Basement Underpinning Burlington

Looking for a cost-effective way to increase your living space without the hassle of building an addition? Struggling with a perpetually leaky basement and the constant threat of mould? In this case, the basement underpinning process may be right for you.

Underpinning a house lets you increase your living space, boost your property value, and often fixes issues such as chronically damp basements. The basement lowering process is a highly technical process that involves systematically removing and replacing your old foundation with a stronger, updated one. This procedure works well for converting hard-to-access crawl spaces into useful storage, turning a basement into a comfortable living space, and gives you the opportunity to address foundation issues your building has. You can also increase the load-carrying capacity of a thin foundation, in case you’re planning to add a second story at some point.

You’re in good company when choosing MAGCOR to be your underpinning contractor. We’ve built a reputation for excellence and transparency throughout the area. Homeowners appreciate our unbiased approach and attentive customer service, while contractors, engineers, and architects value our professionalism and easy working relationship. Our award-winning team includes underpinning specialists that handle everything from permits and inspections to demolition and construction. We’re licensed, insured, and stand by our work with a rock-solid warranty.

Do you have any question?
Feel free to contact us anytime.

Benefits of Basement Underpinning

Extra Living Space with Less Hassle Than Building Additions

Choosing an addition for your home is a long, challenging, and expensive process that often feels like a never-ending stream of problems and expenses. You aren’t simply popping on a new room; you’re building a separate structure and tying it into the original house. Every part of this process, from permits to clean-up, is more expensive and takes longer when compared to an underpinning project, which is generally carried out in only four to six weeks. Since lowering your basement deals with your existing foundation and load-bearing walls, it’s, in many ways, easier to accomplish.

Increase Your Home’s Property Value

With a damaged foundation or a cramped crawlspace, your house could look less like an investment and more like a money pit to potential buyers. Increase the sale price of your home by taking the time to fix any existing foundation issues, address waterproofing and drainage problems, and eliminate conditions that invite mould and moisture into your home. A house with a nicely finished game room or mother-in-law suite has a substantial edge over properties with meagre belowground storage, dark basements, and fixer-uppers with structural deterioration.

Reinforce Your Foundation

Foundations develop problems for a multitude of reasons. Over time, materials naturally degrade, and the soil your house is built on will tend to settle or subside. Seasonal extremes stress the structural integrity of your foundation, leading to cracks and leaks. Poor drainage around your house is another problem, causing the dirt surrounding your basement and foundation to become waterlogged, putting extra pressure on the critical components that keep your home standing tall.

Modern Waterproofing Techniques Give Superior Protection

The key to a dry basement is water management. Water intrusion, whether in the form of subtle damp moisture or flooding, causes damage to the contents of your basement and compromises the strength and stability of your foundation and load-bearing walls. Water can travel through concrete block walls, seep upward through cracks in your foundation, and pour in through windows and vents. Modern waterproofing techniques work to effectively manage water that enters your basement. High-tech membranes and appropriately sized drainage channels placed along your interior walls keep water moving toward the sump pump and out of your basement.

Easily Upgrade Your Outdated Plumbing, Wiring, and Insulation

Streamline the process of replacing worn-out wiring and old plumbing by rolling it into your basement lowering project. These systems are already going to be exposed during the underpinning process, so you don’t have to pay extra for labour to access them like you will if you wait until a later date – it’s the ideal time to upgrade your insulation. Making your basement more energy efficient will save money in the long run by dropping your heating bill. Updating critical systems in your basement is also a significant point in your favour when potential buyers are considering whether or not to buy your home over another.

Increased Headroom and Better Lighting

No one likes the feeling of a cramped, gloomy basement, especially if it’s being used as a living space. Over the course of your foundation underpinning project, wall space is naturally increased, offering you the chance to either enlarge existing windows or add more to your basement. Taller ceilings give you better overhead lighting options, making the entire space much more inviting. Your architect or underpinning company can help advise you on the optimal place to put additional lighting and windows for maximal effect.

The Permit Process Is Often Less Expensive and Complicated Than Building an Addition

The permit and approval process for underpinning is often faster and less expensive than if you’re trying to get permits for an addition. Naturally, the size of your project directly affects how expensive your permits will be and has a direct effect on the length of time needed to get approval to move ahead with your plans. On average, you might pay a few thousand dollars to get permits and approval for a Burlington underpinning job, while traditional additions may run you upwards of $4,000 to $10,000 for permits and architectural drawings. That’s before you’ve even started the work.

Do you have any question?
Feel free to contact us anytime.

Hire an Experienced Burlington Underpinning Contractor

Our dedication to customer service is unparalleled, and the quality of our work is trusted by homeowners and contractors alike. Our friendly, courteous crews have the training and experience to safely carry out even the most complicated basement underpinning jobs. We use only the highest quality materials and adhere strictly to industry best practices. Our prices are competitive, and we won’t hesitate to stand behind our work.

Award-winning Underpinning Company
Crews Are Fully Licensed and Insured
We Use the Highest Quality Materials
High-Tech Equipment and Modern Methods
Industry-Standard Best Practices
Fair Prices at Competitive Rates
Solutions Geared Toward Your Needs, Not Profits
All Work Warrantied

About Burlington

Burlington is located in the Golden Horseshoe on the southwestern edge of Lake Ontario, approximately halfway between Niagara Falls and Toronto. Burlington is home to about 190,000 residents occupying about 75,000 private dwellings across 187 square kilometres.

While Burlington shares its continental climate with Southern Ontario, its proximity to Lake Ontario moderates its winter weather. Due to its humid climate, Burlington receives about 30 inches of rain and 39 inches of snow annually. However, despite the frequent precipitation in Burlington, underpinning services are still available mostly year-round.

The City Of Burlington issues building permits for underpinning projects, demolition work, and other residential construction projects. However, you will first need a Consolidated Pre-Building Permit, which includes a Zoning Clearance Certificate. This pre-construction permit ensures each project will be correctly zoned for its intended purpose.

You can also call a Permit Technologist from the Building and By-law Department of Burlington at 905-335-7731 for information – a Permit Technologist will perform a plan review and advise you on how best to abide by your various regulations.

If your Pre-Building Permit is not approved, you will need to submit changes to your project plan before a permit will be issued. To attain compliance, submit an application to the Committee of Adjustment. The Committee of Adjustment will review your application and may issue a minor variance, allowing the project to proceed.

You will also need to provide documentation about your project, such as:

Cost to Build
Location (street address and regional municipality)
Duration of the Project
Project Drawings (can be created by the homeowner, as long as clearly legible).

How Much Does It Cost to Underpin Your Basement in Burlington?

Building owners in Burlington can expect to pay about $80.00- $350.00 per square foot for an underpinning project. While each project will be slightly different, most underpinning projects performed in Burlington will cost between $15,000 and $30,000 in total.

Residents of Burlington are not required to hire a professional, such as an architect or structural designer, to create their required drawings – if you prefer, you can save money by providing these basic drawings yourself. However, keep in mind that Burlington relies on the Ontario Building Code, so any drawings submitted must contain enough detail to satisfy building code requirements.

To submit your application, you can access the portal directly: the City of Burlington accepts building applications online only, meaning all of your documentation must be in a digital form for submission. If your permit is approved, the city will email you an amount to pay for your permit fee.