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What Is the Cost of Underpinning a Basement?

There are many problems you may run into when you get a house for the first time, and one of them is underpinning a basement. When it comes to home ownership in the Toronto area, you should always have professional waterproofing contractors or even structural engineers you trust available if you need these kinds of services.

Investing in a basement underpinning process will not only help you overcome the current structural issue, but will also prevent further foundational problems down the road. This will also increase your house’s value if you want to sell it in the future. However, even if a waterproofing contractor tells you that your house needs basement underpinning, you need to know what the process is before hiring anyone to do it, so you know what to expect.

We are here to help you with that.

The first thing that most people wonder when they hear they need a basement underpinning is the cost of the whole process. It depends on many factors, such as the linear foot and square foot you need to cover for the process, but you can work out an average, that you can have in the back of your mind to avoid paying over-the-top prices for the project.

Dive into this page to know the average cost of basement underpinning processes and more general information about this service. If you want to underpin your basement floor, you can always count on Royal Work Corp for the getting the job done right.

What Is Underpinning?

Let’s cover the basics first. Underpinning, in a nutshell, consists of strengthening and stabilizing the foundation of a building or specific structure. In this case, your basement.

What is the Process of Underpinning a Basement?

  • Design Stage – With the initial evaluation completed and your goals established, we have a plan.
  • Site Preparation – After plans are complete and permits issued, the site must be prepared for construction.
  • Lowering the Basement – There are several methods for completing the underpinning process, depending on the purpose for the project
  • Finishing the Job Right – A waterproofing membrane is added to prevent water infiltration from the outside. The exposed foundation walls are backfilled.

People often do this to add more support to the existing foundation of their basement or to keep structural damage from happening in the future. If your basement needs underpinning and you ignore it, it may stop being a livable space in a few short months, as there will be more risks of accidents and other structural issues.

Here are some main reasons for underpinning a basement:

  • The original foundation isn’t strong or stable enough.
  • The usage of the structure has changed
  • The properties of the soil supporting the foundation may have changed
  • The construction of nearby structures necessitates the excavation of soil supporting existing foundations.
  • To increase the depth or load capacity of existing foundations to support the addition of another story to the building (above or below grade).
  • It is more economical, due to land price or otherwise, to work on the present structure’s foundation than to build a new one.
  • Natural Disasters, like… Earthquake, flood, drought or other natural causes have caused the structure to move

You don’t want your living space falling into pieces, so the best you can do in this situation is to hire a foundation expert to take care of everything for you. They will measure the square footage you will need to cover for the project and utilize the best techniques to stabilize your basement floor.

Additional Services Related to Underpinning

There are other additional services you can hire apart from underpinning that are closely related. Benching (bench footing) is one of them, and it consists of excavating sloped surfaces to create flat areas for construction to add more height to your basement. The same happens with basement lowering and foundation repair. Underpinning can help you with any issues your foundation may have, though.

However, if you want to undergo a full basement lowering project, you need to measure your basement and ceiling height. We also offer waterproofing services, if you ever need them, and they can be highly helpful depending on where you live.

We perform all our tasks considering the local building codes in Toronto & GTA and will also get the building permits we need for the job. You can also hire us for drain cleaning repair and other related building projects that cause basement water damage.

What Are the Benefits of Underpinning?

Regardless of its price, if done well, underpinning a basement will have many benefits. These are a few of the perks of investing in home improvements, when you complete the construction project

Structural Stability

Underpinning your basement will give your house more structural stability, which makes it safer at the end of the day. Sometimes, people hire underpinning services because their basement’s foundation is not able to bear the load of the whole house, so construction companies can handle it, install load-bearing walls, and even help you with a basement walkout.

Further Damage Prevention

Apart from the fact that it makes the whole place safer, underpinning a basement helps prevent further issues that could harm your family. Not underpinning a home structure in poor conditions will only make it fall to pieces, and if your home comes down like a house of cards, one of your family members could get injured in the process, regardless of your basement height.

It could also lead to other issues, such as structural instability, invasion of critters, and major water leaks. Even if the project is expensive, it will save you a lot of money in the long run.

Property Value Increase

We know that you may not be thinking of this if you just bought a new house, but a basement renovation like this, will give you way more value than you think. Depending on your type of basement, the price could go way higher. That will help you a lot if you want to sell your property in the future.

What Is the Cost of Underpinning a Basement?

The average cost of underpinning a basement depends on many things, but it can be expensive. If your basement is not too big, the least you will pay is $10,000. You can expect the highest to be up to $40,000 or more, but it shouldn’t go beyond that.

Workers consider the soil conditions, any additional space they need to cover, and the condition of the foundation walls to get the exact cost for the project. The complexity of jobs is the biggest factor to consider when trying to get to the final price.

In terms of complexity, the maximum would be a huge basement in poor conditions that needs emergency action or that even exposes the team to acid damage. However, this process is a reasonable investment considering it can keep further issues from happening and make a future renovation process easier and more affordable.

Environmental factors are also important. The average house has a simple basement, so a licensed engineer wouldn’t charge you much for it. Expensive houses, on the other hand, have other additional factors that make them more complex in terms of complexity.

Concerned about Foundation Problems? Underpin Your Basement Now!

Underpinning a basement for your house is an excellent idea if you think there’s a risk of the situation going worse, no matter what the investment. However, you must hire a foundational construction expert to inspect the place and tell you if it truly needs it.

If you are looking forward to hiring underpinning services, you should contact Royal Work Corp. We are more than willing to help you address any structural basement problems and provide you with other construction-related services.

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