Restumping & house raising firms in Brisbane
Brisbane restumping is its own craft: Queenslanders and highsets on tall stumps, subtropical rot and termites, and the ever-present option of raising the house while you're at it.
We have checked 5 licensed firms servicing Brisbane & Ipswich: 5 offer restumping, 4 offer house raising and 2 offer house sliding. Between them they cover Brisbane, Ipswich, Bayside, the Lockyer Valley and out to both coasts.
We do not publish firm names or contact details. Every firm behind this page is a real business we have checked against its own published details. Tell us what is happening with the house and we match you with one of them. You get their introduction by email; reply to it and they quote you, so you are not ringing around.
Restumping in Brisbane
Straight restumping tracks the national range, but Brisbane's signature job is raise-and-restump - lifting the house to legal height for a build-under. That's engineering and council territory, so check Queensland's rules and make sure any firm quoting holds the right QBCC licence class for raising, not just restumping.
Restumping or underpinning: which one do you need in Brisbane and Ipswich?
The symptom tells you which trade to call. Sloping or bouncy floors, doors and windows sticking, and gaps opening between floor and skirting point to failed stumps under a timber-framed house: that is restumping (reblocking in Victoria). Stepped cracks in brickwork, cracks that widen with the seasons, and a slab home pulling away from its footings point to footing movement: that is underpinning. Our guides on the signs of failed stumps and the signs of subsidence walk through each, and restumping vs reblocking vs underpinning settles the terminology.
In Brisbane and Ipswich, stumps are the usual story: Queenslanders and post-war highsets on timber stumps, with termites, rot and reactive clay all in play, plus a raise-and-restump culture unique to the state. If you are thinking about a raise as well, that is engineered work with building approval, and it belongs in the same conversation as the restump, not after it. See house raising and raise and restump costs.
Permits, licences and insurance in Queensland
Who needs a QBCC licence. In Queensland, anyone contracting to carry out building work worth more than $3,300 (materials, labour and GST included) must hold a licence from the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC). A full restumping job runs $15,000-$30,000, so every legitimate restumping or house-raising contractor you speak to should be licensed. There is no single licence class called "restumper": most firms hold a Builder licence (typically low rise), and some hold or subcontract to the specialist trade class Foundation work (piling and anchors), which covers underpinning and installing structural support. Ask which class the company holds, then verify it yourself on the free QBCC online licence register at qbcc.qld.gov.au before you sign anything.
When building approval is needed. Queensland handles building approvals differently to the southern states: they are issued by private building certifiers, not the council (councils handle planning matters). Restumping a whole house is building approval territory, and your contractor will normally arrange the certifier as part of the quote. There is a limited exemption for genuine like-for-like repairs, where replacing a small proportion of stumps over time can proceed without approval, but the thresholds are fiddly and councils interpret them differently, so check with a private certifier before assuming your job is exempt. Budget roughly $800-$2,000 for approval and certification on a full job. Our regulations hub compares how each state handles this.
Raising, height changes and flood areas. Raising a house is never exempt. Any change to floor height needs building approval, engineering design by a registered professional engineer, and soil testing, because you are creating a new structural arrangement rather than repairing an old one. Planning approval may also come into it: most Queensland planning schemes cap house height, and raising into that limit or in a character-housing area can trigger a planning application, so ask your certifier or council early. In flood-mapped areas, councils set minimum habitable floor levels, and raising above the flood line is one of the most common reasons Queenslanders lift their homes. Our house-raising guide walks through the process, and raise-and-restump costs covers the $30,000-$70,000+ budget range.
Home warranty insurance. The Queensland Home Warranty Scheme is compulsory for residential construction work worth more than $3,300. Your contractor pays the premium to the QBCC before work starts and passes the cost on through the contract price. The scheme protects you if the contractor dies, disappears or goes broke, and covers defective work within set periods. You should receive confirmation that the premium has been paid; if a contractor on a $20,000 restump has not mentioned it, that is a red flag worth raising directly with the QBCC.
Full detail, including the checklist: the Queensland rules explained.
What it costs in Brisbane and Ipswich
A straight restump runs $15,000 to $30,000 for a full house. A raise and restump is a different job: $30,000 to $70,000 or more, with engineering and building approval on top.
| Job | Typical range 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single stump replaced | $500 - $700 | Minimum call-out often applies below about 8 stumps |
| Partial restump (8 to 20 stumps) | $4,000 - $12,000 | Common where one wet corner has failed |
| Full restump, weatherboard | $15,000 - $25,000 | Typically 40 to 60 stumps |
| Full restump, brick veneer | $20,000 - $30,000 | Heavier loads, more careful jacking |
| Raise and restump | $30,000 - $70,000+ | Engineering and building approval required |
| Underpinning, typical residential | $10,000 - $40,000 | Single corner can be under $10,000; whole perimeter on poor soil over $60,000 |
| Mass concrete underpinning | $2,000 - $5,000 per metre | A settled corner is often 3 to 6 metres |
| Screw piles | $3,000 - $7,000 per pile | A corner might need 2 to 4 piles |
| Resin injection | $8,000 - $25,000 per problem | Soil-dependent; insist on a soil test first |
| Engineer's assessment and design | $600 - $2,500 | Get it before the quotes for underpinning |
Full breakdowns: restumping costs, underpinning costs, when a partial restump is enough.
Getting quotes you can compare
A quote you can compare states the method, the extent (number of stumps, or metres, piles or zones for underpinning), the stump material, size and founding depth or the depth to bearing, who obtains the permit and whether its cost is included, the insurance that applies, what happens to cracks afterwards, and the warranty in writing. A number produced in the driveway without a look under the floor or an engineer's report is a guess, and the cheapest guess is the one that costs you later.
- Which licence or registration do you hold, and can I check it on the register?
- Is the permit your responsibility, and is it in this price?
- What stump material, size and founding depth are you quoting, and why?
- Have you priced against the engineer's report, or your own diagnosis?
- What is the warranty, and what insurance sits behind it if you close down?
- How many days on site, and will the house be habitable throughout?
More in choosing a contractor and what the process looks like.
Get matched with a firm servicing Brisbane & Ipswich
One form, no phone tag. We email you the matched firm's introduction; reply to it and they respond directly with an itemised quote.
Common questions
Can any restumper raise a house?
No - raising needs specific licensing, engineering and approvals beyond like-for-like restumping. Firms that do both are common in Brisbane, but confirm the licence class covers the raise.
Do I need an engineer's report before getting quotes?
For underpinning, yes: it is the only way to get three comparable prices instead of three diagnoses, and most reputable underpinners want one anyway. For a straightforward restump of a timber-framed house, an experienced restumper's subfloor inspection is usually enough, but any change of stump material or founding depth should be specified in writing.
How many quotes should I get, and how do I compare them?
Two or three, all priced against the same information. Send each firm the same description, photos and, for underpinning, the same engineer's report. Then compare method, extent, materials and depth line by line, not just the total. A quote that is much lower than the others has usually left something out.
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