Ground First
A stable, level site ready for patio, turf, or planting, with the waterlogging fixed for good.
What Goes Wrong
Spreading gravel over a boggy patch hides standing water without redirecting it, so the problem returns after the next heavy rain.
A French drain with perforated pipe and gravel backfill intercepts water at source and carries it to a safe outlet or soakaway.
Laying a patio or turf without checking levels means water pools against the house or collects in low spots that were never identified.
Topsoil regrading reshapes the ground so surface water runs away from structures before any finished surface goes down.
A drainage trench without permeable membrane silts up within a few seasons as clay migrates into the gravel, blocking flow entirely.
Permeable membrane lines every trench, keeping gravel open and the drain functional for years rather than seasons.
Fitting drainage without a soak test or slope check means the wrong system is installed, a soakaway where a French drain was needed, or vice versa.
A soak test and slope check identify the cause first, so the drainage method matches the actual ground conditions on the site.
Scope of Work
From a single waterlogged corner to full ground preparation ahead of a new garden layout.
Drainage trench with perforated pipe, gravel backfill, and permeable membrane to intercept and redirect water.
Rubble-filled pit sized to collect run-off and disperse it slowly into surrounding ground away from the garden.
Ground reshaping with topsoil to correct poor levels and direct surface water away from structures and planted areas.
Full excavation and compacted sub-base preparation to give patio, path, or lawn a stable, level foundation.
Breaking up and conditioning heavy Cambridge clay to improve drainage capacity before soft landscaping begins.
Directing water to a safe discharge point away from the plot.
Soak test and slope check before any work is quoted.
Site levelled and stable before the patio sub-base goes in.
Why Choose Us
Groundwork is the stage that determines whether everything built on top of it lasts, here is how we make sure it is done right.
A soak test and slope check happen first, so the quoted solution matches the actual ground conditions.
Drainage, excavation, and levelling each appear as their own line, so costs are clear before work begins.
Cambridge clay and Fens-edge ground conditions are factored into every drainage assessment from the start.
Groundwork is handed over level and stable, so patio, turf, or planting can follow without further excavation.
Every survey covers drainage and groundwork in Cambridge.
The Process
Tell us where water pools, the soil type, and what you plan to build. We schedule a site survey.
The landscaper runs a soak test and slope check, then quotes drainage, excavation, and levelling as separate line items.
Drainage is installed and the ground is levelled, leaving a stable, ready site for patio, turf, or planting to follow.
Pricing Estimates
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Basic drainage work | £600-£1,500 |
| Soakaway or channel drain | £1,500-£3,000 |
| Ground levelling and drainage | £3,000-£5,500 |
| Full groundwork package | £5,500-£10,000 |
Common Questions
Both can cause waterlogging, and the fix depends on which is the actual cause. If water pools after rain but drains away within a few hours, levelling is often enough. If the ground stays saturated for days, the soil itself cannot absorb water fast enough and drainage work is needed. A site assessment separates the two.
Gravel alone rarely fixes genuine waterlogging. It improves surface drainage slightly, but if the subsoil is compacted clay or the water table is high, the gravel layer simply fills with water. A proper drainage system, trench, perforated pipe, or soakaway, moves water away rather than just slowing its arrival at the surface.
The first step is assessing the site: checking existing levels, identifying where water collects, and probing the subsoil to understand what is underneath. That information determines whether the solution is regrading, a drainage trench, a soakaway, or a combination. Groundwork only starts once the correct approach is confirmed.
Yes, and it is the right order. Drainage and groundwork should be completed before any hard landscaping or turf goes down. Installing a patio or lawn over unresolved drainage issues means lifting it later to fix the problem underneath. Doing groundwork first also lets finished levels be set correctly for whatever surface follows. Plan the full sequence
A single wet patch is often caused by a localised low spot or a blocked outlet rather than a whole-garden drainage failure. Regrading that area or clearing the blockage can be enough. A larger solution, French drain or soakaway, is needed when multiple areas stay wet or the entire lawn becomes saturated after moderate rain.
Yes. Drainage installation and ground preparation are quoted and carried out together where both are needed. Drainage is installed first, then the ground is graded and compacted to the correct finished levels. Each element is quoted separately so you can see exactly what each part of the work costs.
A site inspection checks three things: where water sits relative to surrounding ground (levels), how quickly it disappears (drainage capacity), and whether probing the subsoil reveals compaction, old rubble, or a blocked pipe. Each has a different signature, persistent saturation points to drainage, a single low hollow points to levels, and localised bubbling or smell can indicate a buried obstruction.
Common hidden causes include collapsed or blocked land drains from previous landscaping, broken soakaways that have silted up, and old clay pipes that have cracked and are leaking. Rubble backfill from construction can also create a perched water table just below the surface. Probing and, where needed, camera inspection identifies these before any digging starts.
We cover Garden Drainage & Groundwork in and around Cambridge, including Trumpington, Great Shelford, Sawston, Fulbourn, Histon, Cottenham, Waterbeach, Cambourne and Northstowe. If your area isn’t listed, send us a quick message to check.
Describe the plot, the soil, and how water behaves after rain. We schedule a drainage survey and quote each element separately.