Subsidence risk in Bristol, district by district
Across the 13 Bristol postcode districts with a guide, the British Geological Survey rates clay shrink-swell, the usual cause of subsidence, as moderate near 115 of the 116 sampled postcodes (in BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8, BS9, BS10, BS11, BS13 and BS14).
Old non-coal mine workings are a moderate or significant hazard near 36 of the 116 postcodes we checked (in BS1, BS3, BS8, BS10 and BS13). Coal mining isn't included: your solicitor orders that search separately.
From British Geological Survey GeoSure and mining hazard grids, checked at the sampled postcodes of each district guide in October 2026. Facts with their sources, not a rating: a district with nothing found isn't safe, and one with findings isn't unsafe. The maps describe the ground, not any home.
Check a postcode in Bristol
Free, from the British Geological Survey. No account needed. Coal mining isn't included.
District by district
Sampled: British Geological Survey ratings around 7 to 9 postcodes in each district
| District | Clay shrink-swell | Other ground hazards | Non-coal mining |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS1 | moderate near 12 of 12 | landslides: moderate near 12 of 12 | Moderate or significant near 12 of 12 |
| BS2 | moderate near 12 of 12 | landslides: moderate near 12 of 12 | Low or none at all 12 |
| BS3 | moderate near 8 of 8 | landslides: moderate near 8 of 8 | Moderate or significant near 8 of 8 |
| BS4 | moderate near 8 of 8 | landslides: moderate near 8 of 8 | Low or none at all 8 |
| BS5 | moderate near 8 of 8 | landslides: moderate near 8 of 8 | Low or none at all 8 |
| BS6 | moderate near 8 of 8 | landslides: moderate near 8 of 8 | Low or none at all 8 |
| BS7 | moderate near 8 of 8 | landslides: moderate near 8 of 8 | Low or none at all 8 |
| BS8 | moderate near 8 of 8 | landslides: moderate near 8 of 8 | Moderate or significant near 8 of 8 |
| BS9 | moderate near 12 of 12 | soluble rocks (sinkholes): significant near 9 of 12; landslides: moderate near 3 of 12 | Low or none at all 12 |
| BS10 | moderate near 8 of 8 | None moderate or significant | Moderate or significant near 3 of 8 |
| BS11 | moderate near 8 of 8 | soluble rocks (sinkholes): significant near 8 of 8 | Low or none at all 8 |
| BS13 | moderate near 7 of 8 | landslides: significant near 8 of 8; soluble rocks (sinkholes): moderate near 1 of 8 | Moderate or significant near 5 of 8 |
| BS14 | moderate near 8 of 8 | landslides: significant near 8 of 8 | Low or none at all 8 |
Each district guide checks 7 to 9 postcodes spread across the district. "2 of 8 postcodes" means the finding was at two of those centres, not at a quarter of homes. Open a district for its own guide, with every postcode listed.
What it means when you buy in Bristol
Check the ground around it, then the house itself:
- British Geological Survey ratings for shrink-swell clay, landslides, compressible ground, collapsible deposits, dissolution and running sand.
- Whether the house has had a subsidence claim or been underpinned: ask the seller.
- Cracks, sticking doors and windows, and trees close to the walls: ask your surveyor.
- In coal mining areas, your conveyancer can order a separate coal mining report.
Subsidence can be expensive to put right and can make a home harder to insure. A past claim stays on the record and usually has to be declared.
Clay is common under many towns and most homes on it never have a problem. Knowing the ground helps you decide which survey to get and what to ask your surveyor to look at.
Questions to ask about a home in Bristol
- Has the house had subsidence, or an insurance claim for it?
- Has it been underpinned, and is there a certificate of structural adequacy?
- Are there large trees close to the house, and whose are they?
- Is the area a former coalfield, and has a mining search been done?
The full report checks the house itself, not the postcode, and ties each question to what it found. See an example report.