Restumping on the Gold Coast

What restumping on the Gold Coast actually involves

A stump can fail where it meets the ground, and the regulator's guidance on subsidence says why the ground matters: most Queensland homes are built on clay soils, dry seasons make them dry out rapidly and wet seasons make them wet quickly, which can cause sudden extreme volume changes and soil movement. It also says cutting down a well-established tree next to a home could create a subsidence problem. That is the regulator on movement generally, not a finding about any house, and it does not name stumps. For any quote the useful question is what took the old stump out and whether the work deals with it.

Insured work, and what the insurance is

The Regulation lists the installation, repair or replacement of support structures for a residence, with the replacement of a stump as its example, among the building work that counts as primary insurable work when a licensed contractor does it and its value is over the regulated amount, A$3,300. The regulator says the warranty covers the home owner for loss if something goes wrong during the building process, including if the contractor does not fix defects and if the building suffers from subsidence or settlement. It pays up to A$200,000 on claims, lasts for 6 years and 6 months, and is not home and contents insurance.

The Building Act defines building work to include repairing, altering, underpinning and moving a building, and makes all building work assessable unless a regulation makes it accepted development. The two items in the Building Regulation 2021 for repairs and alterations do not name stumps. The City of Gold Coast says building approvals are issued by private building certifiers, not Council, and that minor repairs or maintenance that do not affect the structural or fire safety of a building may not need approval. A certifier can say which side your job falls on.

Restumping on the Gold Coast — common questions

Does restumping need a licence?

In Queensland, building work valued over A$3,300 needs one. Ask which licence class the provider holds and what it covers.

Is restumping covered by insurance?

The Regulation lists replacing a stump among the work the regulator's home warranty scheme covers when a licensed contractor does it above A$3,300. The regulator says the warranty is not home and contents insurance, so read its pages for the limits.

How much does restumping cost?

We show no restumping price. The costs page covers what moves the cost and the regulator's thresholds.