Underpinning & Restumping Cost in Melbourne — The Honest 2026 Guide
The short answer
In Melbourne, restumping typically costs $600 to $1,300 per stump, underpinning $1,500 to $3,000 per pier, and a whole-home job commonly lands between $18,000 and $50,000. The real price depends on the number of stumps or piers, your soil, access and the method.
Nobody enjoys asking what foundation work costs, and most contractors make it worse by refusing to say. We take the opposite approach. Below are honest, indicative Melbourne ranges for restumping, reblocking and underpinning, what actually drives the price, and how to make sure you are not overpaying. These are market ranges to help you plan, not a quote. Your exact fixed price comes after a free on-site inspection, once we have counted the stumps or piers and checked your soil and access.
How much does restumping cost? Per-stump pricing
Restumping and reblocking are priced per stump, which is the honest way to quote them. A typical Melbourne weatherboard sits on 40 to 100 stumps, so the stump count is the single biggest driver of the total. Concrete stumps cost more than timber, and corner or load-bearing stumps sit at the top of the range.
Per-unit ranges
| Work | Indicative range | Priced |
|---|---|---|
| Restumping / reblocking Concrete stumps cost more than timber. Corner and load-bearing stumps can sit at the top of the range. | $600 – $1,300 | per stump |
| Mass concrete underpinning Hand-dug piers under existing footings. Depth to stable ground is the main variable. | $1,500 – $3,000 | per pier |
| Screw pile underpinning Helical piles driven to load-bearing depth — often the answer in deep reactive clay. | $1,200 – $2,500 | per pile |
| Resin injection underpinning Non-invasive. Priced by the volume of resin and the area being lifted, not by digging. | $6,000 – $20,000 | per home |
These are indicative Melbourne market ranges to help you plan, not a quote. Your exact fixed price is confirmed in writing after a free on-site inspection, once we have counted the stumps or piers and checked the soil and access.
Whole-home cost ranges
Put the per-unit pricing together with a typical home and you get these whole-job ranges. Restumping melbourne and underpinning melbourne sit at different points because underpinning reaches deeper and often needs an engineer.
Whole-home ranges
| Work | Indicative range | Priced |
|---|---|---|
| Restumping (whole house) Most weatherboard homes sit on 40–100 stumps. Concrete stumps and hard access push the figure up. | $18,000 – $35,000 | per home |
| Reblocking (whole house) Reblocking and restumping are the same job in Melbourne — replacing the stumps that hold up your floor. | $18,000 – $30,000 | per home |
| Underpinning Priced by the number of piers, the method, and how deep stable ground sits. Small localised jobs start lower. | $10,000 – $50,000 | per home |
| House re-levelling Depends on how far the home has dropped and whether stumps or piers also need replacing. | $5,000 – $25,000 | per home |
| Concrete cancer repair Ranges from a single balcony edge to a full slab or car park. Extent of the rusted steel drives the cost. | $3,000 – $30,000 | per area |
These are indicative Melbourne market ranges to help you plan, not a quote. Your exact fixed price is confirmed in writing after a free on-site inspection, once we have counted the stumps or piers and checked the soil and access.
What drives the cost
Two identical-looking homes can cost very different amounts to fix. Here is why:
- Number of stumps or piers. The single biggest factor. More supports means more labour and materials.
- Your soil. Deep or highly reactive clay may need screw piles that reach further than concrete, which changes the method and price.
- Access. A tight inner-city site with no side access costs more than an open block, because everything is done by hand.
- Method. Resin, concrete piers and screw piles each price differently. The right one depends on your ground, not your budget.
- Stump or pier type. Concrete lasts longer than timber and costs more up front.
Do I need a structural engineer?
For underpinning, often yes: it is structural building work, and an engineer confirms the cause and designs the fix. A report typically costs between $600 and $2,000. Restumping usually does not need one. We tell you up front whether your job requires an engineer so the cost is never a surprise, and both restumping and underpinning need a building permit in Victoria, which we handle for you.
Extra costs to expect
| Work | Indicative range | Priced |
|---|---|---|
| Structural engineer report Needed when the cause is structural. We tell you up front if your job requires one. | $600 – $2,000 | one-off |
| Building permit Restumping and underpinning are permitted building works in Victoria. We handle the paperwork. | $500 – $1,500 | one-off |
These are indicative Melbourne market ranges to help you plan, not a quote. Your exact fixed price is confirmed in writing after a free on-site inspection, once we have counted the stumps or piers and checked the soil and access.
What are the disadvantages or alternatives to underpinning?
Underpinning is disruptive and not cheap, and the wrong method can fail to reach stable ground. Sometimes it is not even the right fix: a home on stumps needs restumping, not underpinning, and a home whose footings are sound but whose floors have dropped may only need house re-levelling. The way to avoid an expensive mistake is a proper diagnosis first, which is exactly what a free inspection gives you.
How to avoid overpaying and spot a bad quote
A trustworthy quote is itemised and fixed. Watch for these red flags:
- A price given over the phone without an inspection.
- Day-rate or hourly pricing with no fixed total.
- No stump or pier count written down.
- Permits and engineer costs left out, then added later.
- Pressure to sign today, or scare tactics about your home falling down.
A fixed written quote, with the count spelled out and permits included, is your protection. That is how we quote every job.
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