Soil Test for House Footings in Victoria: Classes, Cost and What You Need

A soil test (geotechnical investigation / soil report) for house footings in Victoria is a borehole investigation that classifies the site to AS 2870-2011 as Class A, S, M, H1, H2, E or P. Victorian residential footings — pads, strips, stumps, slabs and piles — are designed from that class because reactive clay (especially Melbourne west and north, typically M to H2) changes depth, stiffness and whether a shallow pad is even the right tool. Class A and S sites may use lighter deemed-to-comply pads or strips; Class H, E and P usually need deeper piers, driven steel or screw piles below the seasonal active zone. Easy Footings Pty Ltd (ABN 44 689 644 175) does not sell precast 100x100 concrete stumps, hardware-store footing blocks or brick pier laying; we install engineer-certified RapidStump, StumpRite and SurePile from a soil report. Phone 0419 994 555.

What a Soil Test Is

A geotech drills one or more boreholes on the actual building footprint, logs the profile, and issues a classification under AS 2870-2011 Residential Slabs and Footings. That class is the single most important input to footing design. It is not a hardware-store moisture probe, and it is not a neighbour’s report from a different lot. For an addition, take the test where the new work sits — see house extension footings in Victoria.

The report typically names the class, expected surface movement, founding depth notes, and any Class P issues (fill, trees, abnormal moisture). Your engineer then chooses a deemed-to-comply table or a certified alternative. BMSA requires a foundation soil test plus structural plans before specifying RapidStump or SurePile; Easy Footings follows the same path.

How to Get a Soil Test in Victoria

1. Engage a geotechnical engineer or soil-testing firm that issues AS 2870 classifications for residential work.
2. Give them the proposed footprint (new house, restump grid, or extension outline).
3. Allow time for drilling and the written report (our AS 2870 page notes about 1–2 weeks as typical).
4. Hand the report to your structural engineer and registered building surveyor. Most house, restump and extension footings need a building permit; the surveyor decides Class 10 exemptions. Not legal advice.

Easy Footings does not perform the geotech investigation. We can advise how to arrange one, then design install from the report. Call 0419 994 555 or use the contact form.

AS 2870 Class A–P (Published Movement Bands)

These classes and movement bands are already published on our AS 2870 guide:

Much of Melbourne’s west and north sits on Class M to H2 clay. Trees or uncontrolled fill can push a block into Class P. The “-D” suffix means deep-seated movement.

What the Report Means for Pads, Strips and Stumps

A pad footing is an isolated square under a post; a strip (trench) footing is a continuous beam under a load-bearing wall. Full comparison: pad vs strip footings in Victoria and the dedicated strip footings Victoria lander. Published 2026 indicative sizes: pads about 450×450 to 900×900 mm and 600–900 mm deep on Class A/S/M; strips about 300–600 mm wide and 400–1000 mm deep, deeper on Class H and E.

• Class A / S. Shallow pads or strips can be legitimate on stable ground for light framed work. Hardware-store blocks still fail as house footings if they are undersized or unengineered.
• Class M. Common suburban Melbourne. Stumped floors typically need deeper founding (around 1–1.5 m on our AS 2870 page) or steel that bypasses the movement zone. Adjustable heads help later re-level.
• Class H1 / H2 / E. Shallow pads in the seasonal active zone crack plaster, step brickwork and bind doors. Bored piers, RapidStump or SurePile below the active zone are the usual response.
• Class P. Always engineered. Fill, trees and soft ground rule out standard tables. Screw piles or driven steel that reach competent material are often the practical option.

If you are restumping, the same class still governs replacement stumps. Installed restump work on this site is quoted in the existing Melbourne bands of roughly $500–$1,000+ per stump (partial and full-house bands live on the restumping guides). That is not a soil-test price.

Cost Notes (Published Bands Only)

Ask your geotech or council for a current soil-test quote. Figures already on this website: a residential soil report is noted on the AS 2870 page at about $400–$800; soil test and engineering together appear as about $600–$2,000 on our pier and extension pages. Easy Footings does not sell geotech reports.

Supply-only StumpRite components start from $10.35 ex GST. Installed restumping stays in the published $500–$1,000+ per-stump band. We do not invent a per-job soil-test fee beyond those published ranges.

RapidStump, StumpRite and SurePile After the Report

Once the class is known, an engineer can certify a concrete-free system instead of fighting clay with a shallow pad or a long trench pour:

• RapidStump — driven steel, footing and stump in one; typical for stiff Class M+ suburban infill and restumping.
• StumpRite — adjustable steel (up to 120 mm) when bearer lines must meet an existing floor or when later re-level is likely.
• SurePile — helical screw piles for Class H clay, fill, slope, trees or heavier additions.

AS 2870 is performance-based: an engineer-certified steel system complies. We still need the soil test. Easy Footings does not pour strips, does not sell precast 100x100 stumps, does not sell hardware-store footing blocks, and does not lay brick piers.

Soil Test FAQs