Underpinning
Melbourne
We fix sinking floors and cracked walls caused by Melbourne’s reactive clay soils.
Strong, stable foundations keep your home safe and your biggest asset protected.
When cracks spread through walls, doors stop closing properly and floors feel uneven, you need an underpinning specialist who understands Melbourne’s reactive clay soils and moves fast on quotes and repairs.
At Underpinning Melbourne, the focus stays on structural stability, clear communication and tidy work from first site visit to final clean up.
You get a straight explanation of what is going on under your home and a plan to fix it in the most practical, VBA-compliant way.
Melbourne Underpinning Services
Traditional, rock-solid support for brick homes and sinking concrete slabs. Essential for fixing “step cracks” in your brickwork.
Best for: Brick veneers in Werribee, Point Cook, and Melton.
Melbourne is famous for its beautiful weatherboard homes, but many are sitting on rotting timber stumps. We replace them with adjustable steel or concrete stumps to level your floors for good.
Best for: Period homes in Brunswick, Northcote, and Coburg.
For deep stabilisation in difficult soil. When the clay is too deep, we screw steel piles down to the bedrock to ensure your home never moves again.
The modern, non-invasive solution. We inject expanding structural resin to lift sinking driveways and slabs in hours, not days.
Best for: Sinking driveways and paths.
Stabilise Your Home
Before The Soil Shifts Again
Foundation issues in Melbourne’s reactive clay never improve on their own.
Early underpinning or restumping often costs less than full structural reconstruction later and limits stress for you and your family.
Call Chris now for a VBA-compliant inspection, or send through photos of your cracks so the team knows what you are facing before they arrive.
Affordable • VBA Compliant • All-in-One Service
Why Choose Underpinning Melbourne
Foundation Specialists
We focus exclusively on structural preservation: underpinning, restumping, and reblocking. We don’t do general handyman work. This ensures your home is handled by experts.
We Know Melbourne’s Clay
We understand the reactive basalt clays of the Western and Northern suburbs. We design repairs specifically to withstand Melbourne’s “four seasons in one day” ground movement.
Clear, Fixed-Price Proposals
You receive a detailed scope explaining the engineering required and a transparent fixed price before we start. No vague jargon, no hidden variation fees.
Minimal disruption
Whether we are injecting resin or restumping, we aim to keep your home liveable. Work areas are contained, and you often won’t even need to move out during repairs.
VBA Registered & Local
Serving the Western Suburbs, Inner North, and Bayside. As a VBA-registered team, we ensure every job meets Victorian building standards and council requirements.
Our Promise
Underpinning Melbourne treats every project as if it were their own home on the line.
You receive honest advice, a practical repair plan and workmanship that respects both structural safety and your budget.
The team explains the options in plain language so you understand why underpinning or restumping is recommended and what each stage involves.
The goal is a stable, safe home and peace of mind for you long after the work is complete.
Underpinning Melbourne Reviews
—————-
Sara L.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Finally, someone who understands Werribee soil!” “We watched a nasty stair-step crack grow in our brickwork over summer and were genuinely worried our house was sinking. We had two other companies quote us, but Chris from Underpinning Melbourne was the only one who actually explained why it was happening (the basalt clay drying out).
He didn’t use scare tactics, just gave us a clear, fixed-price plan to pin the corner. The team was VBA registered, turned up on time, and cleaned up the site perfectly. The cracks have closed up and the doors finally latch again. Highly recommend.”
— Werribee
David R.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Fixed our bouncy Brunswick floors.” “Our weatherboard cottage in Brunswick had floors that felt like a trampoline every time the kids ran down the hall. We knew the old timber stumps were rotting but didn’t know where to start.
The team replaced the old red gum stumps with adjustable steel ones and relevelled the whole house. It’s unbelievable—the house feels solid for the first time in years, and the rattling windows have stopped. Chris made the whole process easy and handled the council permits for us. A+ workmanship.”
— Brunswick
David R.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Saved our driveway without the mess.” “Our driveway in Point Cook had dropped about 40mm, creating a massive trip hazard. I was dreading the idea of jackhammering it up and pouring new concrete.
Chris suggested resin injection instead. The boys arrived at 8am and were done by lunch. No digging, no mess, and the slab is perfectly level again. It was about half the cost of replacing the concrete, too. If you want a fast fix that actually works, call these guys.”
— Coburg
Our Process
We visit your property, check cracks, doors, windows, stumps, damp soil and drainage, and listen to your concerns. Where needed, we coordinate a geotechnical soil test or structural engineer to confirm the design.
You receive a written proposal outlining the method (underpinning or restumping), access points, expected depth, timing and a clear fixed price. We answer your questions and handle the building permit details before any commitment.
The crew completes digging, jacking, restumping or concrete pouring in stages to keep your home supported at all times. Once works are finished, we backfill, tidy the site and walk you through what was done.
Frequently asked questions
Here, we’ve answered some of the most common questions about our fast, affordable, and all-inclusive underpinning process.
What are the common signs that a house in Melbourne needs underpinning or restumping?
Typical signs include stepped cracks in brickwork, gaps around window and door frames, doors or windows that stick, and floors that slope or feel “bouncy” (a common sign of failing timber stumps).
If you see more than one of these in the same area—especially after a heavy rain or dry spell—it is time to book an inspection.
How much does underpinning a house in Melbourne cost?
Pricing depends on whether you need concrete underpinning (pins) or restumping (replacing timber with steel/concrete). It also varies based on how deep we need to dig to reach stable ground through the reactive clay.
Some small restumping jobs sit in the high thousands, while full underpinning projects cost more. The only way to know is to have the site assessed and a tailored fixed-price quote prepared.
How long does it take?
Most residential projects are staged over several days to several weeks, depending on house size, soil depth and Melbourne’s unpredictable weather.
Restumping a standard weatherboard home is often faster than underpinning a double-storey brick home. During the quote process, we outline the expected time frame so you know what to expect.
Do I need to move out while work is done?
For many houses, owners stay in place while work happens. For restumping, we may need to lift floorboards, which can be noisy, but often manageable.
In more complex cases, or where internal flooring needs to be removed, a short temporary move might be more comfortable. We talk this through with you before work starts.
Will this stop all future movement?
Underpinning and restumping aim to stabilise the foundation and reset your home’s levels.
However, Melbourne’s reactive clay soils and drainage issues still play a role in ground health. We often recommend adding subfloor ventilation or improving drainage alongside our structural work to protect your investment for the long term.
Underpinning Melbourne services homes and small buildings across:
- ✔ Melbourne CBD and Inner City
- ✔ Western Suburbs (Werribee, Point Cook, Tarneit)
- ✔ Inner North (Brunswick, Northcote, Coburg)
- ✔ South Eastern Suburbs & Bayside
- ✔ Northern Suburbs
- ✔ Geelong and Surf Coast
Unsure if we cover your area? Please reach out with your address and photos of the issues.