Subsidence, settlement and heave
What do surveyors usually mean by settlement in a house that is only a few years old?
They usually mean the small amount of movement as a new building and its ground adjust, often minor cracks at joints. They do not mean the foundations are failing. The word is not a promise that every crack in a new house is harmless, and it is not the same as subsidence.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
New homes crack at plasterboard joints and at the junction with an extension or a garage because materials dry and shrink. A surveyor who calls that settlement should say why they do not think it is structural. If the crack is wide, diagonal and repeated in the brickwork outside, “early settlement” is the wrong comfort. The ABI describes subsidence as the ground moving down beneath the building. A new house can suffer that too, for example if drains leak under the foundations.
Warranty wording, such as NHBC Buildmark on a new home, is a separate document from the survey. The survey does not decide a warranty claim. If the house is new, ask the builder and the warranty provider about cracks in the masonry, and ask the surveyor which cracks are in the finishes only.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which cracks are in plasterboard joints, and which are in the brickwork outside?
- Why do you call this settlement rather than foundation movement?
- Would you expect these cracks to be referred to the builder under the warranty?
What are the typical next steps?
- Photograph masonry cracks separately from hairline joint cracks.
- Notify the builder or warranty provider in the way the policy requires, if the house is still covered. The survey is not that notice.
- Do not repoint structural cracks before the warranty inspection, or you may hide what they need to see.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Is shrinkage the same word as settlement?
Not always. Shrinkage is materials drying. Settlement is the building bedding into the ground. Surveyors sometimes use them loosely. Ask which one they mean for this crack.
Does a new extension crack where it meets the old house for the same reason?
Junction cracks are common because the two parts move differently. They are not automatically subsidence. Ask whether the junction was tied and whether the crack is opening.