The short answer
Published Australian cost guides put common residential underpinning jobs at about $4,000–$15,000 (Remedial Building Help) and a typical house at $10,000–$15,000 (hipages), with large jobs far higher: $25,000–$50,000 (QuickQuote), and $40,000–$80,000 or more for extensive piling. These are other businesses' published figures, checked October 2026, not our prices. We don't sell or carry out underpinning. We're independent engineers who check whether you need it, review quotes, and design and certify the work.
Key takeaways
- Published guides: about $4,000–$15,000 for common residential jobs, and $10,000–$15,000 for a typical house.
- Large jobs run $25,000–$50,000, and extensive piling for severe movement $40,000–$80,000 or more.
- The cause, the depth to firmer ground and how much of the house needs support move the price more than the method's name.
- An independent quote review starts from $390 + GST, before you commit thousands.
Underpinning is one of the larger repair bills a homeowner can face, and two quotes for the same house can look very different. This guide gathers the published figures, explains what each one covers and what moves a price, and sets out what the engineering costs. We're structural engineers who don't sell underpinning, so we have no reason to talk the price up or down. If you're not yet sure the house needs it, start with what underpinning is and whether you need an engineer for it.
Underpinning cost: quick facts
- Common residential jobs
- About $4,000–$15,000 (Remedial Building Help)
- Typical house
- $10,000–$15,000 (hipages)
- Large or severe jobs
- $25,000–$50,000 (QuickQuote); extensive piling $40,000–$80,000+
- Unit prices
- Piers about $2,500–$5,000 each; mass concrete $1,000–$3,000 per metre
- Engineering fees
- $1,000–$6,000 published; our quote review from $390 + GST
- Who's writing this
- Independent engineers: we don't sell or carry out underpinning
What do published guides say underpinning costs?
Most published ranges for a residential job sit between about $3,000 and $25,000, and large jobs and severe movement sit well above that. The chart puts each guide's whole-job range side by side.
Published underpinning cost ranges for a whole job
- QuickQuote · small job$5k–$12k
- Remedial Building Help · common jobs$4k–$15k
- hipages · typical house$10k–$15k
- Buildfix · resin injection jobs$4k–$16k
- QuickQuote · standard affected section$12k–$25k
- Remedial Building Help · full spread$3k–$25k
- QuickQuote · large job$25k–$50k
- Remedial Building Help · extensive piling$40k–$80k+
Two things stand out. The ranges overlap heavily, so no single figure is the price. And the jobs at the top of the scale are described as large jobs or extensive piling for severe movement, so the extent and severity of the problem matter more than the name of the method.
These are not our prices
We're engineers, so we don't quote or build underpinning. The figures on this page come from published cost guides and contractor websites, checked 8 October 2026. They give a sense of scale, but only a site-specific quote for your house is a real price.
How much does it cost to underpin a house?
For a typical house, hipages puts underpinning at $10,000–$15,000 and notes that concrete underpinning can easily exceed $15,000. QuickQuote breaks house underpinning cost down by the size of the job.
| Size of job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small job | $5,000–$12,000 | QuickQuote |
| Standard affected section | $12,000–$25,000 | QuickQuote |
| Large job | $25,000–$50,000 | QuickQuote |
| Typical house | $10,000–$15,000 | hipages |
| Common residential jobs | $4,000–$15,000 (full spread about $3,000–$25,000) | Remedial Building Help |
| Extensive piling, severe movement | $40,000–$80,000+ | Remedial Building Help |
Published ranges, checked 8 October 2026. Other businesses' figures, not our prices.
Underpinning doesn't always mean the whole house. The repair can be limited to the part that has moved, such as one corner or one wall, and a smaller extent is a smaller job. That's why the diagnosis of which footings moved, and why, belongs before the quote. Our guide to cracks in walls shows which cracks point to footing movement. Buying a house with cracking? A pre-purchase structural inspection tells you whether repairs are likely before you commit; see buying a house with foundation problems.
How much does underpinning cost by method?
