Claims management and risk information specialist InFront Solutions has developed a subsidence model that can accurately identify risks down to individual addresses.
The new system uses digital technology and aerial mapping to identify the soil type, building location and building footprint of the property, as well as the height and proximity of trees.
Currently the model provides data for inside the M25 circle.
It will be expanded to cover other high risk areas over the next 6 months.
Previously it was only possible to model subsidence risk using geological and soil type data, which indicates the most shrinkable clays at post code sector level.
At best, this method can only identify risk to groups of properties, not individual houses.
InFront's managing director David Moore commented: "Subsidence costs the industry £350m in a wet year and £600m plus in a dry one. Clearly our model, by including tree-related risk down to individual addresses, will enable insurers to improve dramatically the quality of the business they write, For the first time, for instance, they will be able to take underwriting action for properties at high risk as well as target marketing individual address."
The model shows that 1.2m properties within the M25 are not at risk and likely to be rated higher than they should be.
