Underpinning
Underpinning in Donegal
In Census 2022, 21.1% of the 61,575 households in Co. Donegal lived in homes built before 1971, against 28.5% nationally (23rd of 26 counties), and 7.5% in homes built before 1919.
Underpinning in Donegal works the way it does everywhere: a chartered structural engineer first, then the cause, then the design. Tell us what's happening and one experienced groundworks and underpinning contractor who covers your county rings you.
Free, no obligation. One local contractor talks it through, not five.
- 21.1%of homes in Co. Donegal built before 1971
- 7.5%built before 1919
- 70%of homes detached
- 61,575households, Census 2022
Housing
How old the houses are in Donegal
| Built | Share of homes in Co. Donegal |
|---|---|
| Before 1919 | 7.5% |
| Before 1946 | 11.3% |
| Before 1971 | 21.1% |
| 1971 to 1990 | 23.7% |
| 1991 to 2010 | 47.0% |
| 2011 on | 6.0% |
Why age matters: houses from the early 1970s and before usually have clay drains with open joints. Leaking drains wash out and soften the ground under the footings, and they're behind most of the subsidence in Irish houses. Newer houses have sealed plastic drains, and were built to the Building Regulations, which include requirement A2 on ground movement.
Ground
The ground in Donegal
- Much of Donegal has rock close to the surface, with blanket peat on the hills and soft ground in the valleys and along the estuaries.
- In Donegal, cracks in walls are often a block problem rather than a ground problem: defective concrete blocks crumble in the walls themselves.
- Geological Survey Ireland keeps a national landslide susceptibility map and a database of karst features. They're broad guides to an area, never a verdict on one house.
These notes describe the county in general. They're background for a conversation with an engineer, never a verdict on one house.
Schemes
Pyrite and defective blocks in Donegal
Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. Co. Donegal is in the enhanced scheme, with grants of up to €420,000 depending on the works needed. Defective blocks fail in the walls themselves, so underpinning doesn't fix them either.
Steps
Getting a house in Donegal looked at
- Record the cracks.Dated photos, inside and out, with a ruler in the shot. Don't fill them yet.
- Get a chartered structural engineer.The engineer grades the cracks, finds the cause and decides whether underpinning is needed at all. Look for the CEng MIEI title.
- Check the drains.A CCTV drain survey shows whether old drains are leaking, the usual cause.
- Tell your insurer if you're claiming.As soon as reasonably possible. See the insurance guide.
- Get the design priced.Send your details and one experienced groundworks and underpinning contractor who covers your county rings you to talk it through.
Towns
Towns we cover in Co. Donegal
Letterkenny, Buncrana, Ballybofey-Stranorlar, Carndonagh, Donegal and Bundoran, and everywhere in between.
| Town | People, Census 2022 |
|---|---|
| Letterkenny | 22,549 |
| Buncrana | 6,971 |
| Ballybofey-Stranorlar | 5,406 |
| Carndonagh | 2,768 |
| Donegal | 2,749 |
| Bundoran | 2,599 |
| Ballyshannon | 2,246 |
| Convoy | 1,702 |
Neighbouring counties: Leitrim · Sligo · All 26 counties
FAQ
Donegal questions
How old are the homes in Donegal?
In Census 2022, 21.1% of the 61,575 households in Co. Donegal lived in homes built before 1971, and 7.5% in homes built before 1919.
Do you cover all of Co. Donegal?
Yes: Letterkenny, Buncrana, Ballybofey-Stranorlar, Carndonagh, Donegal and Bundoran and everywhere in between. Send your details and one experienced groundworks and underpinning contractor who covers your county rings you.
How much does underpinning cost in Donegal?
Mini-piling under a semi-detached house starts at about €16,000, with a ground investigation at about €3,000 and a drain survey at about €385 before it. The engineer's design sets the rest.
Who will ring me?
We pass your request to one experienced groundworks and underpinning contractor who covers your county. Your number isn't sent to a list. They ring you, ask what's happening and about any engineer's report, and price the work from the engineer's design. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
Get a quote
Tell us what's happening in 4 quick taps
It goes to one experienced groundworks and underpinning contractor who covers your county, and they ring you to talk it through. They'll ask about any engineer's report.
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Cracks in the house? Talk it through
Four taps and your number. One experienced groundworks and underpinning contractor who covers your county rings you. Nothing is booked until you say yes.