Restumping firms in Hobart
Hobart's weatherboard cottages and damp southern climate make rot the classic local stump-killer - often well advanced before the house visibly moves.
We have checked 4 licensed firms servicing Hobart: 3 offer underpinning, 2 offer foundation repair and 2 offer re-levelling. Between them they cover Hobart, Launceston and statewide Tasmania.
We do not publish firm names or contact details.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 Hobart
Check soft floors and probe stumps at ground level before anything else - wet-climate rot announces itself underfoot first. Heritage-listed streetscapes can constrain stump choices; the materials guide covers the like-for-like question.
Restumping or underpinning: which one do you need in Hobart?
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 Hobart, both trades work the same suburbs: Weatherboard cottages, a damp climate and stump rot that is often well advanced before the house visibly moves; heritage streetscapes can constrain what you replace stumps with. Get the diagnosis right before the quotes, or you will get three different diagnoses instead of three comparable prices.
Permits, licences and insurance in Tasmania
Tasmania has no dedicated rules page here yet. The three things to establish before you sign are the same as everywhere: whether the work needs a building permit through your council's permit authority (structural work usually does), that the contractor is a licensed builder you can check through CBOS, and that an engineer has specified the stump or footing design. Ask for all three in writing.
What it costs in Hobart
Hobart quotes span both trades: restumping at national per-stump rates, and underpinning at $10,000 to $40,000 typical. Regional pricing applies outside the city.
| 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 |
| 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 Hobart
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
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.
Can I get an inspection and a written assessment before committing to any work?
Yes, and for a brick veneer or an older house that is already moving it is the right first step. Ask for a subfloor inspection with floor levels taken and a written note of how many stumps are sound, rotted or sinking, before any price for the work. Some firms charge for the inspection and credit it against the job; some include it. Where brickwork is cracking rather than floors sloping, an independent engineer's report is the better assessment. When you use the form, say you want an inspection and written assessment first and the firms will quote on that basis.
Useful before you talk to anyone
Not ready to pick a firm?
Tell us about the problem instead - we'll match you with a licensed local firm.