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WaterproofingIndex

Underpinning & Basement Lowering Contractors Ranked Across Toronto and the GTA

Last updated: By Below-Grade Records Desk

59 underpinning contractors listed across the Greater Toronto Area, compiled August 2026.

3,183 Google reviews · median 4.91★ · typical $350–$480 per linear foot (Strong Basements (Toronto)) · 89% of rated companies at 4.8★ or above · scheduling: year-round; the work is inside the basement

Ranking

Who ranks highest for underpinning and basement lowering in the GTA?

  5. MMT Waterproofing5

    MMT Waterproofing

    5.0 km from Mississauga centre

    MississaugaUnderpinning & Basement Lowering

    Its own website describes below-grade water work

    (416) 854-3382Call
  9. The Reno Pros9

    The Reno Pros

    0.1 km from Yonge & St. Clair centre

    Yonge & St. ClairUnderpinning & Basement Lowering

    Its own website describes below-grade water work

    (416) 561-6144Call
  12. Addison Design & Build12

    Addison Design & Build

    0.1 km from The Danforth (Greektown) centre

    The Danforth (Greektown)Underpinning & Basement Lowering

    Its own website describes below-grade water work

    (416) 732-7850Call
  13. SolidCore Inc.13

    SolidCore Inc.

    7.3 km from Vaughan centre

    VaughanUnderpinning & Basement Lowering

    Its own website describes below-grade water work

    (647) 522-7309Call

59 companies are filed under underpinning and basement lowering in the Greater Toronto Area, holding a median 4.91★ across 3,183 Google reviews. Every one of them describes this work on its own website. Budget $350–$480 per linear foot for full underpinning, structural work only, the GTA figure Strong Basements (Toronto) publishes. Order comes from review data and how complete each record is. Nobody buys a place on it.

Prices

What does underpinning and basement lowering cost in the GTA?

Strong Basements (Toronto) puts full underpinning, structural work only at $350–$480 per linear foot. Toronto Basement Underpinning prices underpinning priced by depth gained: $200 baseline for a 1 ft gain, $300 average for the common 2 ft gain, $450 for a 3 ft gain at $200–$450 per linear foot. Ontario charges 13% HST on top, and GTA contractors quote before tax. 8 line items are broken out below, each credited to the source that published it.

GTA underpinning & basement lowering prices as published, August 2026. Every row names its source.Some of these prices are published by contractors this directory also lists. Those rows are marked. A company cannot buy a ranking position by supplying a figure.

ItemTypical rangeUnitSource
Full underpinning, structural work only (2 ft depth gain). Typical shown is the contractor's own line-item rate for a 2 ft underpin$350–$480(typ. $350)per linear footStrong Basements (Toronto)also listed in this directory
Underpinning priced by depth gained: $200 baseline for a 1 ft gain, $300 average for the common 2 ft gain, $450 for a 3 ft gain$200–$450(typ. $300)per linear footToronto Basement Underpinning
Excavation plus underpinning piers, Ontario (highest published rate found, June 2026). Typical shown is the source's stated starting price$500–$800(typ. $500)per linear footRenoNext (Ontario)
Bench footing (benching) at 2 ft depth: regular bench from $300, engineered bench from $420. Regular bench loses 24 inches of floor width, engineered bench 12 inches$300–$420(typ. $300)per linear footStrong Basements (Toronto)also listed in this directory
Basement lowering by underpinning, measured on basement floor area (1,000 sq ft lowered 2 ft works out to $50,000 to $80,000)$50–$80(typ. $65)per sq ft of basement floorNusite Group (Toronto)also listed in this directory
Bench footing (benching), measured on basement floor area (1,000 sq ft lowered 2 ft works out to $35,000 to $60,000, roughly 30 to 40 percent less than underpinning)$35–$60(typ. $45)per sq ft of basement floorNusite Group (Toronto)also listed in this directory
Complete basement lowering project, all in to an unfinished shell (engineering, permits, waterproofing, new plumbing and a new concrete floor included)$80–$100(typ. $100)per sq ft of basement floorStrong Basements (Toronto)also listed in this directory
Whole-house underpinning, three worked Toronto sample quotes including 13 percent HST: semi-detached 107.5 linear ft at $475/LF ($88,132), Cabbagetown Victorian row house 130 linear ft at $550/LF ($117,859), Etobicoke bungalow 160 linear ft at $425/LF ($120,571). Typical shown is the semi-detached$88,132–$120,571(typ. $88,132)per projectStrong Basements (Toronto)also listed in this directory

Open the full underpinning & basement lowering cost guide

Coverage

Which part of the GTA is the job in?

