How Long Does Reblocking Take? A Stage-by-Stage Timeline for Melbourne's North

The short answer

For a typical single-storey weatherboard in Melbourne's north, the on-site part of a full reblock usually runs somewhere between one and two weeks. A partial restump can often be finished in a few days. The time on site is only one piece of the story, though. The weeks before the crew arrives, spent on inspection, quoting and the building permit, frequently take longer than the work itself.

This guide walks through each stage so you can plan around it, whether you live in a Brunswick worker's cottage, a Reservoir post-war weatherboard or a Greensborough house perched on a slope.

Stage one: inspection and quote

Everything starts underneath the floor. A proper look at the stumps, bearers and joists, plus level readings through the main rooms, generally takes an hour or two on site. Our Subfloor & Stump Inspections service is set up for exactly this, and it is also the visit that decides between a complete reblock, a partial restump or simply re-packing what is there.

The written quote normally follows within a few days. Unusual features, such as a brick chimney base, an old extension on different footings or a very low crawl space, can take a little longer to price properly.

Stage two: the building permit

In Victoria, replacing stumps generally requires a building permit, which comes from a registered building surveyor. The surveyor reviews the footing design and sets the inspections that must happen while the job is under way.

How long this takes depends on the surveyor's workload and whether anything else is involved. A straightforward restump might be approved in a week or two. If the house sits under a heritage overlay, as plenty do in Northcote, Brunswick and parts of Coburg, check with Merri-bek or Darebin council early, because a planning question can add time before the building permit is issued.

Stage three: on site, day by day

Once the permit is in hand, the job tends to follow a familiar rhythm.

Days one and two: set-up and support

The crew opens up access, which can mean lifting some floorboards, removing a few weatherboards near ground level or cutting a hatch. Temporary props and jacks go in under the bearers so the house is carried safely while the old stumps come out.

Days two to five: old stumps out, new holes dug

The crew pulls the old stumps and digs fresh holes, working one section at a time. This is where ground conditions in the north make the biggest difference. Heavy basalt clay around Coburg, Pascoe Vale, Reservoir and Thomastown is slow going, and buried basalt boulders turn up often enough that crews plan for them.

The footing inspection

Before new stumps are set, the building surveyor or their inspector checks the holes. The crew cannot pour concrete or move on until that inspection is passed, so the day it happens can shape the rest of the week.

Days five to eight: new stumps, levelling and packing

Concrete or adjustable steel stumps go in on the new footings, and our Concrete & Steel Stumps page explains how we choose between them. The house is then lowered or adjusted onto its new supports and packed to level. This is careful, incremental work. Rushing it is how walls crack.

The final day or two: repairs and clean-up

Rotten bearers or joists uncovered during the job get replaced, boards and weatherboards go back, and the site is tidied. A final inspection is then arranged with the building surveyor to close out the permit.

What stretches a reblock timeline

A handful of things reliably add days:

• Rock in the holes. Basalt floaters can turn a quick dig into a slow one.
• Tight side access. Narrow gaps between houses in Brunswick or Northcote can mean hand digging and carrying everything in by barrow.
• Hidden framing damage. Rotten bearers, borer and old termite damage only show up once the floor is opened.
• Wet weather. Waterlogged clay and flooded holes halt work, so winter jobs often run a little longer.
• Sloping blocks. Taller stumps on the Banyule slopes around Heidelberg and Greensborough need more bracing and more care.
• Inspection scheduling. Waiting a day or two for a footing inspection is normal.

Can you stay at home?

Most families live in the house throughout. Expect daytime noise, limited access under the floor and short periods when water, gas or power may be off while services are disconnected or adjusted. Doors may stick or swing for a few days as the floor comes back to level. Plan around one or two noisier days rather than the whole fortnight.

After the crew leaves

Even a perfectly levelled house needs a little time to settle. Some fine plaster cracks can appear in the weeks after a reblock as walls adjust to their new position, and doors that were trimmed years ago for a sloping floor can need adjusting. Many owners wait a month or so before patching and painting.

If the floor is out by only a small amount and the stumps are sound, our House Re-levelling & Re-packing service may be quicker still, often a day or two on site.

Getting a timeline for your own house

The simplest way to get a realistic timeline is to have the house looked at. Book a free subfloor inspection and we will tell you what we found, which option suits the house and roughly how long the work should take once the permit is approved. Whether you are in Preston, Reservoir, Epping or Broadmeadows, the stages are the same, and knowing them up front makes the disruption far easier to manage.