When partial genuinely solves it
Partial restumping replaces only the stumps that have failed and leaves the rest in the ground. Done for the right reasons it is a legitimate repair, not a shortcut, and it genuinely solves the problem when three things line up.
First, the cause is localised. A leaking shower, a blocked downpipe or poor drainage along one side of the house can rot a cluster of timber stumps while the rest stay dry and sound. Fix the moisture, replace the cluster, and the repair holds. Our guide to why houses sink covers these localised causes in detail.
Second, the failures are genuinely isolated: a few stumps hit by termites, or damaged during other works, while an inspection under the floor shows the rest are solid under a probe and hammer test.
Third, the remaining stumps are younger or a different material. If the house was partly restumped in concrete twenty years ago and only the surviving original timber has now gone, replacing that timber simply finishes a job that was always going to happen in stages.
The same-age-stump trap
Here is the catch. Stumps go in as a cohort: same timber, same soil, same drainage, same year. They age as a cohort too. If your house still stands on all of its original 1950s stumps and ten have rotted through, the other fifty are the same age, in the same ground, made of the same material. They are not sound stumps. They are stumps that have not failed yet.
Partial restumping in that situation is postponement, not repair. It can be sensible postponement, if you are selling within a couple of years or saving toward the full job, but you should choose it knowingly. You will pay for site set-up, jacking and re-levelling twice, and the second visit rarely comes cheaper. If the warning signs reappear in a different corner within a few years, the cohort has answered the question for you.
If more than about a third of the stumps under the house have failed, price the full job before committing to a partial. At $500–$700 per stump, the gap between a large partial and a full restump is often smaller than homeowners expect.
How partial quotes should be structured
A good partial quote is built on a per-stump rate, usually $500–$700 supplied and installed for concrete, with steel adding $50–$150 per stump. Below about eight stumps, most contractors switch to a minimum call-out charge instead, because mobilising equipment, setting up jacks and re-levelling cost roughly the same whether they replace three stumps or eight. That is normal pricing, not gouging.
The quote should name the exact stumps being replaced, ideally on a numbered plan or marked photos, along with the replacement material, footing depth, whether re-levelling of the affected area is included, and who removes the old stumps and spoil. Vague “replace stumps as required” wording is how disputes start. Our guide to choosing a contractor covers the other checks, and it is worth comparing three quotes on an identical scope.
Levelling and matching the old stumps
New stumps must carry the bearer at the height the house actually sits, and on an older home that is rarely true level. Lifting one corner of a tired house back to a laser-flat line can open cracks in cornices and plaster elsewhere, because the rest of the structure has spent decades settling into its current shape. Experienced crews level the repaired section “to the house”, easing it up gently and packing to match its neighbours rather than forcing one corner proud. Even so, expect some minor cracking and a few doors needing adjustment; the restumping process guide explains what happens on the day.
Material matching matters too. Concrete or steel replacements set beside old timber will outlast their neighbours by decades, which is fine, provided everyone is honest that the timber goes next. Read up on stump types before you choose.
The honest framework is simple. If the cause was localised and has been fixed, partial restumping is a repair. If the stumps simply reached the end of their life together, it is a payment plan.
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Common questions
Can I replace just one or two stumps?
Yes, but expect a minimum call-out charge rather than a per-stump price. Set-up and jacking cost much the same for two stumps as for eight, so very small jobs usually land at a flat fee. You may do better if a contractor is already working nearby.
How long does partial restumping take?
Most 8–20 stump jobs take 1–3 days on site, compared with 7–9 days for a full restump. See how long restumping takes for the full breakdown.
Will partial restumping fix my sloping floors?
Only in the area being repaired. The crew re-levels the section above the new stumps; the rest of the house keeps whatever slope it has. Whole-of-house re-levelling is an outcome of a full restump.
Do I need a permit for partial restumping?
It depends on your state. Victoria generally requires a building permit for restumping work, while other states vary with the scope of the job. Check your state's rules in our regulations guides before work starts.