Discovering the possibility of a sinkhole on your property can be an overwhelming experience, especially to those who are unfamiliar with the process of dealing with a sinkhole. Keep in mind there are many solutions to remediate a sinkhole and selecting the right company is an essential part of the remediation. Your home is usually one of the largest investments you make and you want to be sure to properly vet the contractor you select. Keep in mind that as a homeowner you can select the sinkhole repair company you want to fix your home. You are not required to pick any one company, and no one can tell you which contractor to choose. However we strongly recommend choosing a state certified contractor for your repairs.

The contractor you use can help repair your foundation and stabilize your home. Repairs that are done correctly will ensure that your home is 100% insurable and able to be refinanced by any bank which is your ultimate goal.

When you think you may have a sinkhole it is a good idea to contact your insurance company so they can send out a licensed, certified engineer. There are two types of engineers that may end up working on your claim. A geotechnical engineer that can make recommendations for all the geotechnical aspects such as the soils that your home is built on, or a structural engineer who inspects the foundation and structure of your home to see how extensive the damage to your dwelling may be. Both are experts in the field of sinkhole remediation and will help you determine if you have a sinkhole.

The only people that can make any repair recommendations is a state licensed and certified geotechnical or structural engineer or geologist. Contractors are not legally allowed to make recommendations for repairs. Beware of any contractor who makes repair recommendations for your sinkhole repair.

Please call us to begin a relationship with one of our project consultants in case you have any questions or concerns during the process. Our project consultants are highly trained and understand what to expect throughout the sinkhole remediation process from claim to payment. These are all things that tend to vary greatly in each instance. That's why it is important to stay informed as a homeowner.

A sinkhole may also  be known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes.

These can be chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes. For example in sandstone. Sinkholes may vary in size from 1 to 600 meters (3.3 to 2,000 ft) both in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. They may be formed gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide. These terms are often used interchangeably, though many distinguish between features a surface stream flows into and features with no such input. Only the former are described as sinks, swallow holes or swallets.

Sinkholes may capture surface drainage for running or standing water, but may also form in currently high and dry locations. The mechanisms of formation involve natural process of erosion or gradual removal of slightly soluble bedrock (such as limestone) by percolating water, the collapse of a cave roof, or a lowering of the water table.

Sinkholes often form also through the process of suffosion. Groundwater may dissolve the carbonate cement holding the sandstone particles together and then carry away particles, gradually forming a void. Occasionally a sinkhole may exhibit a visible opening into a cave below. In the case of exceptionally large sinkholes, such as Minyé sinkhole in Papua New Guinea or Cedar Sink at Mammoth Cave National Park, USA, a stream or river may be visible across its bottom flowing from one side to the other.

Sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone or other carbonate rock, salt beds, or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by circulating ground water. As the rock dissolves, spaces and caverns develop underground. These sinkholes can be dramatic because the surface land usually stays intact until there is not enough support. Then, a sudden collapse of the land surface can occur.

Sinkholes also form from human activity. Sinkholes can occur in urban areas due to water main breaks or sewer collapses when pipes give way. They can also occur from the overpumping and extraction of groundwater and subsurface fluids. They can also form when natural water-drainage patterns are changed and new water-diversion systems are developed.

Some sinkholes form when the land surface is changed, such as when industrial and runoff-storage ponds are created; the substantial weight of the new material can trigger an underground collapse of supporting material, thus, causing a sinkhole.

The latest sinkhole to form in Florida appears to be located in Lithia, Florida. The location also is the Southeast County Landfill on County Road 672. The sinkhole was discovered Tuesday by the county's public utilities department workers.

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