What stumps do
A stumped house doesn't sit on the ground — it sits on dozens of individual posts, each set into the soil and carrying a share of the building's weight up through bearers and joists to the floor. This is how most Australian weatherboard homes, Queenslanders and many older brick veneer houses were built, because it's economical, handles sloping blocks, and keeps timber floors away from damp ground.
The arrangement works for decades — until individual stumps stop holding their share. Then that section of the house settles, and everything above it lets you know: cracks open in the walls, floors go off level, doors start sticking.
Why stumps fail
Three causes account for nearly all of it. Rot and termites: original hardwood stumps last roughly 15–80 years depending on timber, drainage and soil; below ground they decay invisibly, so a stump can look fine at floor level and be mush at the base. Soil movement: much of urban Australia sits on reactive clay that swells wet and shrinks dry, so long dry spells and poor drainage make stumps sink or lift unevenly — this is why enquiries spike after droughts and wet winters (why houses sink). Undersized or shallow footings: older stumps were often set on little more than a sole plate, and heavier modern loads (tiled roofs, extensions) can exceed what they were placed to carry.
Full or partial restump?
If failure is localised — a wet corner near a leaking downpipe, say — replacing 8–20 stumps can be all the house needs. But stumps of the same age tend to fail together, so most contractors will tell you honestly when a partial job is just postponing the full one. A full restump replaces every stump and re-levels the house in one operation, which is also the moment to fix subfloor drainage and upgrade to concrete or steel stumps that won't repeat the problem.
What the job involves
The house is jacked in small, controlled lifts while old stumps come out and new ones go in — from underneath, with the house occupied in most cases. A typical full restump runs seven to nine days; a partial job one to three. The process guide walks it day by day, and in most states the work needs a permit and a registered contractor (check your state).
What it costs
Around $500–$700 per stump supplied and installed, and roughly $15,000–$30,000 for a typical full house, driven mainly by access under the floor, stump count and material. The cost guide breaks down the ranges and the levers, so quotes make sense when they arrive.
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Common questions
How do I know if my house is on stumps?
If there's a crawl space under the floor, ventilation grilles in the base of the walls, or steps up to the front door of an older timber home, it's almost certainly stumps. Timber floors that flex slightly underfoot are another giveaway. Solid, ground-level concrete floors mean slab — head to the underpinning pillar instead.
Is restumping the same as reblocking?
Yes — identical job. Reblocking is simply the Melbourne and Victorian word for it, from the days when houses sat on red-gum blocks. The terminology explained.
Can I live in the house while it's restumped?
Usually yes. The house is lifted only millimetres at a time and services stay connected, though expect noise, some plaster cracking and a few days without a level floor. How long it takes.
Does restumping add value?
It protects value more than it adds it: an un-restumped house with visible movement scares buyers and building inspectors, and lenders can baulk. A documented restump with a permit and warranty removes that discount — relevant if you're buying or selling a house that needs it.