HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

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

No register applies to groundworkers; building control inspects foundations and drains. The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a groundworker in five steps

  1. Have the design readyFoundation and drainage design approved before digging.
  2. Book building controlFoundations are inspected before concrete goes in.
  3. Party wall noticeIn England and Wales, for digging near a neighbour's foundations.
  4. Muck-away by a registered carrierSpoil and waste carried legally.
  5. Keep the inspection recordBuilding control's sign-off of each stage.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

There is no statutory licence or register for groundworkers in any of the four nations, so for the groundworks the legal checks sit on the work: building regulations approval, or a building warrant in Scotland, where one applies. Expect public liability cover for the groundworks, 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 groundworks; 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 groundworks needs. Ask for proof of insurance for the groundworks; the trader and ID-checked badges are on the Locufy profile. gov.uk →

Building regulations approval

Foundations, slabs and drains for an extension are part of the approved building work; building control inspects the groundworks at the stages it sets. Under a full plans application in England, building control should issue the completion certificate for the groundworks within 8 weeks of the work ending, if it meets the regulations.

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

Party wall notice

If the groundworks touches a shared wall or is close to the boundary in England or Wales, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 means notifying the neighbours first; this is separate from building regulations, and Scotland follows other rules.

Ask who will serve the party wall notices for the groundworks, and how long before work starts. gov.uk →

Waste carrier registration

Anyone carrying the waste from the groundworks away as a business must be a registered waste carrier — with the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland or DAERA in Northern Ireland — and section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 puts a duty on householders to use an authorised person.

Ask who removes the waste from the groundworks and check their registration number on the right nation's register. gov.uk →

VAT

Groundwork for an existing home is standard-rated, so VAT is 20%; a firm with taxable turnover over £90,000 must be VAT-registered, charge that 20% and show it as a separate line on the quote and invoice.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the groundworks quote, muck-away included. gov.uk →

“What depth will the groundworks go to?”

A good answer: The designed depth, and how building control's call on the ground is priced.

“Who books building control inspections for the groundworks?”

A good answer: Named, before concrete is poured.

“How will drains be connected?”

A good answer: To the right sewer or soakaway, with any approval needed.

“Who takes the spoil away?”

A good answer: A registered waste carrier, priced per load.

“What if the ground is worse than expected?”

A good answer: Rates for extra depth or concrete agreed in advance.

“Can a digger get on site?”

A good answer: Access checked, with protection for drives and paths.

Getting the quote right

  • Excavation, foundations, slab and drainage itemised
  • Extra depth priced per metre
  • Muck-away loads and carrier
  • Plant hire and access
  • Who actually attends — the groundworkers and the plant operator, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Pours concrete before building control inspects
  • No registered carrier for spoil
  • Digs near a neighbour's wall with no party wall notice
  • No allowance for poor ground
  • No written price
LOW
£2,500
TYPICAL
£8,000
HIGH
£15,000

What a groundworker costs: £2,500–£15,000 per project

Groundworks are priced per project; ground conditions, depth, drainage connections and access for a digger and muck-away lorry set it. Groundworks 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

Groundworkers 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. Set outFoundations and drains marked from the drawings.
  2. ExcavateTrenches dug; spoil loaded for removal.
  3. InspectBuilding control inspects the trenches.
  4. Pour and layConcrete poured, drains laid and tested.
  5. Backfill and slabTrenches backfilled, slab laid.

Strip foundation
A continuous concrete strip under walls.
Trench fill
A deep trench filled with concrete.
Muck-away
Removing soil from site.
Soakaway
A pit that lets rainwater soak into the ground.
Oversite
The concrete slab over the ground inside the walls.
Spoil
Excavated earth.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep inspection recordsBuilding control's record of foundations and drains.
Keep waste receiptsWith the carrier's registration number.
Record drain runsA sketch of new drains for future work.
Review the jobOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the groundworks falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Put it to the groundworker in writingDescribe the fault with the groundworks, with photos, and say what would put it right. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 expects a trader to use reasonable care and skill; where that fell short you may require the work to be done again, or a lower price.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the groundworks 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 workAn approval that was needed for the groundworks and never obtained is taken up by the council: building control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or in Scotland the building standards service, which holds the owner responsible for the warrant. For a dispute about the groundworks 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 groundworks 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 groundworker: questions people ask

No licence or register applies; building control inspects the work, and spoil must go with a registered waste carrier.

For approved building work, building control inspects the foundations before concrete is poured.

£2,500–£15,000 a project, typically around £8,000. Ground conditions, trench depth, drainage and access decide it. Our Groundworks price guide explains what moves the figure, and the search above shows groundworkers working near your postcode.

In England and Wales, digging near a neighbour's foundations can need notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

Taken away by a registered waste carrier; keep the receipts.

Building control may ask for deeper foundations; agree the rate for extra depth first.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Concrete & Foundations SpecialistHow to hire: House ExtensionHow to hire: BuilderHow to hire: UnderpinningHow to hire: DemolitionHow to hire: BricklayerHow to hire: Structural EngineerHow to hire: General ContractorAll 701 hiring guides →

Groundworkers near you

Groundworkers in LondonGroundworkers in ManchesterGroundworkers in BirminghamGroundworkers in GlasgowGroundworkers in BelfastAll groundworkers 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. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  6. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34 — the duty of care, including householders
  7. SEPA — transporting waste: registration
  8. DAERA — registration of carriers and brokers (Northern Ireland)
  9. mygov.scot — if a builder is doing the work for you
  10. nidirect — how to apply for Building Regulations approval
  11. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  12. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  13. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  14. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  15. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  16. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  17. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  18. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  19. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  20. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  21. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register