Terrace Groundworks & Preparation

The project

Excavator work preparing ground for a new garden terrace and paving, the stage where levels, falls and drainage are fixed for everything that follows.

The effort behind it

Ninety tonnes of spoil were removed through a 1.1m side access using a micro excavator and a conveyor, with every load taken away by grab lorry on booked slots to keep the street clear. A live foul drain found 400mm below the intended formation was diverted under building control sign-off before the sub-base went in.

Challenges faced

Ground conditions at London set the terms for everything on Terrace Groundworks & Preparation. Levels had to be remodelled, drainage designed in rather than added on, and heavy materials moved through restricted access without disturbing the parts of the garden that were staying. Weather windows governed the finishing trades, and the schedule was rebuilt week by week around them.

Team & involvement

A core landscaping crew stayed with the project from first excavation to the final sweep, supported by our in-house stone masons, electricians and planting specialists. Because the same team set out, built and finished the work, the detailing stayed consistent across every square metre — and the client dealt with one foreman and one phone number throughout.

A successful outcome

One season after completion, the garden at Terrace Groundworks & Preparation has settled exactly as designed: drainage performing through the wettest months, paving uncracked and planting establishing ahead of schedule. The client's own verdict, at the twelve-month aftercare visit, was that it looks as though it has always been there — the highest compliment a landscape can earn.