How Much Does it Cost for Underpinning a House in Melbourne
If there are cracks on the walls or the doors are sticking, it’s likely your house is having a structural problem. In this case, contact a local building consultant to come and inspect your house.
If they confirm that your foundation has a problem, you’ll definitely feel shocked. Does it mean that you’ll demolish the house? Luckily enough, it’s possible to fix the problem by underpinning the foundation.
Sadly, the cost of underpinning houses in Melbourne is hardly covered in home insurance. Regardless of the cost, it’s important to fix the foundation soonest possible before the problem worsens. That way, you’ll save your home from collapsing.
How Much Will It Cost To Underpin My House?
Before determining the amount of money you’ll spend on an underpinning project, it’s necessary to start with finding out how huge the problem is and the ideal solution.
Since you may not be a structural engineer, it’s important to hire an expert to do the inspection. A qualified structural engineer will inspect the damage to your foundation and recommend the best solution.
For instance, the engineer can do an inspection and issue you with an engineer’s report. Also, an underpinning contractor can assist you with a quote.
Structural engineers may charge at least $800 for a report. Soil samples may be taken for testing by a qualified geotechnical engineer.
Although you may have temptations of getting quotes first, it’s not recommended to do so based on two reasons:
- An underpinning contractor or builder will rely on the report of an engineer to recommend the best solution and their quotes include charges for the services of an engineer
- An independent engineer won’t earn anything from the underpinning work
Upon getting the engineer’s report, you’ll stand better chances of getting more accurate quotes from underpinning contractors. Underpinning is usually done using several methods.
The method to be used on your foundation will depend on how severe the damage is and the current conditions of your house.
Traditional underpinning, also known as concrete underpinning, is one of the most commonly used underpinning methods. It involves extensive excavation and the work may take several days to complete.
In case you’re lucky enough and the work is not extensive, then you may not spend a lot of money on the job. Nevertheless, concrete underpinning costs at least $15,000. The cost is dependent on factors such as:
- Access
- Soil type
- Location
- The amount of materials to be used
- The kind of footings supporting the building
Today, there are other alternative underpinning methods to concrete underpinning. For instance, resin injection is another popular underpinning solution.
In this method, a resin compound is injected through holes dug into the underlying soil around the areas affected. The resin compound will expand and bind the soil, making it strong and stable enough to support the foundation.
The resin also eliminates soil expansion and contraction that causes the foundation to settle or weaken.
The most affordable and best solution to fix the problem will be based on the severity of the problem and the conditions of your property.
If underpinning is the recommended solution, get quotes from different contractors for both resin and concrete underpinning after getting the report of a reliable structural engineer.
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