Sinkhole Remediation
restore and stabilize land affected by sinkholes to protect properties, structures, and safety.
Sinkhole remediation stabilizes ground that has opened or subsided over the carbonate bedrock the Lehigh Valley sits on. We excavate to competent material, build a graded filter of stone, and restore the surface so water stops feeding the void.
- Homeowners with a depression, open throat or settling slab
- Property managers with subsidence in a lot or drive
- Builders who uncovered a void during excavation
- Municipalities and HOAs with sinkholes in a right-of-way or common area
- Investigation and excavation to find the throat
- Graded filter / inverted-filter stone plugs
- Grouting coordination where an engineer specifies it
- Surface drainage rerouted away from the feature
- Backfill, compaction and full surface restoration
- Step 01
Assess
We look at the feature, the surrounding grade, and where water is entering. Sinkholes in this region are almost always water-driven.
- Step 02
Engineer involvement
For anything near a structure, we recommend a geotechnical engineer. We work alongside them rather than guessing.
- Step 03
Excavate
We open the feature to find and expose the throat, removing loose soil down to competent material.
- Step 04
Build the filter
Large clean stone at the throat, graded down through smaller stone and fabric so soil can't wash into the void again.
- Step 05
Redirect water
Roof leaders, swales and drainage are rerouted away from the repair — this is what keeps it from reopening.
- Step 06
Restore & monitor
Backfill, compact, restore the surface, and check the area after the next few heavy rains.
Small yard features are often a 2–4 day job. Anything near a foundation, road or utility takes longer because of engineering review and permits — plan on 2–6 weeks from first call to finished repair. Active, open sinkholes get an emergency response to secure the area.
Sinkholes in a right-of-way, near a stream, or on a stormwater-permitted site need township, county conservation district or PennDOT involvement. Some insurers and mortgage holders also require an engineer's report. We help identify what applies but don't provide engineering certification.
- Machine and truck access to the feature
- Area kept clear of people and animals until it's stabilized
- Willingness to involve an engineer when a structure is nearby
- Awareness that the fix may require rerouting roof or yard drainage
- We are not a geotechnical engineering firm and don't certify site stability
- Compaction grouting and deep injection are performed by specialty subcontractors
- No contractor can guarantee a sinkhole will never return in karst terrain — we build the repair to accepted practice and control the water that causes it
- Structural repair to a damaged building is a separate trade
We don't publish flat prices for this work because no two sites are the same, and a number pulled out of the air helps nobody. These are the factors that move a sinkhole remediation quote up or down:
- Depth and size of the feature once opened — this is rarely knowable up front
- Proximity to structures, roads and utilities
- Stone and trucking quantities
- Whether grouting or engineering is required
- Surface restoration: lawn, driveway, asphalt or concrete
- Emergency mobilization
Can you give me a firm price before you dig?
We give a firm price for the investigation and a realistic range for the repair. Nobody can tell you the true size of a sinkhole until it's opened — anyone who quotes a flat number sight-unseen is guessing.
Will it come back?
A properly built graded filter with the water redirected is the accepted fix and holds in the large majority of cases. Karst terrain never comes with a guarantee, and we won't pretend otherwise.
Should I call my insurance company?
Check your policy — most standard homeowner policies in PA exclude sinkhole damage unless a rider was purchased. We can provide documentation and photos for any claim you file.
Sinkhole Remediation across the Lehigh Valley and surrounding townships: