Soakaways in Downham that stop waterlogging and protect your home’s foundations. We design, size and install compliant systems for gardens, patios and driveways. Expect tidy workmanship, clear advice and long-lasting drainage.
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If your lawn stays soggy or your patio floods after heavy rain, a properly designed soakaway can make a dramatic difference. We install new soakaways and replace failed systems across BR1, including near Downham Fields and Grove Park. Our solutions manage roof and surface water safely, reducing puddling and protecting paving and planting. Every installation is planned to suit your plot, not a one-size-fits-all trench.
Downham’s established residential estate includes 1920s cottage homes, 1930s semis and post-war housing, often with mature gardens and shared access paths. These properties can have older drainage runs, limited fall, and compacted ground from decades of use. We assess existing pipework, check levels, and design soakaway capacity to match the catchment area. That means fewer blockages, less standing water, and better performance year-round.
We start with inspection chambers and a clear survey, then carry out percolation tests and sizing calculations before any digging begins. You’ll get a straightforward plan for connection points, crate or rubble build-up, and how we’ll meet Building Regs requirements where applicable. Our team works cleanly, protects borders and paving, and reinstates surfaces properly. Homeowners choose us for consistent communication, reliable scheduling and drainage that simply works.
We’re used to working across the London Borough of Lewisham, where access can be tight and parking needs planning around residential streets. Ground conditions vary, so we test infiltration rather than guessing, especially on plots near Bellingham and Catford. We also factor in older pipework and shallow service runs common to 1930s and post-war homes. The result is a soakaway layout that fits your garden and keeps water away from the house.
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Costs vary with size, depth, access and whether you need new connections or repairs to existing drainage. As a guide, a small rubble soakaway might start around £900–£1,500, while a properly sized crate system is often £1,800–£3,500+. Larger systems for multiple downpipes, deeper excavations, or difficult access can be £4,000–£7,000. We confirm scope after a survey and percolation test.
Most domestic soakaway jobs take 1–3 days on site, depending on excavation depth, spoil removal, and reinstatement of paving or turf. A straightforward crate system with good access can be completed in a day or two. If we’re adding inspection chambers, rerouting pipework, or working around services and mature planting, allow 3–5 days. Wet weather and ground conditions can also affect progress.
In many cases, garden drainage and soakaway work is permitted development and doesn’t need planning permission. However, rules can change if you’re altering levels significantly, working near boundaries, or connecting to existing surface water systems. Building Regulations may apply to how and where surface water is discharged, especially for new connections. We check the relevant requirements for Lewisham and advise on the safest compliant approach before work starts.
Yes. We provide a 10-year warranty on our workmanship for soakaway installations, covering issues arising from installation faults such as incorrect connections, poor backfilling, or defective assembly of crate systems. It doesn’t cover damage from third-party works, misuse, or unusual events such as major ground movement or blocked gutters feeding excessive debris into the system. We also recommend periodic inspections to keep performance consistent.
We install modern crate systems (high capacity, ideal for smaller plots), traditional rubble soakaways (cost-effective where space allows), and hybrid solutions where needed. Designs can include silt traps, filter membranes, inspection chambers, and new pipe connections from downpipes or channel drains. We choose the best option after percolation testing, sizing calculations and a review of access and reinstatement needs, so the system matches your garden and rainfall load.
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