Southern Water advised, under trace and access (escape of water) and send their own contractor out otherwise it could cost you up to anything like several hundred pounds to have it done privately).

Edit - re. @Bodian’s comment above. - it’s a very good point but the Insurance loss adjustment surveyor ruled out subsidence in my case - in fact he noted that the £15,000 worth of previous work I had done on the gable wall at the advice of a building firm to stabilise my wall was completely unnecessary - something like that can devalue your property but fortunately I have the insurance company’s surveyor on record as saying it wasn’t necessary

 

[BLOCK F]

Be very wary about getting insurance involved too early. 24 years ago, the drain at the front of our house blocked/cracked leading to 'water escape' and a small crack appearing in a wall. It was all solved relatively easily, with the drain being dug up and relined, and the slight crack in one wall of our house and the neighbours house being stabilised. 24 years ago.

But because the then owners employed a 'subsidence company' and organised the work on behalf of them and the neighbours - we have been stuck with house insurance premiums that are double our neighbours for every year since then. It's impossible to get cheap online quotes - because they always ask about subsidence (even though it wasn't really subsidence and isn't likely to happen again just because it happened once - that is, it's not an underlying geological problem), and chuck you out of the system. You have to approach the companies direct.

Fortunately, some places ask about 'subsidence in the last 25 years' - so I'm hoping it will go away as a problem next year.

We had a sort of similar problem two houses ago. A crack appeared in the front porch which the insurance company put down to some trees nearby sucking up the water. We had to have the trees quite severely ‘pruned’, but we were lucky and the crack only had to be filled in and remained ok. We wanted to move shortly afterwards and were a bit worried when it came to selling the house because of the subsidence questions. However, all went well and we had no problems. I have no idea what our purchaser’s insurance premiums were though. On a grander subsidence scale, I was once told that a house that had been underpinned was a really safe bet, yet it sometimes sends potential purchasers running for the hills and insurance companies to charge inflated premiums. It all seems a bit crazy.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Maybe call the Police? They can look into it.

 

[Hudson Hawk]

We had a sort of similar problem two houses ago. A crack appeared in the front porch which the insurance company put down to some trees nearby sucking up the water. We had to have the trees quite severely ‘pruned’, but we were lucky and the crack only had to be filled in and remained ok. We wanted to move shortly afterwards and were a bit worried when it came to selling the house because of the subsidence questions. However, all went well and we had no problems. I have no idea what our purchaser’s insurance premiums were though. On a grander subsidence scale, I was once told that a house that had been underpinned was a really safe bet, yet it sometimes sends potential purchasers running for the hills and insurance companies to charge inflated premiums. It all seems a bit crazy.

I bought a house that had historical subsidence where a drain collapsed and the house was underpinned.

I did think about it and had second thoughts, but a surveyor said to me that a house that has been underpinned and reinforced with loads of extra concrete and steel, isn't going anywhere. And what it likely to suffer subsidence, this reinforced house or next door, or another house that hasn't had any.

 

[BLOCK F]

I bought a house that had historical subsidence where a drain collapsed and the house was underpinned.

I did think about it and had second thoughts, but a surveyor said to me that a house that has been underpinned and reinforced with loads of extra concrete and steel, isn't going anywhere. And what it likely to suffer subsidence, this reinforced house or next door, or another house that hasn't had any.

Absolutely correct.