How much should underpinning cost?

There is no single price for underpinning. What matters is understanding what you are being quoted for, and why.

Why there is no standard price

Underpinning is not an off-the-shelf product. The right approach for a home depends on what is causing the movement, the ground beneath it, and how the building is put together. Two houses on the same street can need very different work.

That is why any figure quoted before someone has looked at your home is, at best, a guess. A proper price follows an inspection, not the other way around.

What influences the price

The things that usually make the biggest difference:

• How much of the home is affected. A single corner is a different job to a whole side of a house.
• Access. Tight sites, established landscaping and limited machinery access all add time.
• Reinstatement of the site. Whether paths, paving or landscaping have to be lifted and put back.

What a clear quote should show you

Price alone is hard to compare. A quote is easier to judge when it sets out what is actually included:

• The cause of the movement, not just the symptoms being treated.
• The method proposed, and why it suits your home.
• How many piles or piers, and where they go.
• That the design is engineer certified. All of our underpinning is.
• What is excluded, so there are no surprises later.
• What happens if conditions on site turn out differently than expected.
• Warranty terms, and what they cover.

Questions worth asking

• What is causing the movement, and how did you determine that?
• What happens to the price if the ground is different once you start?
• Is the work designed or reviewed by a structural engineer?
• Who is on site doing the work, and are they employed or subcontracted?
• What licences and insurance are held?
• Can I see examples of similar work?

A contractor who is comfortable answering these is usually one who is comfortable being held to their quote.

Start with an inspection

Before talking about cost, it helps to know whether the movement is structural at all, and what is driving it. Our Home Check-up is a free, no-obligation visit for exactly that. If underpinning is not the right answer for your home, we will tell you.

Find out what your home actually needs

Book a free Home Check-up and get a clear picture of what is happening before you consider any quote.

Prefer to talk first? Call 0451 824 961.