Are you considering underpinning your home? We’ll remove all the guesswork by addressing the elephant in our room: cost – important link!
Imagine that your foundation is the stage of a Broadway show. You can bet that the performance will suffer if your stage creaks. Giving your home that extra boost it needs is what’s needed to keep it standing. Let’s take a look at this financial performance scene by scene.
Permit Roulette and Engineering fees
Permits, permits, permits. It’s like that extra guac you put on your burrito. It was unexpected and painful. These permits can cost between $500 and $1,500 depending on the city or county. Next, you’ll need engineers. One will be needed to survey the site and another for approval of your project planning. This can cost you an additional $1,000 to $3,000 per engineer. Engineers are necessary, whether you like them or not.
The Budget is dominated by Material Costs
Concrete, steel beams and labor are all expensive. Concrete costs between $100 and $150 per cubic yard. Imagine you needing 10 cubic yard, that would be easily over a thousand dollars. Expect to pay around $200 for each foot of steel beams.
Human Factor in Labor
No underpinning is complete without muscle. The cost of labor is usually between 40 and 60% of the total. Skilled workers don’t only dig holes, they create the supporting cast of your structure. You could pay between $50 and $100 per hour for each worker, depending on the contractor.
The Unexpected: Logistics and Surprises
Transporting all these materials is not free. Just when you think that you have it all figured out, you find something unexpected. You might find an underground stream or hit a solid rock. Budget an extra 10-20% to cover these curveballs.