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Paving & Landscaping Contractor

Groundworks & Drainage in Stevenage

Excavation, levelling, foundations and soakaways that keep your garden firm and dry, assessed on a free survey and priced directly by the owner.

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Ground Preparation

Groundworks Explained

Groundworks are the hidden part of any outdoor project: digging out, levelling, compacting and building the foundations that everything above relies on. When this stage is rushed, walls crack, lawns sink and surfaces hold puddles, so it is worth getting right before anything visible is built.

Drainage is the other half of the job. Water from roofs, lawns and hard surfaces has to go somewhere, and on Hertfordshire clay it often sits where it lands. Soakaways and drainage runs give it a route away from the house and out of the garden's lowest corners.

Groundworks can be booked on their own or as the first stage of a wider garden scheme. Either way, you get a clear account of what the ground needs, based on a survey of your own site rather than a standard allowance applied to every job.

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Worker fitting orange drainage pipe in an excavated trench
Underground drainage tank being set into an excavation
Compact loader excavating soil in a garden
Channel drain set between block paving
Groundworks & Drainage: What's Included

Groundwork Tasks Covered

The work below covers the most common groundwork and drainage needs in a domestic garden. Your quote lists only the parts your own site calls for.

  • Excavating soil and removing it from site
  • Levelling and grading ground to the right falls
  • Laying and compacting a sub-base for new features
  • Concrete foundations for walls and garden structures
  • Digging and building soakaways for surface water
  • Drainage runs to clear waterlogged areas
  • Connecting gutters and downpipes to a soakaway
  • Reinstating the ground once the work is finished
Why Choose Us for Groundworks & Drainage

Why Use Us for Groundworks

Groundwork is buried once it is done, so it pays to understand what will go in before it is covered. You get that explanation in plain terms, from the person pricing the job.

Worker setting a manhole cover on a gravel sub-base

Your Ground Checked First

The free survey looks at soil type, existing levels and where water gathers after rain, so the groundwork quoted fits what is actually under your garden.

Water Given a Route

Soakaways and drainage runs are planned around where water collects now, so it leaves the garden instead of pooling.

A Firm Base Throughout

Compacted sub-bases and sound foundations stop new walls, decks and lawns from settling unevenly once they are in use.

One Owner to Answer

You speak directly to the owner about digging, spoil removal and access, so nothing in the groundwork is left to guesswork.

Ready to Get Started?

Ring Herts Paving & Landscaping, or leave your details for a quote.

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More Landscaping Services

Building on the Groundwork

Groundworks usually come before something else goes in. These services cover the garden features that sit on top of a well-prepared, well-drained base.

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Got a Waterlogged Garden?

Ring now, or leave a few details and a quote will follow.

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Groundworks & Drainage: How It Works

Groundworks Step by Step

Most groundwork and drainage jobs follow the same broad order, from understanding the ground to leaving it ready for use.

1

Assess the Site

A free survey checks soil, levels, access for machinery and where water settles, and notes any services such as pipes or cables that may run below.

2

Set Out the Plan

You receive a quote setting out what will be dug, built and drained, where spoil will go, and how the ground will be left afterwards.

3

Dig, Drain & Build

Ground is excavated and levelled, drainage and soakaways are installed, and sub-bases or foundations are laid and compacted ready for what follows.

4

Check the Falls

Levels and falls are checked so water runs where intended. We review the completed work with you and confirm everything has been done as agreed.

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Groundworks & Drainage FAQs

Groundworks & Drainage FAQs

What Are the Signs of Poor Garden Drainage?

Puddles that linger long after rain, a lawn that squelches underfoot, moss spreading across hard surfaces and damp patches on walls near ground level are the usual signs. Water standing against the house is the one to act on soonest, since it can lead to damp inside.

What Is a Soakaway & Do I Need One?

A soakaway is a pit filled with rubble or plastic crates that collects surface water and lets it soak slowly into the surrounding ground. It suits gardens where rainwater from roofs or hard surfaces has nowhere else to go. It works best in free-draining soil, so the ground is checked first.

What Is a French Drain?

A French drain is a gravel-filled trench, usually with a perforated pipe in the base, that gathers water from soggy ground and carries it away to a soakaway or other outlet. It is a common answer for a lawn or border that stays wet long after the rest of the garden has dried.

Why Does Clay Soil Cause Drainage Problems?

Clay particles are very fine and pack tightly together, so water moves through them slowly. After heavy rain the top layer fills up and water sits on the surface. Clay also swells when wet and shrinks when dry, which is why ground preparation on clay needs extra care.

Do Groundworks Need Doing Before Garden Features?

In most cases, yes. Decking frames, garden walls and artificial lawns all depend on level, compacted ground, and drainage is far easier to install before anything is built over it. Doing the groundwork first avoids lifting finished features later to fix water or settlement problems.

Will Excavation Damage the Rest of My Garden?

Digging does create disturbance, especially where machinery needs access through a side gate or across a lawn. Routes are agreed at the survey, boards can protect ground that has to be crossed, and areas affected by access are reinstated as part of the job.
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