The newly formed Society of Underwriting Professionals, who are part of the CII, have issued a new guide on Subsidence Good Practice for Underwriters.
The guide is an insightful resource which is both useful for professional underwriters and everyday customers who are looking to understand subsidence.
The guide looks at the following areas of subsidence:
What causes it, how to identify it, covering subsidence, underwriting subsidence risks, investigating subsidence risks and finally, good practice.
The areas of note for ASUC were:
• Underpinning should be considered although not treated as standard.
• Site investigation is recommended as described. The guide also talks about insurance and how, due to recent subsidence surges, it is now offered as a standard peril on most domestic properties, and now includes some commercial properties.
• There should be protection for properties that have been previously underpinned.
• There was no mention of Certificates of Structural Adequacy in the guide, but it does call for a Contractors guarantee. ASUC can better this with the use of our Defect Insurance Guarantee, a Latent defects Insured policy.
Overall, the guide offers an interesting and thought-provoking read, which brings to light some key points for discussion on subsidence investigation techniques and insurance standards.
To see the full guide, use the link below:
