HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a foundations contractor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies; building control inspects foundations before concrete goes in. The checks, the questions and what to keep.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a foundations contractor in five steps

  1. Get the designFoundation type and depth from the drawings or an engineer.
  2. Book the inspectionBuilding control sees the trench before concrete.
  3. Agree extra-depth ratesIn case the ground is poor.
  4. Name the concreteMix and any reinforcement specified.
  5. Keep the recordsInspection sign-off and delivery tickets.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

For the foundation work there is no register to search: foundations contractors need no licence anywhere in the UK, and the law bites through building regulations approval, or Scotland's building warrant, when the work calls for it. Expect public liability cover for the foundation work, and ask for the insurer's name and the limit. Because you are buying from a trader, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to the foundation work; agreed in your home or at a distance, it usually carries a 14-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, although work you asked to begin early is paid for and made-to-measure goods are excluded (regulation 28).

Before work starts, ask who will apply for any approval the foundation work needs. Before booking the foundation work, ask to see current insurance and check the Locufy profile for its trader and ID badges. gov.uk →

Building regulations approval

Foundations for an extension or new building are part of the approved building work, and building control inspects the excavations before the foundation work is concreted. Where the foundation work goes through a full plans application in England, building control usually issues a completion certificate within 8 weeks of the work finishing, if it complies.

Before the foundation work begins, ask to see the building control approval or reference. gov.uk →

Party wall notice

Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 you must tell neighbours in England and Wales before building work on or near a shared wall or boundary, and the foundation work often is; a party wall agreement is separate from building regulations approval. Scotland has different rules.

Agree who serves party wall notice for the foundation work, and when. gov.uk →

Building warrant (Scotland)

Scotland puts the warrant duty on the owner: if the foundation work needs a building warrant and there is none, the council can fine you and order the work taken out, whoever built it. Northern Ireland asks you to notify the council's building control before the foundation work begins.

In Scotland, see the warrant before the foundation work begins; in Northern Ireland, ask for the building control reference. mygov.scot →

VAT

Expect 20% VAT, the standard rate, on foundation and concrete work for an existing home: a business above the £90,000 registration threshold is required to charge it and to show it separately from the labour and materials.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the foundations quote, extra depth included. gov.uk →

“What type of foundation will the foundation work use?”

A good answer: Strip, trench fill, raft or piles, from the design and the ground.

“Who books the building control inspection?”

A good answer: Named, before any concrete.

“What concrete mix and reinforcement?”

A good answer: Specified, with delivery tickets kept.

“What if building control asks for more depth?”

A good answer: A rate per metre agreed in advance.

“Are there trees or drains nearby?”

A good answer: Considered in the design, since both affect depth.

“How will access work for the concrete lorry or pump?”

A good answer: Planned, with protection for drives.

Getting the quote right

  • Foundation type, dimensions and depth
  • Extra depth priced per metre
  • Concrete mix and reinforcement
  • Muck-away and access
  • Who actually attends — the groundworkers and the concrete gang, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Pours before inspection
  • No design or depth stated
  • No allowance for poor ground
  • Spoil dumped without a registered carrier
  • No written price
LOW
£2,000
TYPICAL
£7,000
HIGH
£15,000

What a foundations contractor costs: £2,000–£15,000 per project

Foundations are priced per project; type, ground conditions, the depth building control asks for and access set the figure. Concrete & Foundations Specialist price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Foundations contractors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. DesignFoundation type and depth set for the ground.
  2. ExcavateTrenches dug to depth.
  3. InspectBuilding control inspects before concrete.
  4. ConcreteReinforcement placed and concrete poured.
  5. Cure and continueConcrete cured before walls are built.

Strip foundation
A concrete strip under walls.
Raft foundation
A reinforced slab under the whole building.
Pile
A column driven or bored deep into the ground.
Reinforcement
Steel bars or mesh in concrete.
Bearing capacity
How much load the ground can take.
Delivery ticket
The record of the concrete supplied.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the inspection recordBuilding control's sign-off of the foundations.
Keep delivery ticketsConcrete mix and quantities.
File the designWith the completion certificate when the build finishes.
Rate the workOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the foundation work falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Raise it with the contractor in writingKeep it factual: what was agreed for the foundation work, what is wrong, and a reasonable date to fix it. Reasonable care and skill is a term of every trader's service under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and the remedies are a redo or money off.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the foundation work under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workIf the foundation work needed approval and did not get it, the council deals with it: building control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or the building standards service in Scotland, where the owner answers for a missing warrant. For a dispute about the foundation work with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the foundation work is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a foundations contractor: questions people ask

No licence or register applies; building control inspects the work.

For approved building work, the excavations are inspected before concrete is poured.

£2,000–£15,000 a project, typically around £7,000. Foundation type, ground conditions, depth and access set it. There is a line-by-line breakdown in the Concrete & Foundations Specialist price guide, and the postcode box above brings up foundations contractors in your area.

Clay soils, trees and drains can mean building control asks for more depth.

In England and Wales, digging near a neighbour's foundations can need notice.

As the design and supplier advise; ask before walls go up.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: GroundworksHow to hire: UnderpinningHow to hire: House ExtensionHow to hire: Structural EngineerHow to hire: BuilderHow to hire: BricklayerHow to hire: Basement ConversionHow to hire: General ContractorAll 701 hiring guides →

Foundations contractors near you

Foundations contractors in LondonFoundations contractors in ManchesterFoundations contractors in BirminghamFoundations contractors in GlasgowFoundations contractors in BelfastAll foundations contractors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — building regulations approval (England)
  2. gov.uk — building regulations: how to apply
  3. gov.uk — party walls and building work
  4. Party Wall etc. Act 1996
  5. mygov.scot — if a builder is doing the work for you
  6. nidirect — how to apply for Building Regulations approval
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  9. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  10. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  11. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  12. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  13. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  14. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  15. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  16. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  17. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register