Underpinning in Brisbane — questions and answers
Short answers on what underpinning involves in Brisbane: who may do the work, what Council counts it as, which cracks matter, and how enquiries here are handled. The answers cite Brisbane City Council, QBCC and CSIRO, and this site sets no prices.
Call (07) 3523 1792Cost
How much does underpinning cost in Brisbane?
This site sets no price, and none of the government sources we read publishes one. Two businesses publish bands that differ widely and describe different methods; the costs page gives both, with the dates they were read.
Why do quotes for the same house differ so much?
Because the work is not always the same job. A quote turns on the cause, how much of the house has moved, how the footing can be reached and which method the provider uses, and CSIRO says remediation of footings is generally a specialist consultant's work. Ask each provider what cause its quote assumes.
Underpinning in Brisbane
Five things to check before you agree to underpinning
What a homeowner can measure or ask about before signing, each with the published figure behind it.
Measure the crack
5 mm
the crack width QBCC uses to separate a wall crack that is easily filled from one that may mean the wall is replaced
QBCC treats some cracks as routine maintenance and says others should be investigated for their cause.
Source: QBCC, Protect against subsidence · read
Test the floor against a straight edge
15 mm
the floor deviation over a 3 m straight edge that QBCC calls not acceptable
QBCC's test is the deviation from a straight edge centred over the defect, not how the floor looks from the doorway.
Source: QBCC, Protect against subsidence · read
Ask whether the dig needs approval
1 m
of land filled or excavated for a building or structure is where Brisbane City Council says building approval starts
Council also classes digging directly related to underpinning as building work, and points to a licensed building certifier for the approval.
Source: Brisbane City Council, Filling and excavation · read
Ask for the licence
$3,300
the value of work at or below which Queensland's Regulation does not treat it as building work, unless an exception applies
Above that value the licence class for foundation work is the one that covers constructing underpinning.
Source: Queensland Building and Construction Commission Regulation 2018, Schedule 1 s 2 · read
Note how long the builder answers for it
6 years 6 months
the time after starting the work in which QBCC says a builder is responsible for fixing issues it caused
A complaint about building work goes to QBCC, which says it will assess it.
Source: QBCC, Protect against subsidence · read
Each figure names its source and the date it was read. QBCC and Council pages are guidance and the licensing rule is the Regulation's own; none is a quote for your house.
Process
Where does my enquiry go?
To one independent provider covering Brisbane, who gets in touch to see the house and quote. We are paid for passing it on. If no provider can take the job, we say so.
How do I check a contractor's licence?
Ask for the QBCC licence number, check it with QBCC, and make sure the class matches the work. The class that names underpinning is Foundation work (piling and anchors); restumping and resin injection have no class of their own.
Timing
How quickly can someone get to me?
We don't promise a time. It depends on the provider's bookings and on any approval the job needs.
Can I wait and watch a crack?
Sometimes. CSIRO says cracking from one-off settlement during construction usually stays as it is once the settling stops, while cracking from erosion or local shear usually keeps developing until the cause is fixed. Either way, it says monitoring cracks in walls and floors should always be treated seriously.
Permits and approvals
Does underpinning need Council approval?
Council classes digging directly related to underpinning as building work, and names a licensed building certifier for building approval. Filling or excavating more than one vertical metre for a building or structure needs building approval, and overlays can change the planning allowance for smaller amounts. Whether a particular job needs an approval turns on the job.
Source: Brisbane City Council, Filling and excavation page and Filling and excavation guideline (May 2026), read 21 September 2026
Service area
Which suburbs do you cover?
Anywhere in Brisbane City Council's area. Seven suburbs have a page, The Gap, Enoggera, Bald Hills, Bridgeman Downs, Murarrie, Coopers Plains and Coorparoo, each written around what the public record shows for it. Others, such as Greenslopes and Norman Park, are covered on the same terms.
Do you do the underpinning yourselves?
No. A marketing company runs this site and hands each enquiry to an independent local provider, who inspects, quotes and carries out the work. We hold no building licence and own no equipment.
Thanks — we have your enquiry. Someone will be in touch shortly. Prefer to talk now? Call (07) 3523 1792.
Last reviewed · Updated · First published