Subsidence, settlement and heave
The report places a tapered gap, a new door head and settlement as against shrinkage the gap does not name in one paragraph. Which of those were inspected, and which were merely named?
The tapered gap and the new door head were inspected as visible features. Settlement, set against shrinkage, was merely named, because the gap does not name the cause. A tapering gap over a new head can be the frame, the packing, ordinary shrinkage of materials, or movement of the opening. The survey saw the gap and the head. It has not monitored the opening and it has not decided between settlement and shrinkage. Cause stays an open label, not a finding.
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 door heads are often put in when an opening is formed or a lining is replaced. Wedges, packers and trim close the joint, and a taper can be poor packing rather than a sinking foundation. Settlement of a new opening and shrinkage of timber or block are different, and a single gap does not carry a label of its own. This visit did not open the head, did not check bearings and did not take crack readings. The paragraph is careful because the gap is not a diagnosis.
Ask the solicitor for any building-regulation description or builder's specification for the new door head. If a seller calls the gap shrinkage, that is their word, not a survey finding. A structural engineer can look if the opening is part of a wider movement concern. Tell a lender the taper and the new head were seen and that settlement was not decided. Do not file the gap as proved subsidence or as harmless shrinkage.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was the tapered gap seen at the new door head?
- Was settlement named rather than decided?
- Does the gap by itself fail to separate shrinkage from movement?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the gap and the new head as seen, and the cause as named only.
- Ask the solicitor for papers for the new opening.
- Do not tell a lender settlement has been proved.
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
Does a new lining prove the structure above the door is sound?
No. A lining and a head can be renewed cosmetically while bearings and the wall above stay unseen. The survey inspected the visible gap and the new head. It did not open the structure and did not choose between settlement and shrinkage. New timber is not a structural certificate.
If the gap is wider at the top, is that heave?
Not from this paragraph. A taper is a shape. Heave, settlement and poor packing can all leave a gap that is not parallel. The report set settlement against shrinkage and said the gap does not name which. No monitoring was done. Do not add heave as a third decided cause. It was not the finding.