Bonnyrigg · Edinburgh and the Lothians
Underpinning in Bonnyrigg
Most underpinning in Bonnyrigg, as elsewhere, is partial, strengthening one corner or a single wall rather than the whole house. The engineer plans how the new foundation meets the old so that the junction does not become the next place to crack.
Guide price from£950per metre of wall inc VAT
- Postcodes
- EH18, EH19, EH24
- Population
- about 18,000
- Area
- Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Pricing region
- Scotland
What should you know about the ground under Bonnyrigg?
Bonnyrigg (EH18, EH19, EH24) has around 18,000 residents and sits in Edinburgh and the Lothians. We also take enquiries from nearby Mayfield (3 miles), Musselburgh (5 miles) and Penicuik (6 miles).
Most of Edinburgh and the Lothians is on firmer ground than the clay belts of the south-east. Parts of Edinburgh and the Lothians lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across Edinburgh and the Lothians: sandstone tenements and Georgian terraces, miners' rows, bungalows and post-war estates.
What happens during underpinning, step by step?
Engineer’s investigation
An independent chartered structural engineer studies the monitoring results, trial pits and soil tests, then decides whether underpinning is needed and which method suits. We can arrange the engineer if you do not already have one.
Design and approvals
The engineer produces drawings and calculations. We make the building control or building warrant application, and party wall notices are served where the law requires them, before any digging starts.
Fixed written price
With the design in hand we confirm a fixed price in writing, setting out the method, the length of wall, access arrangements and the making good. For insurance work we can price to the loss adjuster’s or engineer’s schedule.
What to look for before calling about underpinning
- Cracks that keep widening after the drains have been repaired
- Floors sloping noticeably towards one external wall
- Footings found to be very shallow during a trial pit
Underpinning prices in Bonnyrigg
Guide prices below are for homes in Bonnyrigg, on Scotland rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Mass-concrete underpinning | £950 – £1,400 | per metre of wall |
| Beam-and-base underpinning | £1,400 – £2,400 | per metre of wall |
| Mini-piled underpinning | £1,900 – £3,300 | per metre of wall |
| Engineer's design and building control feesest. | £760 – £2,400 | per scheme |
How we usually approach underpinning
Mini-piled underpinning
Small-diameter piles are driven or bored down to firm ground and linked by a reinforced beam or needles that pick up the wall. Compact rigs fit through narrow access, and the method reaches depths that would be impractical to excavate by hand.
Best for: Deep soft ground, tree roots, or restricted access
Beam-and-base underpinning
A reinforced concrete beam is cast beneath or alongside the existing footing and carries the wall onto mass concrete bases at intervals. It spreads load well across variable ground and can mean less digging than continuous underpinning along the whole wall.
Best for: Longer runs of wall or heavier loads over variable ground
Rules for underpinning in Scotland
In Scotland, underpinning and other structural alterations generally need a building warrant from the council’s building standards service before work starts, and a completion certificate at the end; small like-for-like repairs often do not. There is no Party Wall Act in Scotland; shared walls are covered by title deeds and, for flats, the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004.
Questions about underpinning in Bonnyrigg
How much should I budget for underpinning in Bonnyrigg?
Guide prices for underpinning in Bonnyrigg start from about £950 per metre of wall, including VAT, on Scotland rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Bonnyrigg?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Bonnyrigg, including EH18, EH19, EH24, and from nearby places such as Mayfield and Musselburgh. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in Edinburgh and the Lothians crack?
Edinburgh is volcanic and sedimentary rock with glacial till, while the Midlothian and East Lothian coalfields and oil-shale workings in West Lothian have left recorded mine workings and bings. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Does underpinning need building control approval?
Yes, underpinning is building work and needs approval and inspections in England and Wales, a building warrant in Scotland, and council building control in Northern Ireland. Inspectors usually check the excavations before concrete is poured. We deal with building control as part of the job.
Do I need to tell my neighbours about underpinning?
In England and Wales you usually do. Underpinning a party wall normally needs two months’ notice, and excavating near a neighbour’s foundations needs one month’s notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Scotland and Northern Ireland have no equivalent Act, but agreeing the work in writing still helps.
Related work in Bonnyrigg
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Crack stitching
- Bowing wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
Underpinning near Bonnyrigg
Not sure your Bonnyrigg home needs underpinning at all? Send photos for a free initial assessment and we will say whether an engineer should look first.