Groundworks & Excavation
Foundations, drainage, site clearance, concrete slabs and hard landscaping — dug right, first time.
Brick Rip and Dig deliver groundworks and excavation across the Wirral, including strip and trench-fill foundations, drainage runs and soakaways, reduced level digs, service trenches, concrete oversite slabs, retaining walls and driveways. We work to Building Control inspection stages, carry out service scans before breaking ground, and provide our own mini-digger and operator on domestic and light commercial sites.
What groundworks work covers
Foundations
Strip footings, trench fill, pad foundations and raft preparation dug to depth, inspected by Building Control and poured to specification.
Drainage & soakaways
Foul and surface water runs, inspection chambers, soakaways, land drains and connections to existing or adopted sewers.
Site clearance & muck away
Vegetation and slab removal, reduced level digs and grab-away of spoil under licensed waste carriage.
Concrete works
Oversite slabs, DPM and insulation, garage and shed bases, reinforced slabs and concrete paths.
Retaining walls
Block, brick and gabion retaining structures with proper drainage behind them — essential on the Wirral's sloping plots.
Driveways & hard landscaping
Sub-base preparation, edging, block paving, resin bases, patios and steps, with falls set so water goes where it should.
How the job runs
The sequence matters. Most of what goes wrong on building work goes wrong because somebody skipped a step near the start.
Site visit & levels
We check levels, ground conditions, access for plant and where spoil is going before we price. That is what keeps the price honest.
Services & scanning
Utility plans requested and a CAT scan run before we break ground. Hitting a gas main is not a surprise, it is a failure to check.
Dig & inspect
Excavation to depth with trenches supported where required, and a Building Control inspection booked before any concrete goes in.
Pour & backfill
Concrete placed to spec, drainage laid to falls and tested, backfill compacted in layers rather than tipped in one go.
Clean handover
Levels checked, site tidied, and the plot handed over ready for the bricklayers or the landscapers.
What we do that a cowboy won't
None of this is heroic. It is just the correct way to do the work — which is exactly why the corner-cutters skip it.
- Service plans and CAT scan before breaking ground — every time
- Building Control inspection stages booked by us, not left to you to chase
- Backfill compacted in layers so your drive does not sink in eighteen months
- Drainage tested before it is covered up
- Fixed written prices after a proper site visit, not a number over the phone
Groundworks projects
New external doorway with brickwork made good
New opening formed, door fitted and brickwork made good around it
Rear elevation brickwork, steps and patio
Brickwork, drainage and Indian sandstone patio laid to falls
Groundworks & Excavation across the Wirral
We deliver groundworks work throughout the peninsula. Local ground conditions and property stock change what a job actually involves — pick your area to see what tends to come up.
Groundworks & Excavation — common questions
How deep do foundations need to be on the Wirral?
It depends on ground conditions and nearby trees. A typical domestic extension footing on firm ground starts around 900mm–1000mm, but clay soils and mature trees can push that considerably deeper. Building Control inspects the trench and confirms the depth before concrete is poured.
Do you provide a digger and driver?
Yes. We work with our own mini-excavator and operator on domestic and light commercial sites, and hire in larger plant where the job needs it.
Can you connect new drainage to the existing sewer?
Yes. Connections to a private drain are straightforward. A connection to a public sewer requires an application to United Utilities, which we will identify at quote stage and help you arrange.
What happens to the spoil from the dig?
It is removed by grab lorry or skip under licensed waste carriage, with transfer notes provided. Where soil is clean and you want it retained on site, we can level and reuse it instead.
Other things we do
Demolition & Soft Strip
Controlled structural demolition, internal soft strip-outs and chimney breast removals — planned, propped and cleared properly.
Find out moreCladding Removal & Recladding
Facade strip-back, SFS and insulation works, cavity barriers and masonry reinstatement on remediation schemes.
Find out moreBrickwork & Structural Openings
New build brickwork, extensions, RSJ installations, knock-throughs, repointing and matched brick repairs.
Find out moreGet a straight answer and a written price
Tell us what you need doing. We'll come out, look at the actual job, and give you a fixed written quote with the scope and the exclusions spelled out. No charge, no obligation, no hard sell.