Pick the city or neighbourhood to narrow the list to companies working there. 4 areas have enough listed underpinning contractors for their own ranked page, each built from that area's review data alone.

Ranking

How is this ranking built?

Position starts with a Bayesian-adjusted Google rating, which weighs how many people reviewed a company as well as what they scored it, so a 5.0 resting on three reviews does not sit above a 4.8 resting on three hundred. A small amount is added for records that publish a website, a phone number and at least three photos. 89% of the rated underpinning contractors here reach 4.8★, so the gaps between neighbouring positions are narrow and worth reading. Positions move as new reviews land, and no company is told about it in advance. Read our full methodology.

Frequently asked questions

What does underpinning and basement lowering cost in Toronto and the GTA?

Strong Basements (Toronto) publishes $350–$480 per linear foot for full underpinning, structural work only, and Toronto Basement Underpinning publishes $200–$450 per linear foot for underpinning priced by depth gained: $200 baseline for a 1 ft gain, $300 average for the common 2 ft gain, $450 for a 3 ft gain. Those are pre-tax figures, so add 13% HST. The underpinning & basement lowering cost guide on WaterproofingIndex sets out every line item beside the source that published it.

How do I pick a underpinning contractor in the GTA?

Three written quotes, each naming the same wall and the same scope, is the only comparison that means anything below grade: one firm can price an interior drain while another prices an excavation, and the totals will not be comparable. The shortlist above is every underpinning contractor on record here, 59 of them, sitting at a median 4.91★ on a median of 28 Google reviews apiece. Ask each one for proof of insurance and for two addresses within a few streets where it did the same job.

When can underpinning and basement lowering be scheduled in Toronto?

Year-round; the work is inside the basement. Frozen ground is what fixes the calendar: anything needing an open trench waits for the thaw, while work done from inside the basement carries on all winter. Ask each quote which parts of its scope need the ground open, because that single answer decides your start date.

Do these jobs need a permit, and does the quote include HST?

Ontario charges 13% HST on plumbing and waterproofing work, and GTA contractors publish their ranges before tax, so add it before comparing. Permits follow the scope, not the price. The City of Toronto requires a building permit and an inspection for a backwater valve, and charges an underpinning permit fee for lowering a basement or cutting a new below-grade entrance. Where a permit applies, the underpinning & basement lowering cost guide prices it as its own line with the City's own figure.

Does underpinning need a building permit in the GTA?

Yes. Underpinning and bench footing alter what holds the house up, so your municipality's building department requires a building permit and, in practice, drawings stamped by a structural engineer. Expect the engineer to be a separate line item, expect inspections partway through rather than only at the end, and expect the schedule to include waiting on them. Settle who is pulling the permit before any deposit changes hands: a contractor who wants the homeowner to pull it is often the one whose paperwork would not survive the review.

Can a company pay WaterproofingIndex for a higher position?

No, and there is nothing to buy. The order comes from a Bayesian-adjusted Google rating plus a small amount for records that publish a website, a phone number and photos. With 89% of rated underpinning contractors at 4.8★ or better, positions here separate on narrow margins. The methodology page sets out the formula.

Questions to ask your contractor

  • Are you quoting full underpinning or bench footing, and what does each one cost here? Underpinning versus bench footing
  • How much finished ceiling height do I actually gain once the new slab is poured? Sourced per linear foot pricing
  • Who is the engineer, and is the stamped drawing inside this price?
  • How is the work sequenced so the house stays supported throughout?
  • What is the plan for water now that the floor sits lower than it did?

Coverage

Where to go next

Below-grade problems rarely stay in one category. These are the other Greater Toronto Area rankings and guides on WaterproofingIndex.