Sinkhole in Garden

A sinkhole appearing in your garden is alarming and almost always indicates a collapsed drain beneath the surface. As the pipe breaks, surrounding soil washes into the void through the broken sections, and the ground above gradually collapses. The sinkhole will continue to grow until the underlying drain is repaired.

What to Look For

• Circular depression or hole appearing in the lawn
• Ground suddenly giving way when walked on
• Gradually deepening dip in a specific area
• Sinkhole aligned with the route of a drain run
• Foul smell near the sinkhole
• Waterlogging around the edges of the depression

How We Diagnose the Problem

We use CCTV drain surveys to inspect the pipe beneath the sinkhole, confirming whether a collapse has occurred. Drain tracing maps the full pipe route so we can assess whether other sections are also at risk. We evaluate the extent of soil washout to plan the repair.

How We Fix It

We excavate the collapsed drain section, remove damaged pipework, install new pipes with correct falls, and backfill with compacted aggregate to stabilise the ground. The garden surface is reinstated as part of the repair. For large sinkholes, additional ground stabilisation may be needed.