Reblocking & Restumping in Geelong
Reblocking — or restumping, as most Victorians call it — is replacing the stumps a timber-floored house sits on and bringing the floor back to level. Across Geelong, thousands of weatherboard and brick-veneer homes built from the 1920s to the 1970s still stand on their original red gum or timber stumps, and after fifty-plus years in the ground many of them have rotted, sunk or shifted. When that happens the floors slope, doors stick and cracks open in the walls. Reblocking fixes the cause, not just the symptoms.
- Free On-Site Quotes
- Permits Arranged
- Concrete & Steel Stumps
- Geelong & the Bellarine
Signs your house needs reblocking
Most people call about reblocking because something in the house has changed. The common signs are:
- Sloping or bouncy floors — a marble rolls across the room, or the floor feels springy underfoot.
- Doors and windows that stick or won't latch, especially after a dry summer or a wet winter.
- Cracks in plaster walls and cornices, often running diagonally from the corners of doors and windows.
- Gaps between the skirting and the floor, or floorboards pulling away from the walls.
- Rotten, sunken or leaning stumps that you can see through a vent or the subfloor access.
One sign on its own isn't always the stumps — but several together usually point underneath the house.
Full or partial reblock?
Not every house needs every stump replaced. If the problem is confined to one area — say a wet corner under the laundry or a single sunken section — a partial reblock can fix it for less. If the stumps are original timber and failing throughout, a partial job just moves the problem, and a full reblock is the better investment. We tell you which one your house actually needs after looking underneath it, not before.
Concrete or steel stumps?
Both are a big improvement on old timber. Reinforced concrete stumps are the standard choice for most Geelong homes — strong, durable and cost-effective. Adjustable galvanised steel stumps can be fine-tuned after installation, which suits houses on reactive clay where some seasonal movement is expected. The right choice depends on the house, the soil and the height of the subfloor.
Geelong ground and Geelong houses
Much of Geelong's north and west — Bell Park, Bell Post Hill, Corio, Norlane and out towards Lara — sits on reactive basalt clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, which is hard on shallow stumps. Older suburbs like Newtown, Geelong West, Manifold Heights and Hamlyn Heights have period weatherboards that are often on their first set of stumps, while the Bellarine's sandier soils bring their own drainage issues. A reblock is designed around the ground it sits in.
Why choose us for reblocking & restumping
- Full or partial reblocks — only the stumps that need replacing
- Reinforced concrete or adjustable galvanised steel stumps
- Rotten bearers and joists found and replaced during the job
- Building permit and footing inspections arranged for you
- Floors brought back to level and packed properly
- Weatherboard, brick-veneer and period homes across Geelong
Reblocking & Restumping: common questions
What's the difference between reblocking and restumping?
Nothing — they're two names for the same job. 'Restumping' is the more common term in Victoria and 'reblocking' is used widely elsewhere, but both mean replacing the stumps under a house and re-levelling the floor.
Do I need a building permit to reblock my house?
In Victoria, reblocking or restumping a house generally requires a building permit from a registered building surveyor, with the footings inspected before the house is lowered. We arrange the permit and inspections as part of the job.
Can I stay in the house while it's being reblocked?
In most cases, yes. The house stays on temporary supports while the stumps are replaced, and most families live in it throughout. Expect some noise, restricted access under the house and a few hours without some services on the day the house is lowered.
How long does a reblock take?
A typical full reblock of a single-storey Geelong home takes around one to two weeks on site, depending on the size of the house, access, the ground and how much bearer or joist repair turns up. A partial reblock is often a few days.
Ready to book reblocking & restumping?
Free on-site quotes · Permits arranged · Geelong, the Bellarine & Surf Coast