Groundworks in Sevenoaks, Uckfield and the East Sussex Area | Located in Crowborough
At Yeoman Building Contractors, we understand that good preparation is the backbone of every successful project. Safety and stability in construction owes much to the things that the customer might not see, but which still need to happen if structural issues or subsidence aren’t going to be issues further down the line. To meet our obligations to you, our valued customer, we can offer a groundworks service all the way through to the damp proof course.
We are a dependable company of builders from Crowborough and cover the Sevenoaks and Uckfield areas as well as all parts of East Sussex.
Services are also available in the surrounding counties on request.
Groundworks is a term that encompasses several stages of preparation, and it is as equally an important process in hard landscaping, such as driveway, patio and garden paving installations, as it is in the wider field of building and construction, and especially so with new builds and property extensions.
To view our previous groundworks projects, visit our website gallery.
The Groundworks Process
On most projects, except those where a property is in situ and only in need of light renovation or refurbishment work, the groundwork contractors will be the first tradespeople onsite. Anything that happens prior to building upwards or laying a surface will usually be associated to groundworks. There are many phases to this side of operations and work will often require heavy plant and machinery. This sometimes leads to additional hire costs for the customer.
This is never the case when you choose Yeoman Building Contractors. We own our own tools and equipment, and our inventory includes 3-tonne excavators, half-tonne mini diggers and any machinery the job might need.
The individual phases of the groundworks process include:
Site Clearances
The removal of waste, scrub and vegetation from site, including material from soft strip-outs and small demolitions, prior to the commencement of the initial earthworks phase. A site clearance gets your building project off the ground, leaving land in a suitable condition for development work to start on time.
Waste is taken to licensed transfer stations for disposal or recycling.
Bulk Excavation
Bulk excavation is the first part of the earthworks stage, where builders will use plant, machinery and hand tools to uplift soil so that depths are suitable for foundations, footings and, if you are having a surface laid, sub-bases. During excavation, we also uplift turf, topsoil, rock, stone, hardcore and rubble.
Excavators are always manned by a trained operative from our team.
Spoil Removal
The second part of the earthworks stage is removing excavated material. This will usually require us to bring in a skip or, on larger projects, a grab lorry. The waste transfer stations we use will screen and process materials to rates of up to 90% and more, recycling for resale in the secondary aggregate market.
Also know as muck away, spoil removal is the second time we clear the site.
Ground Preparation
Groundworks continue with our builders preparing the land for foundations or a sub-base. On extension and new build projects, contractors will need to put in provisions for reinforcement and damp proofing. At this stage, utilities such as plumbing pipework go into the ground and sewer connections are made.
Membranes, aggregates and sands usually needed at this stage.
Drainage Installation
Depending on the location of the job and the current infrastructure, our team installs drainage systems and soakaways or will modify the network that is in place already to facilitate foul drainage and surface water run-off. This will keep conditions sanitary and stop potential issues with flooding and pooling.
Drainage is a major consideration on all building and landscaping projects.
If you want to get a project in Crowborough, Sevenoaks, Uckfield or any of the surrounding areas off to the best possible start, only use builders with a proven local reputation and the resources to match. The groundworks phase, while much of the work is never seen by the customer, is one of the most critical of all and opens the doors for other tradespeople to begin their side of the job. Groundworks can also be undertaken as part of a home renovation.
With Yeoman Building Contractors, this key part of the development process is one that you can leave us to manage from our very first day onsite.