Most contractors will not give you a number until they have been to your house. You can get within range yourself in about a minute, because the work is priced per linear foot of foundation wall and everything else is a known adder. Enter what you know and the itemised estimate updates as you type.
What this is built from
- $500 to $750 per linear foot of foundation wall, the published Toronto range for underpinning
- Benching priced at 60 to 80 percent of underpinning, the commonly cited 20 to 40 percent saving
- Depth factor applied above 3 feet of gain, because deeper means more shoring and narrower sections
- $11.89 per linear metre City of Toronto permit fee on the underpinned wall
- $1,500 to $2,500 stamped structural engineering
- $60 to $120 per linear foot for exterior waterproofing while the foundation is already open, against $150 to $350 standalone
- $15,000 to $30,000 for a walkout, and $3,000 to $7,000 for an egress window
- 10 percent access uplift where spoil has to come out through the house, typical of downtown semis and row houses
This is an estimate assembled from published Toronto market ranges, not a quote, and not engineering advice. Your foundation, soil, water table and access will move it. Nobody can price this work properly without looking at your footings.
What the calculator cannot know
Four things move a real quote away from any estimate, and all four need someone standing in your basement.
- Footing depth and condition. Many older Toronto houses sit on shallow rubble footings, which is why the basement is short and also what the engineer is designing around.
- Soil. Toronto's ground varies street to street. Clay, sand and fill do not behave the same, and this is the largest source of legitimate variation between two honest quotes.
- Water table. A high water table rarely stops the project but it always changes the drainage design and the price.
- What is next door. A neighbouring foundation, garage or retaining wall close to the wall being underpinned constrains sequencing and depth.
Once you have real quotes, put them side by side with the quote scorecard, because the spread between them is usually scope rather than price.
Common questions
How is the underpinning estimate calculated?
It starts from the published Toronto range of $500 to $750 per linear foot of foundation wall, adjusts for how much depth you are gaining, adjusts again for benching versus underpinning and for restricted access, then adds engineering, the City permit fee at $11.89 per linear metre, and any waterproofing or walkout you select.
Is this an actual quote?
No. It is an estimate assembled from published market ranges. Soil, water table, footing condition and access will move the real number, and no contractor can price the work properly without assessing your foundation.
Why is the range so wide?
Because the honest range is wide. Two contractors quoting the same basement routinely differ by double, mostly over whether waterproofing, permits, engineering and the new slab are inside or outside the number.
What perimeter should I enter?
The measured length of foundation wall you intend to underpin, not the whole basement perimeter if you are only doing part of it. If you know your basement footprint, use the length and width fields and the tool will work the perimeter out.
Get a real range
Not a brochure. Tell us the basics and we will come back with numbers that reflect your actual foundation.