Groundworks
Groundworks and Foundations Across the North East
Andy’s Building and Bricklaying Services carries out groundworks and foundations across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and south east Northumberland, working from a base in Blaydon-on-Tyne. Over 25 years of hands on building experience, a written quote before anything starts, and the regulations dealt with rather than dodged.
Call 07854 366464Get a Free QuoteWhat groundworks and foundations involves
Groundworks is where the ground itself decides the specification. Foundation depth and type come from what is actually found in the trench, and in a former coalfield the Coal Authority mapping can require a mining risk assessment, and occasionally a permit, before anything is dug.
Groundworks
Our groundworks and foundations include
- Footings and foundations: strip, trench fill and stepped foundations sized to the ground and the load
- Site clearance and levelling: clearing, reducing and setting levels before anything is set out
- Concrete bases: bases for garden rooms, garages, sheds and outbuildings, laid to fall and finished properly
- Drainage: foul and surface water runs, inspection chambers and connections to the existing system
- Sub base and hardcore: compacted layers built up in lifts rather than tipped and rolled once
- Retaining structures: small retaining walls and level changes on sloping plots
- Setting out: accurate setting out from the approved drawings so the structure above lands where it should
- Building control stages: foundation and drainage inspections booked and attended
Regulations
Planning and building control for groundworks and foundations
The North East is not one authority. Our working area covers 7 building control bodies: Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, Northumberland County Council, South Tyneside Council, Sunderland City Council. Each has its own guidance, its own fee scale and its own inspectors, and which one applies is set by the address rather than by the postal town, which is why people in places like Washington, Houghton-le-Spring and Birtley are so often pointed at the wrong council.
Groundworks is where the ground itself decides the specification. Foundation depth and type come from what is actually found in the trench, and in a former coalfield the Coal Authority mapping can require a mining risk assessment, and occasionally a permit, before anything is dug. We establish which authority applies and what it will require before a design is finalised, rather than after it has been drawn twice.
Where the ground is part of the question, and across the old Durham and Northumberland coalfield it very often is, a coal mining risk assessment may be needed alongside the application. We flag that at quoting stage so it is a known cost rather than a surprise once the trench is open.
Recent work
Our Approach
How we work
Site visit first
We come out, look at the property and ask the awkward questions before quoting. A price given without a visit is a guess dressed up as a quote.
A written quote
The quote arrives in writing with the scope set out, so you can see what is included rather than trusting a number said out loud.
Regulations handled
Groundworks is where the ground itself decides the specification. Foundation depth and type come from what is actually found in the trench, and in a former coalfield the Coal Authority mapping can require a mining risk assessment, and occasionally a permit, before anything is dug.
Kept informed
Expect to know what is happening each week. Clear communication is what most of our work across the North East comes from, because people pass it on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Groundworks and Foundations: your questions
What happens if you hit made ground or an old structure?
We stop, record it, and agree the way forward with you and building control before continuing. Building over an unknown void or on made ground without addressing it is how expensive problems start.
How long do foundations take?
For a typical domestic extension, excavation, inspection and concrete usually run to a few days, with the timing partly driven by when the inspector can attend and by the weather.
What is a coal mining risk assessment and do I need one?
It is a report that identifies past coal working under or near a site and what it means for the proposed foundation. Where a site falls inside a Coal Authority Development High Risk Area the local authority commonly asks for one with the application, and in some cases a permit is needed before ground is disturbed.
Is the groundwork guaranteed?
Yes. Workmanship is guaranteed for an agreed period, and the building control record of the foundation inspection stays with the property.
Will you remove the spoil?
Yes. Muck away is included in the written quote, along with the skips or grab lorries needed to get it off site.
Do you provide the concrete or does the customer?
We arrange and pour the concrete as part of the package, using a mix specified for the application rather than whatever is cheapest that day.
Do you deal with tree roots near the foundation?
Trees affect foundation depth on shrinkable soils, and a protected tree brings its own consent requirements. Both are established before the design is finalised rather than discovered in the trench.
Can groundworks be done in winter?
Yes, with sensible precautions. Concrete should not be poured into a frozen or waterlogged trench, so we plan pours around the forecast rather than pushing on regardless.
Which councils do you work under for groundworks and foundations?
We work across seven building control authorities: Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, Northumberland County Council, South Tyneside Council, Sunderland City Council. Each publishes its own guidance and fee scale, and the one that applies is decided by the address rather than the postal town.
Which areas do you cover for groundworks and foundations?
We cover 32 towns and villages across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and south east Northumberland, from our base in Blaydon-on-Tyne. Every one of them has its own page setting out the local planning and ground picture.
Groundworks and Foundations in your area
Every town below has its own page covering the local authority, the ground and the housing stock.
Our other building services
We are a general building firm, so most projects touch more than one of these.
Thinking about groundworks and foundations?
Tell us what you are planning and we will arrange a look at the property. You get a written, no obligation quote for groundworks and foundations across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland, and an honest answer about what the regulations will actually require.
Call 07854 366464Request a Quote