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Sudden drop, hole or sinkhole near the house.

A geotechnical engineer should investigate, with a licensed plumber or the utility on any leak.

Customers put it like this

  • a hole opened up in the yard
  • the ground dropped by the foundation
  • sinkhole by the driveway
  • floor dropped after a pipe leak
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Stop first if

  • An open or growing hole is beside a foundation.Keep people and vehicles away. Leave the building if it is close. Call emergency services and a geotechnical engineer.
  • You smell gas, or a buried utility is exposed.Leave the area. Call the utility or emergency services from a safe distance.
01

Ask on the call

5

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. Where is the hole or low spot compared with the house?
  2. When did it appear, and is it growing?
  3. Was there a leak, irrigation or drainage change first?
  4. Are there buried lines or downspout drains nearby?
  5. Have there been other sinkholes in the area?
02

Bring

5
  • Stakes and marking paint
  • Tape measure
  • Drain camera
  • Site map
  • Phone for photos
03

Check on site

5
  1. Observe from firm ground and never from the edge.
  2. Compare the start date with any leak or wetting event.
  3. Map settlement against where the water went.
  4. Trace the low spot to buried lines, drains or foundation openings.
  5. Stop the water source first, and hold any re-leveling.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Dated photos and size of the hole
  • Map of buried lines and drains
  • Timeline of leaks or wetting
  • Nearby sinkhole notes

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.