Groundworks in Downham Market, Norfolk (1)

If you’re planning on building a house from scratch, or even a house extension project, you’ll come into contact with groundwork contractors – because foundations of a house fall into the category of groundworks.

In the context of construction projects, groundworks refers to any of the work that takes place to prepare the ground for construction. That can include demolishing a house, stabilising a site for building work, or removing topsoil for the footprint of a new building.

Groundwork for building foundations

When constructing a building, the foundations are one of the most important parts of the project. Here are the four main types of building foundations that you’ll come across in the UK:

• Trench fill foundations – These are trenches filled with concrete just below ground level to provide a solid base for building on.

• Strip foundations – A shallow foundation used to provide a continuous strip of support (either level or stepped) for a linear structure, such as a wall.

• Concrete slab foundations – Made from concrete which is either poured over the ground or laid in individual blocks.

• Raft foundations – These foundations involve a solid concrete base (otherwise known as a raft) made up of reinforced concrete being poured on top of the soil covering the entire area of the building.

Need advice from a local groundwork expert?

When planning any kind of construction project, it’s often very helpful to have a chat with experienced local tradespeople to understand what’s involved in the building process – and to find out how much it might cost.

If you’re keen to speak to local groundwork contractors, we can help you find the best tradespeople in your area with our quick and easy online search – or request a quote and we’ll get multiple groundwork specialists to contact you directly.

Due to the nature of groundworks and the variety in scale and scope of what can be involved, the average groundwork costs in the UK can vary massively.

If you’re talking about the cost of foundations for a house, you’re looking at a groundwork cost of around £100 - £120 per m2 for strip foundations, or £120 - £150 per m2 for trench fill foundations.

Demolition costs

For construction projects on a site where an old building needs to be removed, you’ll need to call in the demolition experts. Here are some of the average costs for demolishing a house:

• Small house (80-120m2) – £4,000 - £9,500

• Large house (200-250m2) – £12,500 - £27,500

• Garage demolition – £1,000 - £3,000

• Remove a load-bearing wall – £1,200 - £2,000

Demolition is typically classed as “permitted development”, which means you shouldn’t need planning permission. However, it’s always worth checking with your local planning office before starting any demolition work – especially if listed buildings or Conservation Areas are involved.

Quotes for groundwork costs

To get accurate costs for your groundwork, it’s always sensible to contact local tradespeople to discuss the details and specification of your projects. As with all home improvement projects, we always recommend obtaining at least three quotes from different groundwork agencies or contractors in your area.

By shopping around you can make sure you're paying a fair and competitive price for the work. And, thankfully, we've got a tool that makes finding multiple quotes super easy. Our request a quote tool is perfect for getting quotes: you post details about the work you need doing and we’ll send it out to local tradespeople in your area. Try it out – it's quick and easy!

The time it takes to complete the groundwork phase of a construction project will depend on the condition of the site, the work needed, and the scope of the planned building.

Clearing the site

Some sites require very little preparation and can be ready to start laying foundations almost immediately. Other sites require soil testing, site-levelling and clearing before any construction work can begin, which can be anywhere from 4 weeks to 3+ months.

If you need to demolish a house, the demolition process usually takes somewhere in the region of 4-8 days – depending on the size and style of the property.

Laying the foundation

The process of preparing the base of the building and laying foundations will again depend on the size of the property being built. Typically, it takes around 2-4 weeks to lay foundations. But you also have to factor in the time for the foundations to set and become strong enough to start building on, which usually takes 28-60 days, depending on conditions.

Hire local groundwork and civil engineering contractors

To find the best groundwork and civil engineering contractors, use our quick and easy online search to find our members who have been recommended by your neighbours. Or, alternatively, our handy request a quote feature makes it super easy to get multiple quotes from local tradespeople. Simply post details about the job you need them to do and we’ll do the legwork by reaching out to local tradespeople and getting in touch with you directly. Try it now - it’s quick and easy!

The exact details of what’s involved in the groundwork stage of a construction will depend on the nature of the project, the site being used, and the scope of the building(s) being constructed. You can expect most construction projects to involve the following steps:

• Inspecting the site

• Site clearing

• Laying foundations

• Installing draining

The groundwork process

Here’s an overview of the various steps of the groundwork stage of a construction project:

1. Inspecting the site – Before any work goes ahead, the site is checked for stability and being fit for the purpose of the intended construction that’s being planned.

2. Site clearing – As long as the site is deemed appropriate for the construction project, the site is then cleared, removing undergrowth, any existing buildings that need to be removed, and basically creating a clear site ready for preparing the base to be built on.

3. Foundations – With a clear site, the foundations can be laid using the planned method, such as trench fill foundations or strip foundations.

4. Install drainage – After the foundations have been laid, a groundwork contractor will be responsible for planning and installing the appropriate drainage of your property.

Once the foundations are set and strong enough to take weight, the building stage can begin.

Find the best groundwork engineering experts near you

Groundwork is an extremely important part of construction and, if you’re building a home or extension, you’ll want to find the best tradespeople to carry out the work. And, thankfully, we can help you find them.

You can either search for groundwork specialists using our online search and contact them yourself. Or, use our request a quote feature and leave it to us to find them for you – just tell us what you need and we’ll reach out to recommended groundwork contractors near you and get them to contact you directly.