Resin and concrete underpinning costs are quoted in different units, so per-method figures need care: guides price mass concrete per metre of wall, piers per pier, screw piles per square metre and resin injection per job.
| Method | Published cost | Priced per | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mass concrete underpinning | $1,000–$3,000 | Linear metre of wall | Remedial Building Help, citing Mainmark's published figure |
| Concrete underpinning | Can easily exceed $15,000 | Whole job | hipages |
| Piers | About $2,500–$5,000 | Pier | QuickQuote |
| Screw piles | $250–$500 | Square metre (an area guide) | A Melbourne contractor's guide |
| Resin injection | $4,000–$16,000 | Whole job | Buildfix, a resin contractor |
| Extensive piling for severe movement | $40,000–$80,000+ | Whole job | Remedial Building Help |
Published underpinning foundation cost by method, checked 8 October 2026. Other businesses' figures, not our prices. The units differ, so the rows don't compare directly.
So is resin cheaper than concrete? The published figures don't settle it. Buildfix's $4,000–$16,000 for resin injection jobs overlaps the common range for residential jobs, and it's a seller's figure rather than a comparison. With per-pier and per-metre prices, the total depends on how many piers or metres the design calls for. The better-value method is the one that suits your soil and the cause of the movement, because a method that doesn't suit them can fail and need doing again. Our engineer's comparison of underpinning methods explains where each one suits.
What drives the cost of underpinning?
The method gets most of the attention, but these six factors usually move the price more.
The cause
If a leak, a downpipe or a tree is driving the movement, fixing it may shrink the job, or avoid underpinning altogether.
Depth to firmer ground
The deeper the ground the design needs to reach, the more excavation, concrete or pile length the job takes.
Extent of the work
One corner, one wall or the whole perimeter. With per-metre or per-pier pricing, that count drives the total.
Soil
Reactive clay, fill and soft ground behave differently, and each method suits some soils better than others.
Access
Narrow side setbacks, paths, gardens and internal walls can slow the work and limit which equipment fits.
Engineering and permits
Design, permit documents, any soil or plumbing test, stage inspections and certification sit alongside the build price.
Two more items aren't always in a quote: making good, such as patching cracks, easing doors and repainting once the footings are stable, and the permit and certification. Ask about both. To understand what's moving your house in the first place, read house subsidence and movement. If the damage started with an insured event such as a burst pipe, read is underpinning covered by home insurance? before you pay for anything.
How much does an engineer cost for underpinning?
Engineering is a separate line from the build. Melbourne Restumping's cost guide lists engineer inspections on underpinning jobs at $200–$800 and engineering fees at $1,000–$6,000. Here's how those published ranges compare with our fees.
| Engineering step | Published range | Our fee |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection and written report | Engineer inspections on underpinning jobs $200–$800 (Melbourne Restumping); inspection and report $400–$1,000 (QuickQuote) | From $450 + GST, on site, with a written engineer's report |
| Underpinning quote review | Not covered by the cost guides above; one Brisbane engineering firm publishes a photo review at $475 | From $390 + GST, from your documents and photos |
| Design, permit documents, stage inspections and certification | Engineering fees on underpinning jobs $1,000–$6,000 (Melbourne Restumping) | Fixed quote per job, once the scope is known |
Published ranges and fees checked 8 October 2026. Our fees are plus GST, and your fixed quote confirms the exact fee before we start.
The engineer's job is the same whatever the method: inspect, find the cause (sometimes with a soil investigation or plumbing test first), design the repair, prepare documents for the building permit or approval, inspect the critical stages and certify the work. Any licensed contractor can then build it. See underpinning design and certification and our structural engineer fees.
Underpinning cost Melbourne: what changes the price?
We haven't found a reliable Melbourne-only price list for underpinning. The main guides publish national ranges, and the two Melbourne businesses cited here price single items (screw piles per square metre, and engineering fees), not whole jobs. So the national figures, about $4,000–$15,000 for common residential jobs, are the starting point in Melbourne too, and local conditions decide where a quote lands.
- Reactive clay. Many Melbourne suburbs sit on reactive clay, which shrinks as it dries and swells when wet, so footings move with the seasons. How reactive the site is, and how deep stable ground sits, shape the design.
- Access. Narrow side setbacks, attached walls and established gardens can limit where and how the work is done.
- Extent. Whether one corner or the whole perimeter needs support usually matters more than the suburb.
- Permits. In Victoria, underpinning usually needs a building permit, and councils may also require an asset protection permit when works use the frontage. Ask whether your quote includes them.
