Underpinning in Shepparton & the Goulburn Valley.
Stair-step cracks through the brickwork, doors out of square, a corner that has clearly dropped: that is a footing that has moved, not a stump that has rotted. We underpin the failed footing with engineered concrete piers or screw piles to reach stable ground and stop the movement. Engineer-designed, permit handled.
When a Shepparton home needs underpinning.
Underpinning is the fix for a home whose original footing has dropped. Where restumping deals with timber stumps under an older weatherboard, underpinning deals with the concrete strip footings or slab edges under brick, brick-veneer and slab-on-ground homes. When part of that footing settles, the wall above it cracks and the whole corner can drop out of square.
On the Goulburn Valley’s reactive clay this is a seasonal problem with a long memory. The heavy clay around Shepparton, Kialla and Tatura shrinks hard during a run of dry summers, pulling moisture from under the slab edge, and a footing that was placed too shallow follows the clay down. A wet winter then swells it again, but rarely all the way back. Over a few cycles the footing settles for good and the cracking becomes permanent.
How we underpin.
We work to a structural engineer’s design for your soil class. The two common methods around Shepparton are:
- Mass-concrete underpinning: we excavate beneath the failed footing in short, carefully sequenced sections and pour reinforced concrete down to firm ground below the active clay zone. The wall is never left unsupported.
- Screw-pile underpinning: galvanised steel screw piles are driven below the reactive zone and brackets transfer the footing load onto them. Useful where stable ground is deep, or where access is too tight for mass-concrete excavation.
A worked example.
A brick-veneer home in Kialla developed stair-step cracking above the front lounge window after three dry summers, with the corner down about 25mm. The engineer specified five mass-concrete piers along the affected wall. With engineering, the building permit and the pier work, the job came to roughly $13,500. The cracking stopped, and the cosmetic patch and repaint followed once the structure had stabilised. Compare that to the cost of letting it keep moving.
Underpinning is engineered, not guessed.
Because underpinning is structural building work it always carries a building permit and an engineer’s footing design under AS 2870. Anyone offering to underpin your home without engineering or a permit is cutting a corner that can void your insurance and fail at sale. We arrange the lot, including the inspections, and the numbers behind it are set out on our cost guide.
Common questions about underpinning.
What is underpinning and how is it different from restumping?
Restumping replaces the timber stumps under a stumped house. Underpinning strengthens and deepens an existing concrete footing under a brick, brick-veneer or slab home that has settled. We excavate beneath the failed footing in sections and pour mass concrete down to stable ground, or install screw piles, so the footing reaches below the reactive clay that is moving.
How do I know if my Shepparton home needs underpinning?
The classic sign is stair-step cracking through brickwork, usually wider at the top, near a corner or a window. Doors and windows that have gone out of square, gaps opening between the wall and the floor or ceiling, and cracks that keep growing through the seasons all point to a footing that has dropped. On the Goulburn Valley’s reactive clay this is common after a run of dry years.
How much does underpinning cost in Shepparton?
Underpinning is priced per pier, not per square metre. In 2026 around Shepparton, mass-concrete underpinning runs roughly $1,500 to $3,500 per pier, and screw-pile underpinning $1,200 to $2,800 per pier, depending on depth to stable ground and access. Most settled homes need underpinning along one affected wall or corner rather than the whole house.
Does underpinning need an engineer and a permit?
Yes. Underpinning is structural building work, so it needs a building permit and a footing design certified by a structural engineer for the site’s soil class under AS 2870. We arrange the engineering, lodge the permit with a registered building surveyor, and book the inspections so the work is documented for your records and any future sale.
Underpinning across the region.
Cracking getting worse?
Send photos of the cracks with your enquiry. We inspect free and tell you whether it is footing movement that needs underpinning or something cosmetic.