The machines do the digging and earthmoving, and your team keeps control of the design, setting-out and inspections. Mistakes at this stage are expensive to correct, so the operator works to the drawings and levels your site lead gives.
If the dig hits unexpected ground or water, the operator stops and tells your site lead. You then decide the next step with your engineer, such as digging deeper, pumping out or changing the foundation design.
What the work covers
Vegetation, old hardstanding and rubble cleared with operated plant.
Topsoil stripped and stockpiled on site for reuse.
Trenches dug to the line, depth and fall on your drawings.
Strip and trench-fill foundations dug to the dimensions set by the engineer or drawings.
Ground brought to the levels set out for slabs, drives and patios.
Excavated material loaded into dumpers, skips or muck-away lorries.
Questions people ask
How much does groundworks support cost?
It depends on the stages you need, the volume of material, the machines involved, the number of days and how spoil will leave the site.
Who finds the underground services before digging?
The hirer arranges utility plans, scanning and trial holes, as set out in HSE guidance HSG47. Share the plans and markings with us before the start date so the operator knows where services run.
Can you dig foundations to an engineer's design?
Yes. Send the drawings with the widths and depths. The operator digs to those dimensions, and the engineer or building control inspector checks the depth and bearing ground.
Can the operator dig drainage to a fall?
Yes. Give the depths at each end or the invert levels from the drawings, with the trench width and bedding, and check the levels as the trench goes in.