Surefoot vs Easy Footings: Concrete-Free Footings Compared (2026)

Australian builders are increasingly looking past concrete piers for residential footings. Two names come up over and over again when you do: Surefoot and the BMSA range supplied and installed by Easy Footings — RapidStump, StumpRite and SurePile. All four are concrete-free, all four are engineer certified, and all four let you build immediately with no curing time. So how do you choose?

This article walks through each system on its merits — how it works, what loads it carries, what soils it suits, how it gets certified, and what it actually costs to install. If you are searching for a Surefoot alternative in Melbourne or regional Victoria, or you want a structured way to compare concrete-free stumps, adjustable steel stumps and steel footings, this is the page.

Quick verdict

• Choose Surefoot when you want a low-profile surface-mounted concrete-free pad on stable soils, particularly for prefabricated cabins, light decks and modular structures where the build sits at or near grade.
• Choose RapidStump when you want a single integrated steel footing-and-stump — ideal for new stumped homes, additions and house restumping where the structural stump is part of the footing.
• Choose StumpRite when you need adjustable steel stumps and adjustable footings with up to 120 mm of screw height adjustment and a full ecosystem of tops, plates, bases and bracing for everything from sub-floors to stair stringers.
• Choose SurePile when the loads are heavy, the soil is reactive (Class H1, H2 or P), the block is steep, or the structure is commercial — helical screw piles reach competent strata that surface pads and short driven stumps cannot.

What is Surefoot?

Surefoot is an Australian-designed concrete-free footing. Each unit is a hot-dip galvanised steel pad placed on a prepared ground surface, with multiple structural steel pins driven through angled holes in the pad into the soil below. The pins diverge from one another so that any movement of the pad — vertical, uplift or lateral — is resisted by skin friction and bearing across the full pin array. No concrete is required, no excavation is needed in most installations, and the footing reaches full design capacity the moment the last pin is set.

Surefoot pads come in a range of sizes from small deck and pergola units up to larger industrial pads that carry several tonnes per footing. They are engineered, certified and used widely across Australia for decks, pergolas, modular cabins, sheds, container homes, signage, solar arrays and light commercial buildings.

What does Easy Footings install?

Easy Footings is the Melbourne and Victorian installer of BMSA Footing Solutions, an Australian manufacturer of three complementary concrete-free footing systems. They are designed to cover everything from sub-floor restumping work to commercial helical piling, and they are routinely specified instead of Surefoot when the geometry, depth or load profile of the job suits a different solution.

RapidStump — concrete-free stump and steel footing in one

RapidStump is a hybrid all-in-one steel footing and stump. Multiple opposing micropiles are driven through a steel sleeve at angles that lock the stump into the ground using skin friction and end bearing. Because the structural stump is part of the footing, builders skip a step on every stumped house, deck or restumping job — one component, one install pass, instant load capacity. RapidStump is made from C350 structural steel, every footing is engineered using site-specific soil data, and the average install time per footing is roughly 15 minutes.

StumpRite — adjustable steel stumps and adjustable footings

StumpRite is an Australian-made range of adjustable steel stumps and adjustable footings with up to 120 mm of screw height adjustment. The system covers adjustable stump tops in screw-on, weld-on and retrofit styles; six top-plate configurations (straight, vertical, corner, tee, end and large); six base styles (bolt-in, concrete-in, screw-in and tek-screw); cross bracing and guy-wire bracing; and stair stringers. Every component is hot-dip galvanised. Builders use StumpRite to land bearers dead level on every stump even when the ground is not, which is why it is a popular choice for new stumped homes, granny flats and complex restumping jobs.

SurePile — helical screw piles and tie-down anchors

SurePile is the heavy-duty option in the BMSA range. Each pile features helical (spiral) plates that are mechanically screwed into the soil to a designed depth. The torque required to install each pile is recorded and used as real-time verification of capacity. SurePile reaches deep bearing strata that pads and short driven stumps cannot, which is why it is the right pick for reactive Melbourne clay, sloping blocks, retaining walls, solar arrays and modular and container buildings that need cyclone-rated tie-downs.

Side-by-side comparison

The table below summarises the four systems on the factors that drive most builder decisions.

Cost and depth ranges are indicative and depend on soil class, building load, footing count and access. Easy Footings will quote the system and price that suits your specific soil report and structural plans.

How they compare technically

Load transfer

Surefoot transfers load through the diverging steel pins driven through a surface pad. Capacity is governed by the friction and bearing of the pins along their relatively shallow length plus the geometric advantage of having pins pointing in different directions. RapidStump uses the same pin-array principle but the pins go through a structural stump sleeve, so the stump itself becomes the head of the pile array. StumpRite places an adjustable steel stump on a base that can be driven, bolted or concreted in, then transfers load straight down the stump. SurePile is fundamentally different — it is a deep driven pile, with capacity coming from the helices bearing on competent soil at depth.

The practical implication: the deeper the system, the better it handles reactive clay, fill, sandy soils and high uplift. That is why a SurePile screw pile beats a shallow surface pad on Class H1 reactive Melbourne clay, and why a driven RapidStump or adjustable StumpRite beats a surface pad once you are stumping a house above the active zone.

Site preparation

Surefoot needs a level, prepared bearing surface for the pad. RapidStump and StumpRite need a peg-out only — the driver lands on the peg and drives. SurePile needs space for the torque head and rig, but no excavation. None of the four require formwork, concrete trucks, vibration plates or a cure period.

Adjustability and finished levels

One of the biggest practical differences for builders is what happens once the footing is in. Surefoot pads are at a fixed level once installed; getting the bearer level often means shimming. RapidStump can be driven to a target top-of-stump RL, but final fine adjustment usually involves a bracket or top-plate. StumpRite is purpose-built for adjustability — the screw thread on each stump gives 120 mm of tuning, so a sub-floor with 25 stumps lands dead level even on a site that is anything but. SurePile can be cut at the head and capped at a survey-set level.

