Find a Tradesman

Groundwork and Foundations

When getting ready to build or add on to your home, there are many groundwork needs that need to be prepared before building can begin. Foundations will need to be laid, ground leveled and underground piping installed. Tradesmen who specialize in groundwork must have a vast depth of knowledge and experience, as working in this area can prove challenging at times.

Today, we are going to take you through the steps you need to perform when searching for the best groundwork and foundation specialist for your home building or renovation project.

  • Obtain some basic project knowledge
  • Ask these important questions
  • Obtain a detailed written estimate
  • Select a groundwork and foundation specialist who wants you to be involved
  • Find out who in particular will be working on your job
Let’s dive deeper into each of these points.

Many homeowners are confused about what actually falls under the realm of groundwork and foundations. This can make searching for the best tradesman a bit of a mystery. It is for this reason learning some basic knowledge about this area can be very helpful.

Simply put, a groundworker is the tradesman who prepares the physical ground for a new build or home addition. They perform tasks like ground clearing, foundation laying, putting in drainage pipes and connecting those pipes to existing plumbing. Once construction is completed, they may return to perform tasks such as installing sidewalks and driveways, footpaths and hard landscaping.

Before you seek out a groundwork and foundation specialist, you should take the time to sit down with an architect to have detailed plans for your project drawn up to present to potential hires. When designing your plans, take the time to ask your architect for any special groundwork or foundation considerations you should relay.

When you have groundworkers out to the job site to quote your job, you will want to make sure that they have experience in the specific type of work that you are looking to have done. You should also ask to speak to references from prior work that they have completed. Ask to see their portfolio of work, or better yet, visit a job site or two they have worked on.

One last way to judge the competence and know-how of a groundworker is to ask these questions.

● How do you deal with ground heave?
● How do you test site drainage?

If they are unable to adequately address either of these vital areas of concern, you should look elsewhere to hire.

Ground and foundation work is very involved. Therefore, you should seek at least 3 like for like quotes from potential tradesmen you may hire to complete these tasks. Each written quote should itemize all job specifics including labor, materials, site security and facilities, specialized equipment rental and waste removal and disposal.

In addition to the above line items, you should request that a payment plan be clearly detailed in your written quote. Beware of any groundworker who demands payment in full before the job is complete. Finally, ask potential groundworkers and foundation specialists who quote your job to detail their workmanship guarantees in case there are any mishaps on the job or after the fact.

Making sure that these points are in writing protects you and your investment.

A quality tradesman will encourage you to be present at the job site anytime that you desire. They should be giving you regular updates and walking you through their progress. Furthermore, your groundwork and foundation specialist should welcome you anytime work inspections are going to occur.

Oftentimes, groundwork can involve subcontracting to other specialists. You need to be kept apprised of exactly who is going to be working on your job and their credentials. You don’t want to hire a tradesman who has your confidence only to find out they aren’t going to be the actual person completing or supervising the job.

We hope that this guide of steps gives you confidence when searching for the right groundwork and foundation specialist for your construction project.