House underpinning Adelaide
House underpinning Adelaide: support for stone and brick villas, brick veneer and concrete slab homes.
Part of the house or the full perimeter, worked out by the engineer.
Supporting villas, brick homes and slabs
- Stone or brick villas
- Brick veneer homes
- Concrete slab homes
- Not sure? Pick that on the form
Part of the house, or all of it
Work on just one part of a house is called partial underpinning.
A full perimeter job covers the footings around the house. The engineer design sets out what yours needs.
Why Adelaide homes move
Adelaide's older inner, eastern and north-eastern suburbs sit on highly reactive clay.
In the eastern suburbs, it is known locally as Bay of Biscay soil. It shrinks a lot in dry spells and swells after heavy rain.
Many Adelaide homes are solid masonry, meaning stone or brick, on dwarf wall footings or raft slabs. Older homes are more affected.
Guide prices
Partial underpinning, typical home
From around $15,000
Guide only, inc GST. Your fixed written price comes after we take a look.
Underpinning
From around $1,500 per pier
Guide only, inc GST. Your fixed written price comes after we take a look.
Full perimeter underpinning
Quoted after a look
Guide only, inc GST. Your fixed written price comes after we take a look.
What affects the cost
Every home sits on different ground, so the price is worked out for yours.
- How many piers your home needs
- The soil under the house
- Access around the footings
- Engineering design
- Approvals, where needed
Here's how it goes
- Share a few crack photos, about 2 minutes.
- You'll hear from us within 30 minutes.
- Often, a quick photo check shows if it looks cosmetic or needs a closer look.
- An engineer if needed, then a clear price in writing.
- We book a time that suits your plans and get the work done.
More help with your next step
Questions homeowners ask
Why do so many Adelaide homes crack?
Adelaide's older inner, eastern and north-eastern suburbs sit on highly reactive clay.
In the eastern suburbs, it is known locally as Bay of Biscay soil. It shrinks a lot in dry spells and swells after heavy rain.
Many Adelaide homes are solid stone or brick on dwarf wall footings or raft slabs. Older homes are more affected.
Is my crack serious?
Some cracks are cosmetic. Not every crack needs underpinning.
Start with the form. When we reply, we'll explain how to share photos. We'll tell you if it looks cosmetic or needs an engineer to take a look.
Photos can't tell us what the footings are doing. An engineer checks the structure.
Do I need an engineer?
If the cracks point to footing movement, yes. An engineer checks the structure and designs the fix.
Industry reports note fault lines under parts of Adelaide, including around Burnside, Hope Valley, Clarendon and Crafers.
We look at your home rather than guessing the cause from its suburb.
We look after that as part of the job, so you deal with one team the whole way.
Can I stay in the house during the work?
It depends on your home, where the work is and what the engineer designs.
We'll talk it through with you before the job starts, so you can plan.
How long does underpinning take?
It depends on how many piers are needed, the soil, access and the engineer design.
We'll walk you through the plan for your home before work starts.
How much does underpinning cost?
Price depends on how many piers, the soil, access, engineering and approvals.
See our guide prices, all inc GST. You get a fixed written price after we take a look.
Will my insurance cover it?
Every policy is different, so check with your insurer.
Our fixed written price sets out the work, which you can share with them.
Get a fast quote
Tell us what you're seeing. We'll be in touch within 30 minutes.
When we reply, we'll explain how to share photos of the cracks.