Compliance and engineering

All four systems — Surefoot, RapidStump, StumpRite and SurePile — are engineered footing solutions used routinely for Class 1 dwellings, Class 10 outbuildings, additions, decks and modular and prefabricated buildings in Victoria. Each footing on a project is sized using site-specific soil data (typically a borehole soil test or DCP probe) plus the structural design loads from the building plans. The relevant Australian standards are AS 2870 (Residential Slabs and Footings), AS/NZS 1170 (Structural Design Actions) and AS 1554 (welding) where applicable, all referenced from the National Construction Code. Easy Footings provides a stamped engineering footing layout and an installation certificate for every job, which is what your building surveyor needs for permit compliance.

When Surefoot is the right call

• Light residential decks, pergolas and freestanding pads on stable Class A or M soils.
• Modular cabins and small prefabricated structures where the floor sits very close to grade.
• Sites where pad bearing surfaces are easy to prepare and headroom for a tall driver or screw pile rig is constrained.
• Owner-builder DIY projects where a single tradesperson can manhandle pads and pin drivers.

When Easy Footings is the right call

• House restumping in Melbourne. RapidStump is purpose-built for sub-floor work where access is tight. See our house restumping Melbourne guide.
• New stumped homes, additions and granny flats. StumpRite gives 120 mm of dead-level adjustment per stump. See our granny flat footings guide.
• Reactive clay or sloping blocks. SurePile reaches the depth that pads cannot. See our sloping blocks guide.
• Pergolas with serious wind uplift. SurePile or RapidStump anchor below the active zone. See our pergola footings guide.
• Decks above 1 m or with spas. StumpRite or SurePile carry the higher loads. See our deck footing installation guide.
• Footings near trees. Driven and screwed systems sidestep root damage compared to wide pad excavations. See our footings near trees guide.
• Modular, container and relocatable buildings. SurePile tie-downs are cyclone rated.

Cost: what does each actually cost installed?

Headline pricing across all four systems is similar — they compete with concrete piers on speed and labour rather than material cost. As a Melbourne 2026 guide:

• Light deck or pergola footings: roughly $300–$600 per footing supplied and installed for any of the four systems.
• Stumped house or granny flat: roughly $300–$700 per stump for RapidStump or StumpRite installations, depending on stump count, height and adjustability needs.
• Helical screw piles: roughly $450–$1,200 per pile for SurePile depending on depth, torque rating and access.
• Restumping a 1960s Melbourne weatherboard: typically $10,000–$25,000 all up for around 25 stumps using RapidStump or StumpRite, including engineering, levelling and certification.

On a like-for-like job, Easy Footings is normally within ten to twenty percent of an equivalent Surefoot install. The deciding factor between the four systems is almost always soil, geometry and load — not headline price. See our full concrete-free vs traditional concrete cost comparison.

Decision tree: which concrete-free footing should I use?

1. Are the loads heavy or commercial, or is the soil reactive H1/H2/P? → SurePile.
2. Are you restumping or building a stumped house? → RapidStump for compact driven stumps; StumpRite if you need precise adjustable height per stump.
3. Is it a deck, pergola, shed, sign or solar array on stable soil? → Either Surefoot or RapidStump — choose by access, headroom and the level of adjustability you need.
4. Is it a relocatable, modular or container building that needs cyclone-rated tie-downs? → SurePile.
5. Unsure? Send us your plans and soil report.

Frequently asked questions

What is Surefoot and how does it work?

Surefoot is an Australian-designed concrete-free footing system. Each unit is a hot-dip galvanised steel pad placed on a prepared ground surface with multiple steel pins driven through the pad at opposing angles. The pins lock the pad into the soil and the combined skin friction and bearing of the array carries vertical, uplift and lateral loads.

Is there a Surefoot alternative in Melbourne and Victoria?

Yes. Easy Footings supplies and installs three concrete-free footing systems — RapidStump, StumpRite and SurePile — that are used routinely as a Surefoot alternative across Melbourne and regional Victoria. All three are engineered to Australian standards and require no concrete, no curing and no weather delays.

What is the difference between Surefoot and RapidStump?

Both use steel pins driven into the ground at opposing angles to carry load without concrete. The geometry is different: Surefoot is a surface pad with pins through it; RapidStump is a hybrid steel footing-and-stump where the structural stump itself is the head of the pile array. RapidStump is typically faster for stumped builds and restumping; Surefoot can suit low-profile decks and modular cabins on stable soil.

Are Surefoot, RapidStump, StumpRite and SurePile certified?

Yes. All four are engineered and certified to Australian standards including AS 2870 (Residential Slabs and Footings) and AS/NZS 1170 (Structural Design Actions). Each footing is sized using site-specific soil data and structural loads, and a footing certificate is issued for building permit compliance.

Which is the best concrete-free footing on reactive Melbourne clay?

Helical screw piles such as SurePile are the strongest option on Class H1 or H2 reactive Melbourne clay because the helices anchor below the active zone (typically 1.8–2.5 m). Surface pads and short driven stumps work well on Class M and stiffer soils.

Are concrete-free footings cheaper than concrete piers?

On the unit price for the footing itself, concrete-free systems typically come in within ten to twenty percent of an equivalent concrete pier. The bigger saving is programme: zero curing time, install in any weather and one trade on site instead of three. Most builders find that the reduced delays more than pay for any small price difference.

Surefoot is a trademark of its respective owner. This article is an independent comparison published by Easy Footings Pty Ltd and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Surefoot. All technical descriptions of Surefoot are based on publicly available product information.