Many Australian homeowners choose concrete underpinners to keep the foundations and overall structure of their homes stable and strong. But the process of underpinning with concrete is lengthy, arduous and extremely expensive. The process costs homeowners upwards of $20,000 to $100,000 on average and makes the home uninhabitable for weeks on end. Using heavy machinery, massive holes need to be dug and filled with concrete almost every metre underneath the house. And this is before pins are even constructed under the footing with more concrete or steel.

Because of this, many underpinners throughout Australia don’t guarantee their work. This action implies a lack of confidence and an aversion to coming back to fix their work because of high cost and complexity when required. Below, we give 4 major reasons why it’s difficult to guarantee concrete underpinning and why underpinners rarely guarantee their work. And why you might want to think twice when considering concrete underpinning.

Building companies need to invest months to underpin a single home at a time. The investment of time, physical and monetary resources constitutes a massive outlay for that company. The method of underpinning is outdated and highly limiting which is why it is costly and time consuming. Many underpinners know that if they need to return to a home they’ve underpinned, they must charge for their work in order to come out ahead.

If you check the engineer’s reports and building company quotes, they often state that further cracks may likely return and that the house will subside further. All too often, a house needs to sink a bit further before it settles on a pin — which negates the underpinning work done in the first place. And when underpinners come back to fix their work, there’s always a high likelihood they’ll further weaken and damage the structure because they need to go digging under the house again.

The reality is, underpinning jobs aren’t completed to a high level of quality much of the time. Many underpinning jobs require that the building company come back in a few years’ time to make fixes. They’ll only want to come back if the 2-year guarantee has run out.

Underpinning with concrete requires many different types of companies. With multiple companies involved, determining what’s gone wrong, and who is responsible, can be very difficult for homeowners if subsidence continues.

Underpinning with concrete is not covered in Australian Standards. So with multiple companies involved, accountability is a constant challenge.

For many building companies, the pay-off for underpinning is short and small. For this reason, underpinning is usually only a small part of the overall building business. There isn’t much of a commitment because most underpinners just aren’t in it for the long run. And because they’re not in it for the long run, the depth of skill, knowledge, wisdom and confidence just isn’t there.

If you’d like more information give us a call on 1300 854 115 or book a FREE inspection today.