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Receive proper drawings from an architect and obtain city permits for your projectwithin several weeks!
Basement underpinning Toronto by true professionals. New concrete footings with extension of walls.
With basement lowering our company will waterproof all walls and install sump pump for flood prevention.
Our company will create you a new layout and completely finish the basement after it has been lowered!
VMB Group Underpinning & Lowering Contractors, is Toronto’s top choice for basement underpinning for several reasons. Firstly, we’ve successfully completed more basement underpinning projects in the city than any other company. With a dedicated team of 20 crews serving the Greater Toronto Area, we ensure swift and efficient service.
Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our stellar 5 star reviews. Moreover, we provide detailed drawings to offer clients a clear visualization of their project’s outcome, ensuring transparency and peace of mind. As a fully insured and licensed company, we prioritize the safety and satisfaction of our clients above all else.
Basement underpinning — also called basement lowering — is the process of deepening an existing foundation to increase the ceiling height of the basement below. The foundation footings are excavated in carefully sequenced sections, new deeper concrete footings are poured, and the basement floor slab is then lowered to match. The result: a basement with 8, 9, or even 10 feet of ceiling height, ready to be finished as liveable space.
It’s one of the most valuable home improvement projects available to Toronto homeowners — and one of the most technically demanding. Done correctly by an experienced structural contractor, underpinning is safe, permanent, and adds significant value at resale. Done incorrectly, it can compromise the structural integrity of the home.
VMB Grouphas been doing this every day for more than 20 years. We've completed over 500 underpinning projects across Toronto, and we treat every one with the same engineering rigour as the first.
If you are struggling with space in your home, there are a number of ways you can remodel it. Basement lowering is one of the many options homeowners are considering as a way of adding space to their homes. As the years pass by, houses are becoming expensive by the day. Nonetheless, not everyone wants to keep shifting from one house to the other.
Therefore, as a way of making things easier and better, you should consider basement lowering as the ultimate home remodeling option to get that extra room for accommodation or any other purpose. There are several steps that are key in basement lowering and it is important that you know them.
This will keep you in the know what stage the renovation is and how long it’d take to complete. Without further ado, here are the steps necessary in basement lowering:
When you are considering basement lowering, you need to have a plan in hand and start early to ensure you cater for everything. First of all, you need to contract a construction and building company in your area and give them all the necessary details. The engineer in charge needs to make drawings and plans on how the process will be conducted.
As the engineer, you should visit the home in question and check out the basement. This is important so that you can make the best drawings and measurements as per the basement size and the extent of the weakness on the foundation. The visit is also important to determine whether the basement is viable for lowering process and which will be the best alternative.
After the engineer ascertains that your home can have a basement lowering, you need to get permits to authorize the lowering process. Once you have the papers and a trustworthy team with you, then the process can finally take its course.
Before basement lowering process starts, you need to remove everything in the basement. If there is any furniture, flooring or internal finishing’s, all that needs to be out and kept in a safe place. If possible, you can disconnect plumbing, move hot water tank and furnace from the basement, if any, to pave way for basement lowering.
This has to take place prior to the current floor removal so as to make it easier and faster to work. The basement clearing is important in this process as it is the prime procedure for preparing the basement for lowering options.
Once the basement is clear of any kind of stuff, the demolish of the basement can commence. This involves removal of the current floor with Jackhammers. At the time, noise and dust are the most prevalent problems considering all the work taking place in the basement.
Most of the basement lowering experts and team involved with the process will put up drop sheets and other relevant barriers so as to minimize the noise and dust. The demolishing of the basement is done in a strategic manner depending on the type of basement lowering process in question. It can either be underpinning or benching.
Once excavation on the floors is complete, the removed material, concrete floors and soil, need to be shipped out of the basement. Instead of using buckets to remove soil, it is more efficient to install a window for the transporter. The window makes work easier by shortening the distance to which the waste is taken to for disposal.
Needless say, it keeps the team at work out of your indoors lessening the chances of bringing the dirt to your living space. The window also works as a ventilator during the entire process to allow in fresh air and light as well. After the lowering process it can be transformed into a window for the new space.
The bin is to ship the dug up concrete and soil out of sight. From the basement, the dug up materials are carried out through the installed window and drained into the bin. This is usually done alongside the basement demolishing process to create space to remove the entire floor.
As soil and concrete removal is underway, the removed material are shipped out. This makes way to allow removal of the concrete floor and soil on the next area. After the bin is full, it is transported from site and the content taken away for dumping elsewhere.
After the excavation process, the entire floor is finally removed to the new wanted depth. This makes it easier to access the foundation of the house and they can determine how much deep they would like the new supporting material to go. For the new floor depth, it is often measured with regards to the foundation.
