Address
82 Advance Rd., Etobicoke, ON M8Z 2T7
Phone
(416) 887-8833
Foundation underpinning is a complicated process, and it’s important to choose an underpinning contractor with the experience, expertise, and reputation to give you a finished product you can count on. MAGCOR offers quality craftsmanship, a transparent work process, and an unparalleled safety record. MAGCOR’S award-winning team of underpinning specialists handles everything from permits to clean-up.
If you’ve outgrown your current living space and are looking for a cost-effective way to add more square feet to your home, we can help. Foundation underpinning not only gives you more elbow room. Whatever your reason for underpinning your basement, we’re here to help. MAGCOR makes it possible for you to build the future you envision.
We take pride in delivering projects within budget and on time. We’ve built a reputation for excellence and trustworthiness, which means we’re the go-to choice for homeowners, contractors, renovators, and companies. Our teams are well-trained and knowledgeable, with dedicated technicians and safety advocates to ensure the project runs smoothly.
While we work hard to give clients the most cost-effective options, we never cut corners on a job or use low-quality materials. MAGCOR is one of Toronto’s leading underpinning companies, and our dedication to outstanding customer service and a culture of open communication means you can trust your job is our top priority, and that we’ll be with you every step of the way.
Basement underpinning, often referred to as basement lowering, gives you more liveable space in your basement. It also fixes problems with your foundation and increases your home’s structural integrity. People choose to lower basements for a variety of reasons besides giving themselves more living space. They may also go through the basement underpinning process to strengthen the foundation so that it will support a second-floor addition, or as a cost-effective way to increase living space by building down.
The basement lowering process is carefully orchestrated by a team of experts and involves securely supporting your home or building, excavating the dirt in your crawlspace or under your concrete slab, pouring new concrete footers, adding walls, and installing a new floor.
There are four main advantages you get out of foundation underpinning. The most important thing you get out of this type of project is that it’s a cost-effective way to increase your home’s liveable square footage. The second advantage is that you have a chance to repair structural damage to the foundation caused by age, weather extremes, poor construction techniques, or cracking due to soil subsidence. Third, you’ll automatically get more headspace and a better quality living space in your basement. Finally, you’ll have the opportunity to make important upgrades and modernizations, such as adding radiant heat flooring or updating old wiring.
MAGCOR Demolition has the experience, technology, and skilled crews to handle any basement underpinning job, no matter how complex. Our process relies on open communication and transparent steps, so you always know what’s going on at every stage. We’re advocates for our clients, helping them find options and solutions that suit their needs and accommodate their budgets.
No. It will weaken your home or building’s structural integrity. Lowering a basement floor without adequate underpinning is like building a house without a foundation. No qualified, insured basement lowering contractor will agree to lower a basement without properly underpinning your foundation. To do anything else in an effort to cut costs risks the complete or partial collapse of your house, and it’s likely to void any insurance payout that you might be eligible for.
It depends a lot on the complexity of your job and, of course, the weather. Generally speaking, the basement lowering process takes about four to six weeks to complete a basement underpinning project. The size of your basement and the area that needs underpinning greatly affect the length of the job. The depth of your underpin also plays an important role in how long your project is going to take. The deeper the dig, the longer it takes. If your slab is very thick or reinforced, it takes more time to remove the old floors, and power tools or specialized equipment may be needed. Easy basement access will streamline the job, while cramped access makes everything take longer.
Basement lowering is a complicated, disruptive process that demands precision and experience. While expensive, it improves the value of your house and gives you a better return on your investment. It can also pay for itself in additional income if you rent out a basement apartment.
With that being said, there are a few things to keep in mind before going forward with a basement lowering project. Consider what you want the end use of your basement to be. You may have to undergo basement underpinning to fix an unstable foundation, and that’s all you want to achieve. You might also see this as an opportunity to increase your living space. The ultimate end use will dictate things like the kind of insulation used, drainage options, and what fixtures will be installed.
Be sure you have an adequate budget to account for end use, appropriate waterproofing, additional fixtures, wiring, and drainage upgrades, along with getting the finish you want. Finally, make sure you choose basement lowering experts to partner with.
Using an inexperienced underpinning contractor or trying to turn it into a DIY project is a recipe for disaster. Without the expertise of experienced experts, you risk everything. Workers can unintentionally compromise your foundation and cause expensive damage down the line. Your house could completely collapse, causing injury or death to anyone in the building at the time. It could also damage nearby buildings.
You always want to choose a good weather window for your basement underpinning project. Pick a dry time of the year to minimize flood risk and make sure you time the job to finish up before bad weather moves in. Summertime is always a busy time of year for construction, which may make it take longer to get your permit approved, and high demand might drive up prices. Winter is often good for this kind of project, as long as you protect and heat up the foundation when pouring concrete.
Every basement underpinning project is different, so while we can give you a ballpark range of what to expect, you won’t know for sure until experienced estimators have assessed your project.
On average, you can expect to spend about $450 per linear foot to excavate your basement and around $80 per square foot for basement underpinning. You also need to spend $300 to $400 to get a structural engineering report and between $500 to $2,500 for a soil composition analysis. It generally costs $2,500 to $4,500 for a licensed architect and then you have the expense of your permit. Effective January 1, 2020, it will cost $11.43/linear metre in permit fees.