Subsidence, settlement and heave
New concrete shows only at one corner and the rest of the footing line looks undisturbed. What length of underpinning, if any, was not documented?
The length of any underpinning was not documented. New concrete shows only at one corner, and the rest of the footing line looks undisturbed, so the survey cannot say how far a scheme extends or whether the concrete is underpinning at all. It has seen a local patch. It has not seen drawings, a building-control record, or the footing beyond that corner. A single corner cannot stand in for a documented length.
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?
Underpinning, where it exists, is a designed sequence of concrete under an existing wall, usually recorded in calculations and inspections. A patch of new concrete at one corner might be that, or a repair to a damaged corner, or a local extension. The undisturbed line elsewhere argues against assuming a whole-house scheme. The survey did not excavate the rest of the footing and did not read a certificate. Appearance of fresh concrete is not a measured length.
Ask the solicitor for any underpinning drawings, guarantees or building-control letters, and compare them with the single corner the survey saw. Do not tell a lender the house has been underpinned along its length. If no papers exist, say so, and leave the length unknown. A structural engineer can investigate further only if you need more than this visual limit.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was new concrete seen only at one corner?
- Did the rest of the footing line look undisturbed?
- Have you left the length of any underpinning undocumented?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not invent a length of underpinning from one corner.
- Ask the solicitor for drawings or building-control papers.
- Leave the rest of the footing line as undisturbed on this visit.
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
If the concrete looks deep, is the whole house underpinned?
Depth at one corner, even if it looks substantial, is still one corner. The rest of the footing line looked undisturbed. The survey has not documented a length of underpinning, and a deep patch does not become a scheme. A scheme needs papers this visit did not see.
Does undisturbed ground prove there was never any underpinning?
It proves the survey did not see fresh concrete along that line. It does not search old works that might have weathered to match. No length was documented. Absence of obvious new concrete is not a certificate that nothing was ever done.