This is to ensure that even after lowering, the foundation remains strong. In basement underpinning, installation of new support material is done at different intervals. This is so that it does not undermine the current foundation.
This happens after the floor removal process and a new level of foundation defined. The team of hands at work can go ahead and install the footing sections beneath the old foundation. This helps support it and increase how firm your homes foundation is.
The sections are underpinned on different locations to increase the surface area covered. This is usually the key process in basement lowering considering it entails the main agenda of work. For basement lowering process, the required depth for new foundation needs to be at least 20-inches deeper.
This is usually the high time to call a building inspector in adherence to the laws and regulations set forth for basement lowering process. The inspector should confirm that the work is going on fine and nothing seems to be risking the stability of the home.
In case anything seems off, then the team of contractors and engineers need to re-strategize to save the home. If everything is going on fine, the inspector will give the green flag to proceed to the next stage. The inspector should also make sure that installation of materials is good and they are where they should be.
This takes place after the rooting of the footing sections in the right place. The soil between one footing and the next is removed so as to continue with the basement lowering process. For underpinning process in basement lowering, new footings are usually added in intervals with a few inches of soil between them.
After the inspection, the inspector gives workers the green light to continue working. The first agenda thereafter is removing the soil between the new footings. It is transported out through the window installed earlier on and put in the collecting bin outside. The bin is then taken out of sight for soil disposal in a favorable place.
Drains are usually installed somewhere nearer the floor and where the foundation has begun from on the ground. Now that the floor is lower and a new footing input for the foundation, there is need for installing new drains. This provides a window for removing old drains and inputting new ones at the right level to the floor.
As a homeowner, this is the best time to reroute or change your draining system to a more convenient location. The major interior drains changes include sanitary sewer line replacement, rerouting of water line if necessary, installation of a weeping tile as well as removing the old one, installation of perimeter drains and prime lines. Finally, cleanouts are installed to finish up this particular process.
During basement lowering, all the installations done prior when the building was under construction are out in the open. So, it is a right time to install waterproofing as a preventive measure for the future. Since a new system has been installed, the old one, if it was faulty, it is out of the way.
To ensure that the new one does not affect the fresh floor and basement wall, installing a waterproofing material is crucial. This helps in preventing a leaky basement and any damage that may arise from the leakage if it ever occurs. The common waterproofing installation includes a weeping tile, filter sock, a dimple sheet and a discharge system.
When the drains are being installed, most homeowners may prefer to change everything including the sewage ejector. If you are thinking of having a basement bathroom, then a sewage ejector is a must have. However, this is only necessary if the main sewer is on a higher ground than the plumbing and bathroom pipes.
For a basement bathroom, it becomes a necessity because the basement floors might be lower than the septic tank. Therefore, there is need to get the waste to the right place so that it does not start to leak. If a sewage ejector is necessary, then you need to consider it in terms of size and the number of drains connecting to it.
Once the necessary improvements have been made on the drains and foundation, it is time to start layering the basement floors. The first step in that includes installing a new gravel layer, preferably 3/4-inches on top of the basement soil.
The amount is dependent with the height of your basement and state rules and regulations that help contractors layer it in the right way. A gravel layer needs to be in place before the concrete is poured for the floors. For most basement lowering gravel layering, the gravel layer may lie above drainage pipes and sewage ejector installed.
Finally, the concrete is laid over the gravel and vapor barrier to the new floor level. The concrete is usually poured and on the same day, smoothed out as per the building code. When pouring out the concrete, it is important to work in sections to let it dry evenly. Concrete poured is streamlined with a trowel for the final finishing.
The concrete also needs to rest in the right level as planned before the basement lowering process began. It is important that as the last works of the process are being done, an inspector should check out the building. This is to ascertain that everything is done well and that the home’s integrity is much more firm than it was before.
Since the process is complete and everything checks out as it should be, it is time for the workers to clean up the area. All tools leftover material, garbage from all the working are removed and the floors swept clean. Any area used during the process, inside or outside your home is also cleared and cleaned as part of the job.
When you are planning for basement lowering, you need to have a budget in place. Basement underpinning is not an easy task and requires a lot of processes. Each process needs to be handled with utmost precision so that the integrity of your home is upheld. It will be a little bit costly but the completed version will be something to look forward.
In most homes, underpinning is the last solution to save them from failing foundations. However, as an added benefit of the process, you will have more space in your home that you can turn into a livable area. Not to mention, certain measures are put in place to prevent damp basements and leaks. After the process is complete, you need to install an electrical system and any other fittings essential for the new space. You can ask the team of workers to install these necessities, or you can do it yourself with a guide manual.
