How Long Does Underpinning Take? (And Can I Stay Home While You Work?)

Jul 16, 2026

Have you just been told your home needs underpinning? You’ve probably got two questions running through your mind: How long is this going to take? Do I need to move out while it happens? These are both fair questions.

Underpinning isn’t a quick fix. It’s structural work with machinery, excavation and tradespeople getting involved around your home. It can feel daunting, a little invasive, or you might feel you being home is getting in their way.

Luckily, there’s a silver lining. For most homes, the process is less disruptive than you’d think, and staying home is actually possible. In this article we’ll lay out what the timeline is like and what factors can change it, and what the days look like when work is underway.

What Affects How Long Underpinning Takes

A typical house underpinning project in Melbourne can take roughly anywhere up to 8 weeks depending on the size of the project, the severity of the problem and any specific engineering issues that may arise. Weather can even play a role, and with Melbourne’s reputation for having four seasons in one day, it is a big one to take into consideration.

The method used for underpinning, such as resin injection, can take just a few days. This is much faster than more traditional methods such as concrete underpinning, which requires time for excavation, pouring and concrete curing.

Access to the site can have an impact on the timeline. Restricted access and narrow laneways, such as those in Richmond and Fitzroy, can hinder the movement of heavy machinery, and require more manual labour to achieve.

For big work on homes such as underpinning, permits and inspections are required. Getting sign offs on all inspections and permits from councils can take a while, and no two councils are the same.

As mentioned, weather is a factor. Heavy rains and extreme heat both affect the soils differently and impact how the excavations go or can extend the concrete curing times.

The Underpinning Process, Step by Step (With Rough Timeframes)

Underpinning is a significant engineering undertaking to stabilise a house and repair a home’s foundations. It needs to be done right, in a thorough, step-by-step process. This can take anywhere up to 8 weeks. Here is a run down of what the different parts of the process are, and how long they can take.

Stage 1: Assessment, Engineering and Permits (roughly the first week)

Before any equipment arrives, the team needs to understand exactly what’s happening beneath your home.

• Soil and site testing. Test bores are drilled to assess soil composition and locate stable, load-bearing ground.
• Structural inspection. Floor levels are checked, existing cracking is documented, and the underlying cause of the movement is identified.
• Engineering and permits. Engineering drawings are finalised and the relevant council permits are obtained before any physical work can begin.

Stage 2: Preparing and Supporting the Site (a couple of days)

With the assessment complete, the property is made ready and temporarily secured.

• Clearing access. Furniture may need to be shifted, floorboards lifted, or sections of the existing footing exposed.
• Temporary support. Jacks or props are installed to carry the weight of the affected walls while excavation gets underway, keeping the structure stable throughout.

Stage 3: Excavation and Underpin Installation (the bulk of the project – typically two to three weeks)

This is where most of the timeline is spent, and it’s a deliberately staged process rather than one continuous dig.

• Staged excavation. Small sections are dug out beneath the existing footing at a time (commonly just over a metre wide), never all at once.
• Steel and concrete. Reinforcement is set into each section before concrete is poured to form the new support point.
• Curing time. Each new section needs roughly one to two days to cure before work can continue on the next, with untouched sections always left between active pours to keep the house properly supported throughout.
• Working around the perimeter. This dig-reinforce-pour-cure cycle is repeated section by section until the full area is supported.

Stage 4: Locking the Foundation Together (a few days)

Once every section has cured, the old and new foundations are joined.

• Dry packing. Any remaining gap between the new concrete and the original footing is packed tightly with a non-shrink grout or stiff sand-cement mix.
• Relevelling, where required. For screw piling or resin injection methods, this is often the stage where the structure is carefully lifted or adjusted back toward its original level.

Stage 5: Backfilling and Reinstatement (the final few days)

The last stage returns the site to normal.

• Backfilling. Trenches are filled back in with soil or compactable fill.
• Site clean-up. Equipment is cleared away and any disturbed paths, paving, or landscaping are reinstated.

Cosmetic repairs. Once the structure has settled and stabilised, finishing touches like crack patching, door rehanging, or repainting can go ahead.

Can I Stay Home While the Work Is Done?

In most cases, yes, you can stay home while the underpinning work is being done. The work is usually done in small, secure sections around the exterior of the house, so you can continue living on the interior of the house.

There can sometimes be noise disruptions or some dust and irritants in the air. The resin injection, which Vic Metro likes to use, is quiet and you can stay home with very little disruptions.

Traditional concrete underpinning has small excavations and concrete pouring, so there could be some vibration and concrete dust and dirt in the air for a little while.

There could be some restricted access in the work zone around your home, with fenced off areas and possible large vehicles on site.

In rare instances you may have your water or electricity shut off for some time, but we would let you know if this was going to happen so it wouldn’t be an inconvenient surprise.

If you have small children or pets who may be sensitive to some noise, you may want to consider leaving for the day. Or if the underpinning involves major work, such as major floor lifting or need for interior access, then you may also consider leaving for the day.

Speak to the Vic Metro team prior to the big project starting, and they can give you an idea of the schedule, and what days may be the best for you to not be home for the day

Why Some Properties Take Longer Than Others (Eltham, Box Hill & Ivanhoe)

Under different conditions, some underpinning jobs may take a little longer than others. Suburbs like Box Hill, Ivanhoe and Eltham are all prime examples of different, localised conditions that can change the length of time on a project.

• Property Age. Older homes, such as those in Ivanhoe, might need more extensive work, utility lines relocated or HVAC modifications done. This can make the whole project run longer and the disruption more significant.
• Soil Type. Box Hill has reactive clay soil, while Eltham has highly reactive clay soil. This implies that working on homes in Eltham could take longer because the ground can shift and change much more dramatically than in Box Hill.
• Eltham has hilly terrain and a high instance of native gum trees. This means leaf litter is high and the root systems of the trees can be extensive. Underpinning could involve strategies to remove invasive root systems.
• Box Hill is rapidly developing with townhouses and apartments going up at a rapid rate of knots. The local clay soil and high water tables can demand deep piercing underpinning jobs to help steady larger projects.

The Bottom Line on Underpinning Timelines

Underpinning is not an overnight job, but it’s not a month-on-month imposition either. Most projects wrap up within a few weeks to two months, with the method of underpinning, council red tape and soil type all featuring in that time line.

The good news is, you don’t have to put your life on hold and find a hotel to move into while we work on your home. With a staged approach and a clear plan from Vic Metro Underpinning, you will know if there are any days that you would need to be out of the home while work is being done.

If your home is showing signs of movement, cracks in the walls, windows and doors that jam shut or are tough to open, get in touch with Vic Metro Underpinning for a free structural assessment, and a timeline on how long repairs would take.