Do you need a coal mining report when buying a house?
Your conveyancer will usually order a coal mining report if the home is in the coal mining reporting area. That area covered about 26% of homes sold in England and Wales in the two years to August 2026.
You can check a home for free with the Mining Remediation Authority's online search. A residential report costs from £50 including VAT.
The report covers mine entries within 20 metres of the boundary, mine gas, other recorded hazards and plans for future mining.
How common is it?
Of the homes sold in England and Wales in the two years to August 2026, about 26% were in postcodes inside the coal mining reporting area.
It varies a lot by region. In the North East, it was 70% of sales. In London and the East of England, it was none.
| Region | Homes sold | Share in the area |
|---|---|---|
| 86,793 | ||
| 165,310 | ||
| 87,229 | ||
| 225,980 | ||
| 158,099 | ||
| 151,873 | ||
| 181,495 | ||
| 272,409 | ||
| 186,989 | ||
| 189,064 |
Worked out by UK Property Check from 1,705,241 sales in HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, sold between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2026, and the Mining Remediation Authority's coalfield consultation areas.
We placed each sale by its postcode, so homes near the edge of the area may be on the other side.
Every postcode in WF10 (Castleford) is inside the area. But the area can split a district: in NG9 (Nottingham), 51% of postcodes are inside. Each of our postcode district pages gives this share.
How to check a home for free
The Mining Remediation Authority's online search needs the postcode and the property's boundaries. GOV.UK says you get the result immediately, and it tells you whether a mining report is needed.
If you only want a rough idea, its interactive map shows whether a wider area is affected by coal mining. Our free check also shows whether the postcode is inside the coal mining reporting area.
The Mining Remediation Authority publishes this area as the coalfield consultation area. Its user guide says the area is also called the coal mining reporting area, and that the Authority uses it to decide whether a report is required.
Being inside the area does not mean the home is affected. It means the mining records for the area need checking, which is what the report does. See what searches are done when you buy a house.
What a coal mining report covers
According to GOV.UK, a coal mining report tells you about four things.
| The report covers | What it means |
|---|---|
| Mine entries within 20 metres | Shafts or adits recorded within 20 metres of the property's boundaries |
| Mine gas | Recorded gas emissions from coal mines |
| Other hazards | Other coal mining hazards reported in the area |
| Future mining | Any plans for coal mining in the area |
Source: GOV.UK.
The Mining Remediation Authority charges £50 including VAT for a residential coal mining report if you draw the property boundary yourself, or £60 if it draws the boundary for you.
GOV.UK says some other reports cost more and also cover other risks, such as general subsidence, or environmental and flood risk.
Source: Mining Remediation Authority, Mining reports prices.
To understand the flood part of those reports, see what flood risk means when you are buying.
The development high risk area
Inside the reporting area, the Mining Remediation Authority marks out a smaller development high risk area. It is where recorded mining features sit at or near the surface.
Those features include mine entries, shallow coal workings, mine gas sites, fissures and past surface mining. Planning applications for new development there should come with a coal mining risk assessment.
Your conveyancer can tell you whether the report places the property in this area.
If the report finds something
A finding does not always mean you should walk away. Ask your conveyancer what the report means for this home.
Your surveyor can look for signs of movement, such as cracked plaster and sticking doors. GOV.UK lists these as early signs of subsidence damage, and our viewing checklist includes them for homes in coal mining areas.
If coal mining subsidence damages a home, the owner may be able to claim. If the Mining Remediation Authority's engineer accepts the claim, it either fixes the damage or pays compensation.
Ask the agent
- Has the seller had a coal mining report for the property, and can you share it?
- Has there been any subsidence claim on the property, including one for coal mining?
- Have any cracks been repaired, or doors and windows refitted because they stuck?
- Is there a mine shaft or other mining feature recorded in the garden or nearby?
Related questions
Can I order a coal mining report myself?
Yes, from the Mining Remediation Authority. It says that if you order online and draw the boundary yourself, the report arrives within minutes. If its staff need to look at the order, it aims to send the report within 2 working days.
Is the Mining Remediation Authority the same as the Coal Authority?
Yes. The Coal Authority changed its name to the Mining Remediation Authority in November 2024. Older reports and articles use the old name.
What about other kinds of mining?
The coal mining report only covers coal. Some parts of England and Wales have other mining history, which may need a separate search. Ask your conveyancer what applies to the home.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Check if a property is affected by coal mining
- Mining Remediation Authority, Coalfield consultation area data set: user guide
- Mining Remediation Authority, Mining reports prices (updated 30 April 2026)
- Mining Remediation Authority, Mining reports
- GOV.UK, Claim for subsidence damage caused by coal mining
- Mining Remediation Authority, Coalfield consultation areas (data.gov.uk)
- Mining Remediation Authority, Development high risk area (data.gov.uk)
- HM Land Registry, Price Paid Data