South East · England
Excavation and sub-base in Berkshire
Excavation and sub-base throughout Berkshire: free site visits, guide prices adjusted for South East rates and a written quote with every part of the job set out line by line.
- Guide price
- Priced after survey
- Postcode areas
- RG, SL, GU
- Survey
- Free, no obligation
Excavation and sub-base across Berkshire
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.
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.
Projects we quote in and around Reading include adding a soakaway so water stays on the property, fitting setts or steel edging around a new drive and preparing a drive to meet a new dropped kerb.
Prices in Berkshire
Guide prices for Berkshire are based on South East rates, which are above the UK average. The written quote after your survey is the figure that counts.
Excavation and sub-base: Priced after survey.
Planning in Berkshire
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.
Weather and working days
The South East is relatively dry, with long laying seasons, but clay soils are common across much of the region and can drain slowly. Laying days in Reading are confirmed close to the date, because rain and cold stop resin curing properly.
Excavation and sub-base in Berkshire: questions
Do I need planning permission in Berkshire?
In England, a new or replaced hard surface of more than 5 m² in a front garden is permitted development only if it is porous, or if rainwater drains to a lawn, border or soakaway within the property. A fully permeable resin bound build, with a porous base under it, meets that test.
Who approves dropped kerbs in Berkshire?
Dropped kerb consent comes from your council as local highway authority. We help with the application and get your drive ready to meet the new crossing.
How soon can you survey in Berkshire?
Call 0800 088 6341 or use the quote tool and we will offer survey dates. Surveys are free and run all year.
Other services in Berkshire
- Resin bound driveways
- Resin bonded driveways
- Resin over tarmac and concrete
- New resin driveways (full dig-out)
- Permeable SuDS driveways
- Driveway extensions and widening
- Resin patios
- Resin garden paths
- Resin steps
- Resin pool surrounds
- Accessible resin ramps
- Driveway drainage and soakaways
- Driveway edging and borders
- Dropped kerb applications
- Resin driveway repairs
- Resin driveway cleaning
- Resin driveway restoration
- Commercial resin surfacing
- Resin tree pits
- Anti-slip resin surfacing
- Footpaths and cycle paths
Free survey · itemised quote
Book a free survey in Berkshire
Tell us about your project and we will arrange a visit.
- Base, edging and drainage priced line by line
- Real blend samples shown in daylight
- Price fixed in writing once the spec is agreed
Prefer to talk? 0800 088 6341 or