Re-stumping is one of those aspects of renovating that’s a bit of an unknown to a lot of people, and as such can be a bit scary. I’d like to give you a few pointers.
BY ANA STANKOVIC
When it comes to re-stumping I’d first like you to consider that an average home is likely to have around 90 to 100 stumps. This is something you might be able to just go and check for yourself. On average it costs around $70 to $80 per stump (material and labour) to get a house re-stumped so keep that in mind when getting quotes. You can pretty easily work out roughly what your job might cost by multiplying the number of stumps with a cost per stump. This figure will and should include the cost of getting a permit.
So what is the process?
Okay, first of all you’re likely to be getting quotes from a number of people. Please get a few quotes as there are some interesting characters out there who do re-stumping.
Your re-stumper needs to be licensed, have an ABN and now there’s new legislation in place requiring them to be a registered builder too. So don’t be afraid to ask to see their qualifications.
Once you’ve selected the re-stumping company to use, you should only be putting down 10 per cent as a deposit – no more, and make sure you get a receipt for your deposit.
That company will then need to submit an application to get a permit for your job. This will require you to provide some details as the owner to get submitted to the council. Ask the re-stumping company to first fill in their bit before you add yours. You want to be able to see what information they will be giving the council.
If it’s going through a private building surveyor rather than the council’s, the process is likely to be much quicker. A lot of re-stumping companies already have building surveyors that they regularly use.
Once the job has been approved, you’ll receive a copy of the permit in the mail.
The re-stumping company will jack up the house, remove existing stumps where required, dig holes where needed, re-level, re-stump, etc. Once they get to the point where the new stumps are in place in the empty holes, a building surveyor will come out and inspect the job and give their okay to get the concrete poured. Once that’s done, they’ll come back and do a final inspection.
Really important:
Without the final inspection the job isn’t complete and you won’t receive a completion certificate from the council. You shouldn’t pay a re-stumping company its final payment until this certificate is received. Why? Because even if you have a tax invoice from it, without the certificate the job is considered illegal, will cause you problems when you try and sell and it will also mean that you won’t be able to claim it on tax. Without the final certificate from the council the tax invoice isn’t worth a cent.
Having said all this, if you’re aware of all these pointers and check all qualifications, this job won’t be a headache. It’s just another aspect of renovating that you get a professional to perform. All in all, most re-stumping jobs don’t take more than a week to do and then it might be another week or so before the final inspection is performed and the certificate issued.
Ana Stankovic is well known as one of Australia’s leading renovating-for-profit specialists and is regularly featured in prominent industry publications, expos and continually educates investors. To find out more or sign up for Ana’s free newsletter, visit www.RenovateAndProfit.com.
Hi Anna, this is very interesting and useful since I’m trying to buy a house in QLD. I have a few questions please.
1. Re-stumping mainly applies to old QLD only, right?
2. How would you know when to re-stump?
3. Can you re-stump only a section of a house rather than the whole house?
4. Do we have to move out while the work’s being done?
Thanks and regards,
Junie
Comment by Junie — May 24, 2010 @ 7:41 am
Hi Junie,
Thank you for your comment. Re-stumping is a big job and homes from all over Australia may need re-stumping at some stage. It is best to move out while this type of work is being performed. However it shold only take about a week for most homes.
I think that you will find the below information interesting to read which answers most of your questions. It is quoted from Archicentre:
“Before undertaking renovation work on older homes, it is essential to check the condition of the stumps. Many people have watched in dismay as newly completed alterations have been virtually destroyed as the structure subsides.
In brick houses, where the bearers are supported on brick piers at the ends, rotten stumps will cause a ‘trampoline’ effect in the centre of rooms. Contrary to popular belief, the condition of stumps in weatherboard homes cannot be definitely confirmed by jumping on the floors.
If the stumps have rotted evenly, the floors may appear firm, however they will almost always slope away from brick fire-places. Other symptoms are crooked door and window frames.
It should be remembered that these symptoms are only evident after the stumps have failed completely. A house may appear quite sound during a visual inspection, but could start to sink shortly afterwards if the stumps have just reached failure point.
The condition of stumps can be ascertained by scratching away 50mm to 100mm of soil from the base of the worst stump to check its condition below the ground.
Stumps deteriorate most quickly in wet conditions and generally the worst stumps are those with the highest and most prominent water marks.
If only a few appear faulty, individual replacement may be the best solution. However, if more than 20% to 30% of stumps show serious deterioration, total re-stumping should be considered.”
Hope this helps.
Wishing you every success,
Ana
http://www.RenovateAndProfit.com
Comment by Ana Stankovic — May 24, 2010 @ 8:13 am