Guides by country
Guides for your country
Most guides are written for the United States. Where the words, standards or prices differ, we publish a national version, listed here. Every other guide is on the all guides page, and our independent answers for homeowners in four countries start on the homepage.
Canada
Canadian homes share most US problems, but the words and the help on offer differ. Weeping tile replaces "footing drain", and many cities subsidize backwater valves and flood protection.
- Guides
- 3
- Currency
- CAD
- Standards
- National Building Code of Canada, CMHC, municipal flood programs
- Local terms
- Weeping tile
- Weeping Tile: Failure Signs and Replacement CostHow weeping tile works, signs it has clogged or collapsed, and typical replacement costs in CAD.Basement Water Coming soon
- Basement Flooding Subsidy ProgramsHow municipal basement flooding subsidy programs work in Canada, what they cover, and how to apply.Basement Water Coming soon
- Basement Leak Repair Cost (CAD)Basement leak repair costs in Canadian dollars, from crack injection to weeping tile.Basement Water Coming soon
United Kingdom
UK homes are mostly solid masonry on clay, so the questions are about subsidence, damp and mould rather than basements. Insurers and surveyors grade cracks using the BRE categories.
- Guides
- 4
- Currency
- GBP
- Standards
- BRE Digest 251, NHBC Standards, Property Care Association
- Cracks in New-Build Homes (NHBC Warranty)Normal new-build cracking, what the NHBC warranty covers, and how to report defects.Foundation Cracks Coming soon
- Subsidence Cracks (BRE Categories 0–5)How engineers and insurers grade subsidence cracks from Category 0 to 5 under BRE Digest 251.Settling & Subsidence Coming soon
- Damp Survey: What It Is and What It CostsWhat a damp survey checks, who should carry it out, what it costs, and how to read the results.Damp & Mold Coming soon
- Underpinning Cost: Is It Needed? Alternatives and PricesWhether you really need underpinning, the cheaper alternatives, and typical UK prices in pounds.Repair Methods Coming soon
Australia
Many older Australian houses sit on timber or concrete stumps, and reactive clay soils are common. AS 2870 sets both the site classes and the wall-crack categories.
- Guides
- 3
- Currency
- AUD
- Standards
- AS 2870 (residential slabs and footings)
- Local terms
- AS 2870, Damp-proof course, Damp-proof membrane, Reactive soil, Reblocking, Restumping, Subsidence
- Restumping vs Reblocking vs Resin InjectionRestumping, reblocking and resin injection compared for Australian homes on stumps.Repair Methods Coming soon
- Restumping Cost by StateRestumping costs by state, and what changes the price for timber, concrete and steel stumps.Repair Methods Coming soon
- Wall Cracks Explained (AS 2870 Categories)Wall cracks graded by the AS 2870 damage categories, from hairline to severe.Floors, Walls & Doors Coming soon
New Zealand and Ireland
Readers in New Zealand and Ireland will find the UK and Australian guides the closest match for local building practice and vocabulary. We may add dedicated pages later.