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Melbourne Underpinning

If you have cracked walls, jammed doors, sticking windows, or leaning walls, you might have building foundation issues. You can’t ignore these problems; luckily, there’s a solution – house underpinning. 

With home or property issues, the inevitable concern is the repair cost. With Raise + Relevel Melbourne underpinning, you can save the cost of reconstruction later or major repairs. 

There are various reasons for foundational issues, and we can help you diagnose the problem to assess the durability of your home and recommend the right solution. Even if you have significant brick walls or clay soil cracking, we can help you with foundation repairs. 

What is underpinning?

Underpinning is a repair method for home subsidence when soil shrinks and disrupts the structural integrity. Underpinning strengthens the foundation of a home that needs support to boost its bearing capacity. 

While there are varying options when it comes to the types of underpinning, the traditional method is mass concrete underpinning. Traditional underpinning involves excavating; the excavation is then replaced with concrete to support the home’s foundation. 

Different factors determine which type of underpinning is right for your project. An underpinning contractor will conduct ground engineering to review soil types, the site, and the property. The solution must factor that into the conversation if there are reactive soils, particularly reactive clays. 

Why is underpinning important?

You may need to underpin your house for many reasons, all of which boil down to an issue with the house foundations. There are varying reasons for those foundational issues, however. It may be a drainage problem, soil conditions, or rising dampness. 

The first obvious sign of subsidence is wall cracks, whether in the walls and floors or jamming or sticking windows and doors. Uneven floors or gaps in window frames are another clear indication of issues with your existing foundation. 

Whether you are looking for commercial and industrial solutions or residential solutions, the best thing to do is call reliable building practitioners who can carry out a structural assessment to determine the severity of the problem. 

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How much does underpinning cost in Melbourne?

The cost of underpinning varies depending on various factors, such as:

  • The type of foundation. 
  • The extent of damages or structural issues. 
  • The size and complexity of the building. 
  • Location (e.g. inner Melbourne CBD versus a location on the city’s outskirts that takes longer to travel to, like Flemington, Princes Hill, or Alphington). 
  • The materials used (e.g., concrete, steel, helical piers, etc.). 
  • The size of the structure.

While the underpinning costs can vary quite a bit, here are some price ranges that will help provide you with a good understanding of how much the price can vary:

  • Minor underpinning: $5,000 to $10,000.
  • Moderate underpinning: $10,000 to $30,000+.
  • Commercial underpinning: $30,000 to $100,000+.

An important part of the quote is ‘building accessibility.’ If the building is harder to access, then this could also increase the costs. This is one of the reasons why commercial buildings are more expensive than residential house levelling jobs because they are larger and more complex projects. 

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What are the different types of underpinning?

There are different types of underpinning methods to consider when addressing foundation issues. Let’s explore some of the common types.

Micro piling 

Micropile underpinning provides footing support, with concrete stumps locked in next to footings. It’s an effective method, but because it’s a large piece of concrete, it can still shift under certain circumstances, like water and nearby excavation work. 

Concrete slab underpinning 

Concrete underpinning is a traditional method that has been in use for over a century as it increases the foundation’s depth to extend it into firmer soil. Concrete is poured into holes and voids and left for cure, creating an additional foundation beneath the existing foundation. 

Pier underpinning 

Pier underpinning was created because mass concrete isn’t always suitable, especially when dealing with greater depths. Pier underpinning is suitable for most ground conditions, and the process sees concrete beams placed to take the weight. 

If you require underpinning in Melbourne, this might be a recommended option, but the size and depth of the concrete beams will depend on applied loads and ground conditions. 

When do you need underpinning?

There are clear signs of subsidence issues; if any of these are noticeable in your home, you should contact a reliable underpinning Melbourne company for an expert opinion. 

  • Subsidence: The building is sinking or titling. This is the clearest sign of trouble if your home tilts or sinks. 
  • Uneven floors: The floors are not level. This might not always be immediately apparent, but you can test your floors with a spirit level or by using a ball at each end or corner to see whether it runs away. 
  • Cracking walls: Walls are developing cracks. While a simple hairline crack could be down to settlement, not all cracks are equal. If they appear suddenly or existing cracks start to get longer or wider, it could indicate more profound issues. 
  • Doors and windows that don’t open and close properly: Home subsidence often shows in your doors and windows. In addition to them not opening and closing properly or jamming, you may notice the frames separating. 
  • Leaks in the basement or foundation: If you have leaks in the foundations or basement or noticed pooling water, there’s a good chance you have a subsidence issue on your hands and require underpinning. 

How can Raise + Relevel Help?

Various underpinning solutions are available, and the right concrete underpinning method for you will depend on various factors. If you have cracks in walls and need wall crack repair, we can carry out resin injections to deal with those issues in your Melbourne home. 

If the issues exceed simple crack repairs, we will advise you on the correct repair method. Often, after house levelling, slab jacking, slab lifting or underpinning, the cracks naturally close. If they don’t, resin injections can be done using damp proofing. 

The benefits of using Raise + Relevel for your underpinning Melbourne needs

  • The R+R team is fully licensed and insured.
  • Our dedicated team is vastly experienced, with highly qualified engineers and technicians.
  • As underpinning specialists, we aim to get the diagnosis right first to avoid a worsening situation. We can get to the root of the problem to determine the best course of action.
  • We offer a free consultation to assess your needs and will provide a full quote.
  • We work closely with you throughout the underpinning process, from start to finish, and ensure your satisfaction with our work.

Whether you’re dealing with the crumbing concrete slabs of a heritage-listed building, the cracking floors and walls of a civil infrastructure building, or tree roots plaguing a government building, we can provide a structural engineer to determine the underlying issue. Contact our friendly expert team today if you need underpinning services in Melbourne.

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Why Raise + Relevel?

Better.

Better quality workmanship for a better price – R+R delivers value to our customers by offering the highest quality services at the most competitve price.

Experience.

Over 100 years of genuine experience in relevelling structures – we are ground surgeons.

Guaranteed.

We stand behind the quality of our products and workmanship. Our warranty provides 100-year warranty on our resin products and 50-year warranty on our workmanship – If the problem returns, we return.

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FAQ

Your home is everything to you and your family, so before going ahead with any subsidence repairs, we’ve put together a list of questions our customers should ask:

We offer advice, not sales, so we don’t employ salespeople. The person who quotes your job does your job, and has been relevelling homes like yours for over 15 years.

Our specialists have raised over 7,000 homes in total.

If the problem returns, we return. We provide a fully guaranteed warranty on materials and workmanship.

At R+R, we have no call centres, no sales people and minimal overheads, all of which enables us to provide the best value for our customers.

R+R will deliver you better value, through real experience, with guaranteed results.

1
of Combined Experience
1
Homes Relevelled
1
Guaranteed

At Raise + Relevel, experience matters. With a century of combined expertise and over 7,000 homes re-levelled, we deliver lasting results—guaranteed.

100% Product Guarantee

Quality materials built to last

50-Year Workmanship Guarantee

Proven expertise you can trust

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Every home is unique. We provide tailored solutions at the best value, ensuring stability without compromise.

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