Underpinning extends or widens a footing that was never sized for the load it carries now. Whether the house settled, an addition is planned, or the basement is being lowered, we excavate and pour in numbered bays so the building stays supported throughout.
Why Underpinning Solves Footing Issues That Repair Cannot
A cracked foundation wall can often be fixed by reinforcing the wall itself. But when the root cause is a footing that is too shallow, too narrow, or sitting on poor bearing soil, wall repair alone will not stop the movement. The footing has to be extended downward or widened to reach better soil or to support the load properly.
Underpinning is also the tool for basement deepening projects, where lowering the floor means the existing footing now sits above the new finished elevation and must be extended down. Similarly, when an addition is built and the structural engineer determines the existing footing cannot carry the new load, underpinning brings it to the engineered depth and width.
The method is always the same: the footing is supported in numbered bays while deeper or wider sections are poured beneath or beside it. This keeps the building stable throughout the work. Our foundation installation work follows the same principles, and we coordinate with basement finishing when the underpinning is complete. If the issue is only in the wall above the footing, crack injection may be the right choice instead.
Recent work
The underpinning sequence
Step-by-Step: How Foundation Underpinning Gets Done
Structural engineer designs the sequence
The engineer specifies footing depth, width, materials, and the exact order of bay excavation and pouring so the building is always supported on either side of any open bay.
Excavate the first bay
The first bay in the sequence is dug out to the engineered depth, never adjacent bays at the same time. The existing footing above remains fully supported by the concrete on either side.
Form and pour the new footing section
The deeper or wider footing is formed, reinforced with rebar, and poured in that bay. It is allowed to cure fully before any load is transferred to it.
Move to the next bay in sequence
Once the first bay is cured and pinned to the existing footing, the next bay is excavated and poured. The cycle repeats until the entire footing has been extended to the new depth or width.
Why bays matter
The Bay Sequence Is What Makes Underpinning Safe
Underpinning cannot be done all at once. If the entire footing were excavated and unsupported, the building would settle or crack. Bays solve this by keeping most of the footing bearing load while only a small section is open and being worked on.
The engineered sequence is critical. Each bay must be excavated, formed, poured, and fully cured before the next one starts. Skipping ahead, opening two adjacent bays, or filling before proper curing can cause settlement during the work itself. We follow the sequence exactly as engineered, and we waterproof the newly exposed wall before backfilling each bay. This is why foundation waterproofing is paired with underpinning work, and why the timeline is several weeks for a typical residential project.
Bay sequence, basement deepening, additions and when underpinning is the right tool.
If settlement keeps happening after repair attempts, if the cracking is at the footing rather than just in the wall, if the soil bearing capacity has changed, or if you are adding load or lowering the basement floor. The assessment will tell us which is right.
Yes. The bay sequence means only a small section of footing is unsupported at any time, and the rest is bearing the load. Most homeowners stay in their homes through underpinning; we let you know if your situation is the exception.
Yes, that is one of the main uses. Lowering a basement floor below the existing footing requires the footing to be extended downward in bays; once underpinned, the floor can be excavated to the new depth and a new slab poured.
Only when the new load on the existing footing exceeds what the footing was sized for. The structural engineer for the addition determines that; we underpin the existing footing to the engineered detail when required.
Several weeks for a typical residential underpinning, because each bay has to be excavated, formed, poured and cured before the next bay starts. The full schedule is in the written quote so you can plan around it.
Homeowner reviews
What Regina Homeowners Say About Their Underpinning Projects
We added a second storey and the engineer said underpin. Regina Concrete did the sequence by the book, addition went on top, no settlement since. Done right.
T. J.
Regina
★★★★★
Settlement that two other contractors had tried to fix as wall cracks was actually a footing problem. Underpinning solved it. Cracks haven't moved since.
N. K.
Regina
★★★★★
Basement deepening project, underpinning first, then the new lower slab. Headroom we wanted, structure stronger than before. Worth every cent.
U. O.
Pilot Butte
★★★★★
Engineered, sequenced, communicated every step. Lived in the house through the whole project, never felt unsafe. Underpinning is a craft and these guys know it.
G. H.
White City
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Tell us what is happening with the foundation, whether it is settlement, an addition or basement deepening, and we will assess it free and put the underpinning work into a written quote.
