How Much Does It Cost to Underpin Your Basement in Toronto

Underpinning a basement is a process of reinforcing its structure and making it a safe, livable space. The cost of basement underpinning in Toronto ranges from around $85 to $450 per square foot. So, you might be looking at $10,000 to $20,000 for a basement space on the smaller side, like 150 square feet, or closer to $100,000 or beyond for a large one, like 1,500 square feet or more.

What is Included in Basement Underpinning?

The total underpinning cost in Toronto can vary from project to project but will typically include the following core components:

Consultation and Inspection

This is the first step of any underpinning project. One or more construction professionals from your renovation company will visit your house for a local inspection. They’ll take measurements, inspect the foundation, assess the desired height and square feet of the basement after underpinning, check the surrounding soil, check wall solidity and structure, and so on.

This is all done to figure out the specifics of your underpinning project prior to excavation and highlight any possible challenges or unique circumstances that may impact the way the project flows from that point on, such as the possible presence of structural damage that needs repairing or the need for additional basement waterproofing.

The price of this will usually be included in the overall quote for your basement underpinning.

Planning and Permits

It’s almost inevitable that you’ll need a building permit before you start to excavate or undertake any kind of construction work related to basement underpinning for your Toronto property, like lowering the floor or adjusting the crawlspace.

Building permit costs for Toronto basement underpinning range from $2,000 to $3,000. That includes the cost of possible third-party inspections of your property to check that everything is above board and the site is suitable for excavation and construction, and you may need several of these inspections as the underpinning project proceeds.

Excavation

Excavation regularly makes up a large part of the total cost of basement underpinning. This is because it’s essentially the crux of the entire process – engineers and contractors usually have to excavate a lot of soil and debris around the foundation of the property to make space for the underpinning.

This involves a lot of time, labor, effort, and a range of specialist equipment, including heavy machinery that is needed to dig out the dirt and debris. The deeper into the ground you need to go for basement lowering, to extend the space in the basement and avoid excessively low ceilings, the more expensive it’ll end up being.

Average costs are between $100 and $200 an hour, and several days of excavation work may be needed, so the final cost quickly adds up.

Underpinning

Lastly, there’s the cost of the underpinning itself, and this can include various processes that form the overall task of underpinning, like benching (installing bench footings to add support to the walls), constructing new foundation segments underneath the existing ones, pouring in a fresh concrete slab, grout injection, adding a basement walkout, etc.

Costs for all of this can range from as low as $5 up to $20+ per square foot for typical concrete slab underpinning, or anywhere from $15 to $30+ per linear foot if you have screw pile underpinning. The end cost will depend on the overall size of the basement and the level of work that needs to be done during this phase.

Cost of Related Services To Basement Underpinning

There are various additional and usual optional services that you may require or opt for in addition to your basement underpinning project, such as:

• Basement Waterproofing: Ranges from $3,000 to $10,000. You may need to waterproof your basement if you live in a particularly damp area in order to guard against leaks, mold, and moisture buildup.
• Basement Plumbing: You may also need a plumbing upgrade or fresh plumb installation to your basement, such as new pipes, a sump pump to help prevent any flooding, installation of a drainage system, and so on. Expect $100 to $250 an hour for plumbers.
• Concrete Polishing: If you want the smoothest, neatest finish for your basement concrete floor, you’ll want to have it polished. This process can add an extra $3 to $10 per square foot to the total cost of the underpinning but provides an impressive finishing touch.
• Window Well Installation: You may also want to have a new window, or multiple windows, installed as part of your basement remodelling job. This involves fitting new window wells and installing the frames and panes in place, up to $2,000 per window.
• Load-Bearing Wall Removal: You may also like to have a load-bearing wall removed for your basement to open up the space for a more open-plan area if you want to use it as a living space or guest suite. This can cost upwards of $5,000 per wall.

Factors Affecting The Cost Of Basement Underpinning

A huge range of factors can impact the costs of basement underpinning, such as:

• Accessibility to the work: On a site where heavy equipment cannot be accessed, manual excavation may be required, significantly increasing labour costs.
• Foundation type: A property that requires the pile method due to unstable soil will incur higher costs than a property that requires pouring concrete into stable ground conditions.
• Depth of excavation: The deeper the excavation, the higher the final cost, as it will take more time and effort to break through the layers of concrete and stone beneath the house.
• Materials: Using reinforced concrete instead of regular concrete can increase costs but may be necessary for highly loaded structures.
• Labour: The larger the scope of work and the more experienced professionals (plumbers, electricians, excavators) you hire, the higher the cost.
• Additional features: A basement with seeping water may require waterproofing and drainage systems to be installed before foundation work begins.
• Interior demolition: Semi-finished basements require additional demolition before foundation work, which increases time and labour costs
• Window cutting: Enlarging windows for egress or improved lighting increases material and labour costs, especially if structural modifications are required.

Cheaper Alternatives to Basement Underpinning

If the cost of basement underpinning seems too high or beyond your budget, you’ve got two possible alternatives to consider that should work out cheaper:

• Bench Footing: This can be a part of underpinning, or a simpler alternative to it. It involves installing footings that extend into the basement to lower the floor. The end space is smaller, but cheaper to make – an average of $50 to $250 per linear foot.
• Crawlspace Renovation: This is when a crawlspace is basically transformed into a basement-like space, but with higher ceilings, so some excavation is needed. Can cost $15,000 to $50,000.

Is Underpinning Worth It?

The answer to that varies from person to person and home to home, but underpinning is often a worthwhile investment for the following reasons:

• More Space: It gives you a whole new basement space to enjoy and use for various means, like an extra bedroom, a games room, a home gym, a workspace, etc.
• Adding Value: Obviously, having a whole extra usable space in your home makes it more valuable when it’s time to sell up and move on.
• No Zoning Limit Issues: Toronto has zoning laws that control the gross floor area of properties, but basements aren’t part of the calculation.
• Smarter than Extending: It’s much more cost effective and logical, most of the time, to underpin a basement rather than build a new extension or home addition.
• Solves Water Issues: Underpinning can fix various water-related issues in your basement, like excessive moisture or risk of leaks and floods.

Conclusion

All in all, basement underpinning in Toronto is a logical, value-adding option for a lot of homeowners in this Canadian city, and the total cost of your underpinning project can depend on a lot of different factors.

To get the best value for money, as well as premium results you can feel happy with and proud of, it makes sense to work with a trusted company, like CSG Renovation, with specialist pros that will help you enjoy the best basement renovation for a fair price.