Groundworks and finishing

Excavation and sub-base

Excavation and sub-base work is the groundwork under a resin surface: digging out the old drive and soft ground, removing the spoil, and building up compacted layers of crushed stone and a binder course that will carry cars without moving.

Guide price: Priced after survey
Time on site: 1–3 days for most domestic drives
Permeable: Depends on build

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Computer-generated example Excavation and sub-base: computer-generated example

How excavation and sub-base works

Base preparation is commonly 30–45% of a new resin drive budget, and it is where corners get cut. A thin base, unwashed fines in a permeable build, or poor compaction show up as cracks and dips within a few winters.

Depth depends on the ground and the load. Clay, made ground and old garden soil need more depth than firm gravelly ground. Where services such as water pipes or cables run shallow, they are located before digging.

Is it right for you?

Your new drive needs a base
Your old drive is sinking or breaking up
You are converting lawn or gravel to resin

How we do it

Locate services
Excavate to formation level
Remove spoil by grab lorry or skip
Lay geotextile where needed
Lay and compact sub-base in layers
Lay binder course

Specification

Typical depth 150–250 mm for domestic drives
Type 1 (sealed builds) or open-graded stone (permeable builds)
Compaction in layers with a plate or roller
Porous asphalt or concrete binder

Pros

Prevents most resin failures
Allows a fully permeable build
Fixes levels and falls

Things to know

Adds cost and time
Needs space for machinery and spoil removal

Planning and permissions

General information, not legal advice. Pick your nation:

England

Groundworks for a domestic drive do not usually need planning permission in themselves, but the finished surface follows the front-garden drainage rules, and shallow services such as water pipes and cables are located before digging.

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland