Sinkhole or sunken spot in Poulsbo, WA

The likely causes here

The most common cause we find in Poulsbo is a leaking water service line washing out the trench. The most common cause on a sunken trench line. On subdivision lots off Viking Avenue with hardpan on Finn Hill and Viking Way underneath, that's where we look first.

We also check poorly compacted backfill from an earlier dig, because in Poulsbo it explains a real share of sinkhole or sunken spot calls. A trench that was dumped full and never compacted settles for years.

Finally, an old dry well, cesspool or septic component. Older properties have forgotten structures that eventually cave. Worth five minutes before anyone digs till with roots out Big Valley Road.

What to check first

Along Liberty Bay and Front Street the outwash sand hides leaks completely; the City bill is the only sign.

Before we arrive in Poulsbo, three things you can do: do the meter test. Note whether it appeared after rain or in dry weather. Don't fill it until the cause is known. None of it requires tools, and all of it helps us correlate faster on shared easement lines in the old core.

The fix in Poulsbo

Fixing sinkhole or sunken spot here usually ends with underground water leak detection near Highway 305: correlate with leak noise correlator, repair, if you want us to on acreage along Big Valley Road, confirm there is a leak. One crew, one visit, sand near Liberty Bay that sloughs put back the way it was.

We've handled sinkhole or sunken spot near Front Street where the cause was galvanized under Front Street foundations, and near Viking Avenue where bay-side outwash that drains instantly was hiding a drain failure. Under twenty minutes up Highway 3; we schedule Poulsbo so you aren't waiting a whole day.