How much do foundations cost in Essex? (2026 guide)
Per-metre and per-job prices for strip, trench-fill and raft foundations, with what pushes the price up.
Read the guide →
Groundwork Contractors Essex Ltd
Essex Groundwork Contractors — done properly, first time.
Same-day starts
Fixed quotes
In-house crew
From garden footings in Wickford to commercial site clearance in Chelmsford, we excavate, found, drain, install septic tanks, hydro seed and demolish across Essex. One team, one invoice, no sub-contractors.
12Essex towns covered, same day
22tExcavator down to 760mm micro
7Core groundwork services
100%In-house — no sub-contractors
Groundwork services
Seven groundwork services. One Essex team.
Pick the bit of the groundworks job you need — or hand us the whole package. Site clearance, foundations, drainage, muckaway, septic tanks, hydro seeding, demolition. Same crew start to finish.
Site Clearance
Vegetation clearance, topsoil strip, hardstanding breakout and full site prep across Essex.
Learn moreFoundations
Strip, trench-fill, raft and pad foundations dug to spec.
Learn moreDrainage
Blocked drains, CCTV surveys, repairs and new drainage — from the first check to the finished job.
Learn moreMuckaway
Same-day spoil removal — fully licensed, fully tracked.
Learn moreSeptic Tanks
Septic tank and sewage treatment plant installation, emptying and servicing across Essex.
Learn moreHydro Seeding
Spray-on grass seed for fast, even germination across large or sloped Essex sites.
Learn moreDemolition
Soft strip, structural demolition and clearance — single source.
Learn moreCommercial Landscaping
Groundworks-led commercial landscaping — from bare site to finished grounds.
Learn more
Why us
Local Essex groundwork contractors — not a national franchise.
We're based in Wickford. Our diggers are ours, our drivers are ours, our paperwork is ours. When you book us, that's who turns up on your Essex site.
- Same-day starts across most Essex postcodes when the diary allows.
- Wait-and-load muckaway — no skip, no permit, no waiting around.
- Right kit, right job — 760mm micro through gates, 22t excavator on commercial sites.
- Fully documented — duty-of-care paperwork and a waste transfer note on every load.
- Engineer-spec work — footings to drawings, signed off by Building Control on the day.
How it works
From groundworks quote to clear-down in four steps.
Tell us the job
Quick form, phone call or site visit. We'll confirm scope and what kit we'll bring.
Fixed quote
Written quote with no surprises. Includes muck-away, paperwork and any council permits.
We dig
Our team turns up on the agreed day with the right machinery. Building Control on site if needed.
Clean clear-down
Spoil away the same day, site swept, waste notes emailed. Ready for the next trade.
Coverage
Working across Essex, every day.
Pick your area for a local quote and details on the kind of jobs we do nearby.
Essex
Essex-wide
Chelmsford
CM1, CM2, CM3
Basildon
SS13, SS14, SS15, SS16
Southend-on-Sea
SS0, SS1, SS2, SS3
Brentwood
CM13, CM14, CM15
Billericay
CM11, CM12
Wickford
SS11, SS12
Rayleigh
SS6
Benfleet
SS7
Canvey Island
SS8
Braintree
CM7, CM77
Hockley
SS5
Maldon
CM9
Southminster
CM0
Burnham-on-Crouch
CM0
Colchester
CO1, CO2, CO3, CO4
Harlow
CM17, CM18, CM19, CM20
Stanford-le-Hope
SS17
Tilbury
RM18
Grays
RM16, RM17
Thaxted
CM6
Great Dunmow
CM6
Witham
CM8
South Woodham Ferrers
CM3
Saffron Walden
CB10, CB11
Rochford
SS4
Clacton-on-Sea
CO15, CO16
Guides & tools
Groundworks guides and free calculators
Straight answers on cost and regulations, and the sums we use ourselves when we price a job.
Septic tank rules in Essex: what you need to know
What the rules mean if you're installing, replacing or selling a property with a septic tank.
Read the guide →Hydro seeding vs turf: which is right for your site?
Cost, speed and durability compared for Essex soils.
Read the guide →Concrete calculator
Work out how many cubic metres you need for slabs, footings and bases.
Open calculator →Aggregate calculator
Tonnes of Type 1, sand or ballast for your area and depth.
Open calculator →Soakaways in Essex
When you need one, how big it has to be, and what the clay does to the maths.
Read the guide →
Our promise
What you can hold us to.
No stars we haven't earned yet — just the three things every customer gets, in writing.
A fixed written quote
The price we quote is the price you pay. If the ground turns out different from the survey, we stop, show you, and agree any change before we carry on — never a surprise on the invoice.
A callback within the working day
Every enquiry gets a call or email back the same working day, Monday to Friday. If you've asked for a site visit, we'll fix a date on that call.
Signed off and documented
Footings held open for Building Control, drains pressure-tested before backfill, and a waste transfer note for every load that leaves site. You get the paperwork, not just the hole.
Need groundworks in Essex? Get a fixed quote today.
Send a quick note and we'll come back the same working day — or call directly for an immediate response.