How do I know if my house is actively moving?

Fit crack monitors across suspect cracks. If the gauge reading changes over 3–6 months, the house is moving. If it stays stable, movement has probably finished and you can do a repair without underpinning. Movement monitoring is cheap and saves expensive guessing.

Do I need a structural engineer?

For suspected active movement, yes. The engineer designs the underpinning, certifies the work, and provides documentation for insurance or resale. We work with engineers regularly and can bring one in or work with one you have engaged.

Will my house insurance cover it?

Depends on the policy and the cause. Movement from a leaking pipe is often covered. Movement from reactive clay alone is usually not. Check your PDS or ask your insurer. We can provide documentation for claims where relevant.

Inner West, Sydney

Foundation Movement & Settlement in Inner West

Q: Do you fix foundation movement & settlement in Inner West?

Yes. We've worked across Inner West for years and foundation movement & settlement is one of the issues we see most often here. Reactive clay soils through Marrickville, Leichhardt and parts of Newtown drive significant seasonal movement. Combined with old timber or shallow brick footings and broken stormwater, foundation movement is the cause behind many of the cracks we see in the Inner West.

Cracks appearing in walls, doors that stick, floors that slope — your house may be on the move.

Get it assessed urgentlyCall Minas — 0414 922 276

Why we see this constantly in the Inner West

Reactive clay soils through Marrickville, Leichhardt and parts of Newtown drive significant seasonal movement. Combined with old timber or shallow brick footings and broken stormwater, foundation movement is the cause behind many of the cracks we see in the Inner West. Diagnosis matters — sometimes the fix is fixing drainage and waiting, sometimes it's targeted underpinning, sometimes the whole side of the building needs work. We level-check and monitor before specifying.

Newtown, Balmain, Marrickville, Leichhardt, Glebe and Surry Hills are dominated by Victorian and Edwardian terraces, workers' cottages, and converted warehouses. The brickwork is mostly Sydney red brick on lime mortar, often with original tuckpointing under decades of paint or render. Reactive clay soils under many streets cause footing movement, and the age of the housing stock means almost every job involves heritage-appropriate materials.

What is foundation movement & settlement?

Foundation movement happens when soil under a house expands, contracts or sinks unevenly — reactive clay soils in Sydney are a major cause. Signs include stair-step wall cracks, doors that stick, sloping floors, and gaps opening up between walls and skirtings. Active movement needs underpinning to extend footings deeper to stable ground. Minor finished movement can usually be repaired with crack stitching alone. Monitoring cracks over a few months is the cheapest way to work out which you have.

Signs to watch for on your property

Stair-step cracks running diagonally through brickwork
Cracks wider than 5mm that continue to grow
Doors or windows sticking or no longer closing
Floors sloping — marble test confirms (ball rolls to one side)
Gaps opening between walls and skirtings or ceilings
Brick walls tilting out of vertical
Cracks reappearing after previous repairs

Suburbs we cover in Inner West

We work right across Inner West. Click a suburb for site-specific notes on housing stock and common issues.

Newtown Balmain Marrickville Leichhardt Glebe Surry Hills Erskineville

How we fix it properly

1. Investigate
Crack monitoring gauges on suspect cracks to measure ongoing movement. Sometimes a drain inspection to rule out leaking services. We usually bring in a structural engineer for anything suspected to be active movement.
2. Fix the cause
Leaking pipes get fixed. Tree roots drawing moisture from under the slab may need addressing. Drainage near footings corrected. Without stopping the cause, any structural repair is temporary.
3. Underpin if required
For active or severe movement, underpinning extends the footing deeper to reach stable ground. Traditional mass concrete underpinning or modern screw-pile underpinning depending on site. Engineered for the specific situation.
4. Stitch the cracks
Once movement has stopped, cracks get structural repair — helical bar stitching tied into the brickwork across the crack. Holds the wall together without needing major demolition.
5. Repoint and repair
Damaged bricks replaced, joints repointed to match, interior finishes made good. The work should be invisible when finished.

Full foundation movement & settlement guide

Causes, fix process, costs and FAQs.

Inner West area page

All the services we offer across Inner West.

Underpinning

Service detail and how we work.

Structural Foundation Repairs

Service detail and how we work.