In Toronto, basement underpinning typically costs between $300 to $500 per linear foot. For a standard project, this translates to a total expense ranging from $20,000 to $50,000. For precise costing tailored to your specific project, it’s best to consult directly with a professional underpinning service.
| Services Related to Underpinning | Cost Range |
| Converting Crawlspace into Basement | $30,000 – $100,000+ |
| Crawlspace Excavation | $15,000 – $35,000+ |
| Plumbing & Weeping Tile Installation | $3,000 – $8,000+ |
| Foundation Pouring | $25,000 – $45,000+ |
| Finishing | $10,000 – $30,000+ |
| Structural Engineering | $1,500 – $7,000+ |
Ideally, you should request a personalized quote so we can offer you the best price for your specific situation.
The City of Toronto’s Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program reimburses homeowners up to 80% of the cost of eligible flood protection work — including sump pumps, backwater valves, and more. That means the upgrade that protects your home and increases its value could cost you a fraction of the price.
VMB Group is fully licensed with the City of Toronto and can complete all subsidy-eligible installations — we’ll even help you navigate the application process from start to finish.
A basement renovation can start with a simple idea: more living space, a rental suite, a better family room and turn into a much larger financial decision once structural work, waterproofing, permits, and finishing are added to the plan. In Toronto, a full 800 to
Most basement underpinning cost guides explain the big-ticket items reasonably well: engineering, excavation, concrete, waterproofing and the new basement slab. Our own basement underpinning cost breakdown covers those core costs in detail. What homeowners are less likely to budget for are the items that depend
A concrete floor sitting under old carpet or a worn coating doesn’t look like much on its own. Ground down and refined properly, that same slab can become a smooth, durable surface that lasts for years. It’s one of the most common finishing questions we
The idea of underpinning can make any homeowner uneasy. After all, the work involves excavating below an existing foundation while that foundation is still supporting the house above it. So the right question is not simply: “Is underpinning safe?” It is: “What controls the risk
Most advice about hiring an underpinning contractor tells homeowners to ask whether the company is “licensed and insured.” That’s a reasonable start, but it is not enough. A contractor can say they have insurance. They can send you a certificate. They can tell you a
Basement problems rarely start with one dramatic failure. More often, Toronto homeowners notice smaller changes first: a crack that keeps coming back, a door that suddenly sticks, a floor that no longer feels level, or a basement that simply does not have enough headroom for
Yes — always. Underpinning is structural work that deepens the foundation of the home. It requires engineer-stamped drawings and a building permit from the City of Toronto. Inspections are required at specific stages. No legitimate underpinning contractor should start this work without a permit. VMB Group manages the full permit process on your behalf.
From the start of permit application to a completed slab ready for finishing: typically 12–20 weeks. The permit approval phase (3–8 weeks at the City of Toronto) is the main variable. The actual excavation and footing work on an average Toronto home takes 4–6 weeks. Benching projects are 2–3 weeks faster.
Only if the current ceiling height is below code minimum (6'5") or below the height you want to use the space at. Many Toronto homes — particularly those built before 1970 — have basement ceilings of 6' or less. Underpinning adds 1–3 feet of ceiling height and typically takes 4–8 weeks. We assess this at the free estimate.
Full underpinning reclaims the entire floor area of the basement — new deeper footings are poured in sequenced pits around the perimeter, and the slab is lowered to match. Benching creates a raised concrete ledge around the perimeter at the original footing level and lowers only the central floor area. Benching costs less but reduces usable floor space and has more design constraints. We explain both options at your free assessment.
In most cases, yes. Underpinning is done from inside the basement. There will be significant noise and concrete dust for several weeks, and basement access will be restricted during work phases. Most families stay in the home, with the main disruption being noise during working hours (typically 7am–5pm weekdays). We discuss the specific access requirements for your home before starting.
Full underpinning (pit method) on a standard Toronto home of 800–1,000 sq ft typically costs $40,000–$65,000, including engineer drawings, permits, excavation, new footings, and slab. Benching costs approximately $20,000–$35,000 for the same footprint. These are ranges — the most accurate number comes from an on-site assessment.
When done correctly by a licensed structural engineer and experienced contractor, underpinning does not weaken the structure — it replaces old, shallow footings with new, deeper ones. The sequential pit method ensures the foundation wall always has bearing support. The structural integrity of the home above is maintained throughout the process. We've done this 500+ times without incident.
Yes. We can take the project all the way from bare basement to finished living space — underpinning, waterproofing, framing, drywall, flooring, bathroom, egress windows, lighting, and trim. If you want one contractor to handle the full scope, we do that. If you only need the underpinning, we do that too.
The main factors are: how you intend to use the space, whether you're adding a bathroom, whether you want a legal suite, and your budget. For any use case that involves a bathroom rough-in along perimeter walls or creating a legal suite, full underpinning is required. For a simple recreation room where a perimeter ledge isn't a problem, benching may be adequate. We walk through this decision with every client at the free assessment.
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