Groundworks
Request quotes for piling and underpinning. Choose your job and describe it in a few short steps.
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Overview
Piling and underpinning
This page covers work on foundations: piling, where piles are driven or bored into the ground to support a building, and underpinning, which deepens the foundations of an existing building.
Pick the nearest job from the list in the form. If yours isn't there, choose the closest and explain what you need in the description.
Worth knowing
Worth checking before work starts
A few rules and checks that apply to this kind of work.
Underpinning and building control
In England, underpinning is building work under the Building Regulations, so it will normally need approval. That usually involves a structural design for the underpinning.
Digging close to a neighbour
In England and Wales, you must give your neighbour notice at least one month before digging up to 3 or 6 metres from their building, depending on how deep the work goes.
Tell your insurer
If you think your home is moving, tell your home insurer before work is arranged. It may want its own surveyor to see it first.
Questions
Groundwork questions
My job isn't in the list. What should I choose?
Choose the closest job, then explain what you need in the description step.
What jobs can I request quotes for here?
Piling and underpinning. The full list is in the form's first step.
Does underpinning need planning permission?
In England, maintenance on foundations generally does not. If you live in a listed building or a conservation area, check with the council's planning team before any work.
Which job do I choose to deepen the foundations of a building?
Choose Under Pinning and describe the building and what you have noticed in the description.
What are the signs a house may need underpinning?
New or growing cracks, especially diagonal ones that are wider at one end, and doors or windows that start to stick can be signs of movement. Have a structural engineer or surveyor look before any underpinning is planned.
Ready to describe your job?
Four short steps: the job, when you'd like it done, a description and your details.