We analyse the cause before we fix the foundation problem. Specialist drainage diagnostics backed by both traditional repair and advanced ground engineering capability.
Auckland · Diagnose first, then fix
90% of foundation problems start with subsidence and 95% of subsidence issues are caused by poor drain management.
Trusted by Auckland homeowners since 2010
From leak to lift
How a leaking drain becomes
foundation movement.
The chain runs the same way every time. The earlier you cut it, the cheaper the repair.
Stage 01
Water enters the soil
Failed pipes, joints and downpipes leak under or beside the house. The leak is invisible at the surface, sometimes for years.
Stage 02
The soil changes
Auckland clays expand when wet, shrink when dry, and wash out under continuous flow. The soil under your footings stops behaving the way the engineer assumed.
Stage 03
The structure follows
Footings sit on soil. When the soil moves, the house moves with it. That is when cracks open, doors stop closing and floors start to slope.
Cut the chain at step one and you have prevented everything downstream.
Cost contrast
The cheapest foundation repair
you will ever pay for.
Drainage repair is a fraction of the cost of fixing what happens when you ignore it.
Drain Repair (Act now)
“Stops the cause”
- Excavate the failed section and replace with new pipe
- Reinstate the soil bedding around the failure
- Days, not weeks of disruption
- Permanent fix — no sleeve, no patch, no future failure point
Foundation Repair (Wait and see)
“Treats the consequence”
- Underpinning, repiling or relevelling
- Multi-week structural work
- Significant property disruption
- Repairs damage that has already happened
Order-of-magnitude difference in cost, time and disruption.
What we do
Two services.
One outcome.
Diagnose first, then repair. Both delivered by the team that also fixes foundations.
CCTV Drainage Inspection
“Find the cause”
- High-definition waterproof camera survey
- Pinpoint location and depth of every fault
- Cracks, root intrusion and collapsed joints identified
- Detailed report with footage and findings
- No excavation — inspection only
Most prevention value
Drain Repair & Soil Reinstatement
“Replace the pipe. Reinstate the ground.”
- Failed pipe section excavated and fully replaced
- Direct visual inspection of soil bedding
- Soil bedding reinstated and compacted to specification
- Pipe and soil addressed in one operation
- Ground stabilisation via Geofix available
The Grace Foundation Group Drainage Method
The DRAIN
Diagnostic Framework
D
Detect:
CCTV & moisture mapping
R
Reveal:
Pinpoint the failure
A
Assess:
Soil & structural movement
I
Intervene:
Replace & Reinstate
N
Neutralise:
Long-term protection
Inside the drainage advisory
Three lenses on every leak.
We do not stop at the pipe. We follow the water all the way to the structure.
Drainage Evidence
- CCTV pipe inspection, cracks, blockages, and root intrusion
- Stormwater and downpipe diversion analysis
- Surface water and run-off behaviour
Soil & Site Factors
- Moisture mapping around footings
- Auckland clay vs volcanic soil response
- Retaining wall and ground contour influence
Structural Outcomes
- Has movement already begun?
- What is the likely repair pathway?
- What is the cost of acting now vs later?
Symptoms
If you can see these,
the chain has already started.
These are the symptoms of step three — soil-driven movement. The earlier we catch it, the cheaper the fix.
Cracks widening
Resin crack repair
Learn more →
Sticking doors
House re-levelling
Learn more →
Damp ground
CCTV inspection
Learn more →
Slow drains
Drain pipe repair
Learn more →
Sloping floors
Underpinning
Learn more →
Why Grace
Built on real repair experience, not just inspection theory.
Most foundation reports come from inspectors who don’t fix anything. Ours come from the team that does.
2010
Year founded, Auckland’s foundation specialists for over 15 years
1,500+
Auckland properties assessed
LBP
Licensed Building Practitioners across foundations and structural work
10yr
Warranty on remediation works
Frequently Asked
Questions we hear
most often.
Yes, and especially then. Cracks, sticking doors, and sloping floors are the end of the chain, not the start. By the time a structural symptom appears, soil has been moving for months or years. A CCTV drain inspection is now the cheapest insurance against foundation repair later.
A drain repair costs a fraction of the cost of underpinning or relevelling the same property, typically an order of magnitude difference. We have never had a client tell us they regret having a drain fixed. We have had plenty who wish they had done it earlier.
We excavate down to the failed section, remove the damaged pipe, replace it with new pipe, then reinstate and compact the soil bedding before backfilling. Open-cut repair gives us direct visual access to the soil around the failure — critical, because by the time a drain is leaking long enough to be a problem, the surrounding soil has usually been disturbed too. We address the pipe and the soil in one operation, with no sleeve or patch left behind to fail later.
In Auckland clay, it is faster than most people expect, months, not decades, when there is a continuous leak against a footing. Heavy rain events accelerate the timeline.
Yes. In Auckland’s clay soils, excessive moisture softens the ground under your footings. Once the soil loses its strength, it can no longer support the weight of the house, leading to structural movement.
Yes. CCTV inspection, drain repair and soil reinstatement, ground stabilisation (via Geofix), and any required foundation remediation, all delivered by one team, under one warranty.
Yes, the failed section needs to be excavated to be properly replaced. We open up only the area directly above the failure and restore gardens, paths and driveways once the repair is complete. We use open-cut deliberately: by the time a drain has failed long enough to cause subsidence, the surrounding soil needs reinstatement too, and that requires direct access. Sealing the pipe alone leaves the ground problem unaddressed.
If foundation movement could affect your purchase decision, negotiation, or insurance, our paid Foundation Risk & Remediation Advisory goes beyond a free drainage assessment, risk grading, likely cause analysis, repair pathway, and budget exposure ranges. Built for property decisions where the wrong call could cost tens of thousands. Learn more →
We will identify the repair pathway, options and budget cost ranges as part of the inspection. You decide what to do next, not us.
Find the cause before you pay for the consequence.
Book a free on-site drainage and foundation assessment. We will tell you what is actually causing the movement and which repair pathway is right for your property before you spend on either.
Part of the Grace Foundation Group
Engineering-led ground stabilisation
When drainage failure has already moved the soil, our specialist division Geofix delivers resin injection, soil improvement and structural remediation with minimal disruption.