YOUR GROUNDWORKS ENQUIRY
Plan your groundworks work
Request groundwork for foundations, drainage or site preparation with the proposal and access described. Buried services, ground evidence and disposal need establishing before excavation.
What to include in your enquiry
- The proposed work and available drawings or specifications
- Existing services, drainage and any ground investigation
- Site access, spoil removal and the next construction stage
- State whether you own, rent or manage the property and who can authorise this groundworks work
What should the quote cover?
Compare setting out, excavation assumptions, disposal, specified construction, testing and reinstatement. Ask who confirms utilities and discharge permissions and how unexpected ground conditions will be agreed before extra work.
Can a nearby project’s foundation or soakaway design be reused at my address?
Do not assume the conditions are equivalent. The actual ground, loading, water route and constraints need assessing for this proposal.
Property and responsibility checks
Identify actual services, levels, tree roots and ground conditions before excavation. No town-wide foundation depth or soakaway performance is prescribed. Explain plant access and horse movements if the site is an occupied yard.
- Identify the actual property, asset and owner before commissioning changes
- Include relevant plans, reports or permission information; do not assume approval
- Agree access, protection and making good where the work affects retained surfaces
Further guidance: West Suffolk planning · East Cambridgeshire planning policy maps · West Suffolk Local Plan July 2025 · Newmarket conservation appraisal 2009 · Newmarket Area Transport Plan 2025 · Long term flood risk · Asbestos FAQs
Groundworks begins with a site-specific plan
Quick answer
Request groundwork for foundations, drainage or site preparation with the proposal and access described. Buried services, ground evidence and disposal need establishing before excavation.
Request a quote for excavation, foundations or other defined groundwork, with the design, ground information and site access considered together.
Describe the project served by the work: extension foundations, a new drainage route or preparation for another structure. Excavation is a construction stage, not a substitute for a design. Soil, existing buildings, trees, utilities and access can affect the proposal. Ask what information is needed before a price is confirmed. A standard trench depth or area rate is not proof of suitability. Keep the intended result and design responsibilities clear before machines arrive.
Ground conditions and foundation design
The foundation arrangement needs assessment for the actual building and ground. Existing structures and nearby features can change requirements. Ask who provides investigation and design, what assumptions remain and which findings require review. Do not dig inspection holes yourself near structures or services to prepare a quotation. HSE warns that excavations can undermine adjacent structures. Appropriate support and precautions need planning. The builder should work to the assessed design and relevant inspection requirements rather than a generic local rule.
Buried services and safe excavation
HSE’s underground-services guidance sets out planning, identifying services and safe excavation. Records help but do not certify every exact route or depth. Ask how the contractor obtains and checks relevant information before work. Unknown or conflicting findings need resolution through the appropriate operator and professionals. Keep people away from the active work area. This site does not locate utilities or give a household digging method; a completed enquiry does not authorise excavation around an unidentified asset.
Find the asset and an assessed drainage outlet
Explain the intended foundations, levels, paving and drainage before excavation. Ask how buried services, retained roots and the receiving ground/outlet will be assessed. A channel or pipe needs an identified suitable discharge route; proximity to a public drain does not establish authority to connect or alter it.
Plan delivery access and adjoining protection
Describe site access, space for deliveries, nearby walls, trees and services so the method and quotation account for the actual constraints. Ask how excavation, spoil, temporary protection and reinstatement are included. A narrow entrance or roadside working area may need a different plan from an open plot.
What should this quotation actually cover?
Ask before commissioning
Compare setting out, excavation assumptions, disposal, specified construction, testing and reinstatement. Ask who confirms utilities and discharge permissions and how unexpected ground conditions will be agreed before extra work.
Identify actual services, levels, tree roots and ground conditions before excavation. No town-wide foundation depth or soakaway performance is prescribed. Explain plant access and horse movements if the site is an occupied yard.
- What design and site information governs the work?
- How are services, safety and inspection stages handled?
- Who approves discoveries, disposal and reinstatement costs?
Sources: West Suffolk planning · East Cambridgeshire planning policy maps · West Suffolk Local Plan July 2025 · Newmarket conservation appraisal 2009 · Newmarket Area Transport Plan 2025 · Long term flood risk · Asbestos FAQs
Inspection records and completion
Plan the relevant inspections before concealed work is covered and retain the as-built information, findings and approvals where required. Ask which stage is being handed over and what remains for later trades. Keep maintenance access and installed drainage details available. For an enquiry, send postcode, project purpose, current design stage and known site constraints. We review suitable local requests; sending details does not book machines, grant permission or guarantee conditions can be determined without assessment.