Falkirk · Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire
Underpinning in Falkirk
Before any underpinning goes ahead on a Falkirk property, building control has to approve the design and inspect the excavations. Where the wall is shared, party wall notices may be needed too in England and Wales, so allow time for paperwork before the dig.
Guide price from£950per metre of wall inc VAT
- Postcodes
- FK1, FK2, FK5
- Population
- about 35,000
- Area
- Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire
- Pricing region
- Scotland
Is Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire prone to ground movement?
Falkirk (FK1, FK2, FK5) has around 35,000 residents and sits in Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire. Neighbouring towns we cover: Grangemouth (3 miles), Bo'ness (7 miles) and Linlithgow (7 miles).
Shrinkable clay is less common in Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire than in south-east England. Historic coal workings are recorded beneath parts of Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire, and a coal mining search is worth checking where movement is unexplained. Across Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire, most homes are stone tenements and villas, miners' rows and post-war estates.
What to look for before calling about underpinning
- Cracks that keep widening after the drains have been repaired
- One corner of the house visibly lower than the others
- Footings found to be very shallow during a trial pit
Underpinning prices in Falkirk
These are guide prices for Falkirk, using Scotland rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| 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
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
Mass concrete underpinning
The traditional method. Short sections under the wall are dug out in a set sequence, usually about a metre at a time, and filled with concrete before the next section is opened. It suits moderate depths and good access, and it needs little specialist plant.
Best for: Shallow failures on firm ground found at moderate depth
What happens during underpinning, step by step?
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.
Excavation and concrete
Work runs in the sequence the engineer sets so the wall is never left unsupported over a long length. Building control inspects the excavations before concrete goes in, and each section is dry-packed tight to the footing above.
Crack repairs and handover
Once the new foundation has cured, cracks are stitched and repointed, inside walls are made good, and paths or patios disturbed by the dig are reinstated. You receive the building control completion paperwork for your records.
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 Falkirk
What is the price of underpinning in Falkirk?
Guide prices for underpinning in Falkirk 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.
Do you carry out underpinning in Falkirk?
Yes, Falkirk is covered, along with postcode districts FK1, FK2, FK5. We also cover nearby Grangemouth and Bo'ness.
Does the ground around Falkirk cause cracking?
The Forth valley has soft carse clays near the river, which can settle, and coalfields beneath Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and the south of Stirling with recorded historic workings. 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.
Can I stay in my house during underpinning?
Most people stay at home during external underpinning, because the digging happens outside along the wall. Expect noise, restricted access to that side of the house and some dust. If the work has to be done from inside, through the floor, moving out for part of the job is sometimes advised.
More repairs we carry out in Falkirk
- Bowing wall repairs
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Crack stitching
Underpinning near Falkirk
Not sure your Falkirk home needs underpinning at all? Send photos for a free initial assessment and we will say whether an engineer should look first.