Engineers describe how reactive a site is with the AS 2870 site classes, from Class S (0–20 mm of characteristic surface movement) up to Class E (more than 75 mm), with Class P for problem sites such as soft soils, uncontrolled fill and trees. For the engineering, The Quote Yard lists a Victorian inspection report at $700–$1,800 (checked October 2026). Our foundation and crack report starts from $450 + GST; see our Melbourne foundation and crack engineers and the guide to reactive clay and slab heave.
What should an underpinning quote include?
A clear quote shows exactly what you're paying for and lets you compare two quotes on the same scope. Check for these before you sign.
- The cause. Has anyone found why the house moved, and is fixing it part of the plan?
- An engineer's design. Is the work to an engineer's design, or to the contractor's own scope?
- Method, extent and depth. Which method, how many metres or piers, where, and down to what ground?
- Permits. Who arranges the building permit or approval, and is it in the price?
- Stage inspections and certification. Who inspects the critical stages and certifies the finished work?
- Making good. Are crack repairs, patching and repainting included or excluded?
- Exclusions and variations. What happens to the price if firmer ground is deeper than expected, or pipes are found in the way?
Red flags in an underpinning quote
No cause identified, no engineer's design, a method chosen before any investigation, a price per pier with no number of piers, no mention of permits or certification, or pressure to sign on the day.
Have an independent engineer check your quote
Send us the quote, any reports and photos. Our underpinning quote review checks whether the cause has been found, whether the method and extent make sense and what the quote leaves out, from $390 + GST with no site visit. Request a quote review.
How do you get a fair price for underpinning?
The best protection against overpaying is making sure you're paying for the right job. These five steps keep the price tied to the problem.
- Step 1
Find the cause first
An independent engineer's house structural inspection or foundation and crack report works out why the house moved.
- Step 2
Deal with the cause
Fix leaks, downpipes and drainage, or manage trees. Sometimes that, with monitoring, is enough.
- Step 3
Get the repair designed
If underpinning is needed, an engineer's design fixes the method, extent and depth for every contractor.
- Step 4
Compare like-for-like quotes
Ask licensed contractors to quote the design, and check what each includes and excludes.
- Before you sign
Get the quote reviewed
If a quote seems high or unclear, an independent quote review checks it first.
Do
- Get the cause diagnosed before any quote
- Ask every contractor to price the same design
- Check that permits, certification and making good are covered
- Keep dated photos and crack measurements
Don't
- Choose on the method's name or the lowest total alone
- Sign a quote that doesn't say what caused the movement
- Rely on a free inspection from someone selling the repair
- Treat a published range as a quote for your house
Sources and standards referenced
- hipages, underpinning cost guide. A typical house $10,000–$15,000; concrete underpinning can easily exceed $15,000. Checked 8 October 2026
- Remedial Building Help, underpinning cost guide. Common residential jobs $4,000–$15,000, full spread about $3,000–$25,000; mass concrete $1,000–$3,000 per linear metre of wall, citing Mainmark's published figure; extensive piling for severe movement $40,000–$80,000+. Checked 8 October 2026
- QuickQuote, underpinning cost guide. Small jobs $5,000–$12,000; a standard affected section $12,000–$25,000; large jobs $25,000–$50,000; individual piers about $2,500–$5,000 each. Checked 8 October 2026
- Buildfix, resin injection pricing. $4,000–$16,000 for resin injection jobs. Buildfix is a resin contractor. Checked 8 October 2026
- A Melbourne contractor's screw pile cost guide. Screw piles as an area guide of $250–$500 per m². Checked 8 October 2026
- Melbourne Restumping, cost guide. Engineering on underpinning jobs: engineer inspections $200–$800, engineering fees $1,000–$6,000. Checked 8 October 2026
- QuickQuote and The Quote Yard, structural inspection cost guides. Inspection and report $400–$1,000 (QuickQuote); VIC inspection report $700–$1,800 (The Quote Yard). Checked 8 October 2026
- Engineering firms' published fees. A Brisbane engineering firm's photo review, $475. Checked 8 October 2026
- Standards Australia, AS 2870-2011 Residential slabs and footings. Site classification by characteristic surface movement
