Garden Groundworks in Shirley that set your project up properly, from clearance to solid foundations. We handle excavation, levelling, drainage and waste removal with minimal disruption. Expect a clean site, accurate levels and a base built to last.
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If your garden project starts with uneven ground, poor drainage or restricted access, professional groundworks make the difference. We prepare sites across CR0, including around Shirley Windmill and Shirley Park Golf Club, ready for patios, lawns, paths and outbuildings. From site clearance to grading, we create stable levels and sensible falls for surface water. The result is a garden that looks right and performs well in wet weather.
Shirley’s leafy streets include plenty of 1930s semis, larger detached homes and newer developments, each with different ground conditions and access constraints. We’re used to side passages, shared driveways and tight working areas where careful excavation and waste handling matter. Whether you’re improving a family garden near Trinity School or upgrading an older plot close to Addington Hills, we tailor the build-up to suit your soil and layout. That local experience helps prevent settlement, puddling and premature cracking.
We start with a site visit to check levels, drainage routes and access for machinery, then agree a clear scope and schedule. Our team carries out excavation, levelling, drainage and foundations with accurate set-out and tidy waste removal. You’ll get practical advice on falls, thresholds and long-term maintenance, plus regular progress updates. Homeowners choose us for dependable workmanship, clean handovers and a 10-year warranty on qualifying installations.
Gardens in the London Borough of Croydon can vary from free-draining areas to heavier patches that hold water, especially after sustained rain. In the garden groundworks Shirley area, we often plan for practical drainage runs, sensible grading and robust sub-bases to reduce future movement. We also factor in parking, skip placement and neighbour access, which can be tighter around Addiscombe and Croydon borders. Our approach keeps the site safe, compliant and organised from day one.
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Costs depend on access, depth of dig, waste volumes and whether drainage or foundations are required. As a guide, small clearance and levelling jobs often start around £800–£1,500. Typical groundwork packages for a patio or lawn base with excavation, sub-base and waste removal are commonly £2,000–£6,000. Larger projects with drainage runs, retaining edges or foundation work can be £6,000–£15,000+.
Most jobs take between 1 and 5 days, depending on the size of the area and how much material needs removing. A straightforward dig-out and sub-base for a patio may be 1–3 days, while drainage and foundation work can extend this to a week or more. Timescales are affected by access for machinery, weather, hidden obstructions (old concrete, roots, services) and skip/haulage scheduling.
Many garden groundworks are permitted development, particularly when you’re preparing ground for patios, lawns or like-for-like replacements. However, rules can apply where you’re altering levels significantly, affecting drainage to the public highway, building retaining walls, or working near boundaries and protected trees. For drive-related drainage, permeable solutions may be required. We’ll flag likely permissions early and can help you check Croydon guidance before work begins.
Yes. We provide a 10-year warranty on qualifying groundwork installations, covering workmanship and the performance of the prepared base when built to our specification. This includes issues such as settlement caused by inadequate compaction or incorrect build-up. It doesn’t cover damage from third-party alterations, extreme events, or problems caused by undisclosed underground services. We’ll explain what’s covered for your project in writing before starting.
Groundworks can be tailored to what you’re building: MOT Type 1 sub-bases for patios and paths, sharp sand or grit bedding layers, reinforced concrete foundations for walls or structures, and soakaways or channel drains for water management. We can also form steps, edging kerbs and graded lawn bases. We’ll advise on depths, compaction and drainage falls so your chosen finish—porcelain, sandstone, gravel or turf—performs properly.
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