Restumping & reblocking in Shepparton.
When the timber stumps under an older Goulburn Valley home perish, the floor sags, doors jam and cracks open. We remove the failed stumps and replace them with engineered concrete or galvanised steel, re-level the house, and leave you with a floor that stays put. Permit and inspections handled.
Why Shepparton homes need restumping.
Restumping (the modern word) and reblocking (the older Victorian word) describe the same job: lifting the house, removing the old stumps that support the bearers and joists, and setting new ones. Around Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kialla the vast majority of homes built before the early 1980s were stumped on red gum or other local hardwood. Red gum is tough timber, but after 40 to 70 years sitting in the damp reactive clay of the Goulburn Valley floodplain it rots at the ground line, splits along the grain, leans, or simply sinks into softened soil.
The result is a floor that no longer sits level. You feel it as a bounce or a slope underfoot, see it as a gap opening at the top of a doorframe, and hear it as a door that scrapes the jamb. Left long enough, the bearers themselves begin to sag between failed stumps and the cracking spreads through the plaster.
Concrete or galvanised steel.
Concrete stumps are the Goulburn Valley default: 100mm or 75mm square reinforced stumps set on a concrete pad footing, durable and cost-effective, and proven across the region for decades. Galvanised steel adjustable stumps cost more but let us fine tune the level over time, which earns its keep on the worst Class H clay sites near the rivers where ground movement is most pronounced. On most homes we use a sensible mix, and we explain the call on your job before you commit. See our stump replacement page for the material detail, or read the Shepparton restumping cost guide for the numbers.
A worked example.
A 1960s three-bedroom weatherboard in Mooroopna on 58 stumps came to us with a 40mm drop at the rear corner. Forty-one stumps were sound and seventeen had perished. A partial restump of the failed rows plus a full re-level, including the permit and engineer’s computations, landed at about $7,800. A full restump of all 58 stumps on the same home would have been closer to $16,000. The right answer depends on what the subfloor inspection actually finds, which is why the inspection is free and the quote is fixed.
We fix the cause, not just the stumps.
Stumps rot because the subfloor is damp and poorly ventilated. While we are under the house we clear blocked vents, improve cross-flow, and flag any drainage that channels water under the floor. If bearers or joists have gone soft we sort that too, covered on our subfloor repairs page. New stumps in a damp, unventilated subfloor are a short-term fix; we aim for a permanent one.
Common questions about restumping in Shepparton.
What is the difference between restumping and reblocking?
They are the same job under two names. Reblocking is the older Victorian term, dating from when stumps were timber blocks; restumping is the modern term. Both mean removing the old stumps under a house and replacing them with new concrete or steel stumps, then re-levelling the floor. Around Shepparton you will hear both words used for the same work.
How many stumps does a Shepparton home have?
A typical three-bedroom weatherboard home in Shepparton, Mooroopna or Kialla sits on 40 to 70 stumps, spaced roughly 1.2 to 1.8 metres apart along each bearer line. Larger homes, extensions and homes with a high subfloor can have 80 or more. We count every stump during the free inspection so the quote reflects your actual house, not an average.
Can I stay in the house during restumping?
In most cases yes. We replace stumps in staged sections so the home is always supported, and re-level as we go. You may hear jacking and feel minor movement, and internal doors or cornices can need small adjustments afterwards as the floor settles to level. We let you know if any part of the job needs you out of a particular room for a day.
Will restumping fix my cracked plaster and sticking doors?
Usually yes, once the floor is brought back to level and locked off. Cracks that opened because one corner of the house dropped tend to close up. Hairline gaps may still need a cosmetic patch and repaint, and doors planed to fit a sloping frame may need re-hanging. We point out what to expect before we start so there are no surprises.
Restumping across the Goulburn Valley.
Free restumping inspection.
We crawl the subfloor, count the stumps, and tell you what is sound and what is not. Free, no obligation.