Groundworks & Civil Works
Site clearance, excavation, foundations, drainage and hard-standing — the part you never see, done properly so everything built on top of it stands straight and stays dry for good.
Get the ground right and everything above it lasts
Every solid build starts below ground. The foundations, the drainage and the sub-base are what stop a building — or a wall, or a driveway — from cracking, sinking or letting damp in years down the line. Get them wrong and no amount of good work above will save it.
We dig it out to the right depth, put in proper foundations and drainage, and set the falls so water goes where it should. And because we carry the same job up through the build, there's no gap between the groundworks crew and the builders — one team, from the ground up.
Talk to us about your site →
What we do
Excavation & site clearance
Digging out, muck-away and preparing a site ready to build on.
Foundations & footings
Strip and pad foundations and footings, dug and poured to spec.
Drainage & soakaways
Foul and surface-water drainage, soakaways and proper falls.
Retaining & wall bases
Bases and footings for retaining and boundary walls that won't move.
Site works & landscaping
Levels, kerbing and finishing the site around the finished build.
Proven on a landmark site
On the €1.2m restoration of Grange Castle in Dublin, we handled the full groundworks, drainage and site works around the castle — dug out and repaired the wall bases, formed new footpaths and paving, and landscaped the whole setting, all alongside the stonework.
Doing the groundworks and the build under one roof means it's joined up from the excavation to the finish — no handover gaps, one standard the whole way.
See the Grange Castle project →
Groundworks done right, from the dig down
Everything above ground is only as good as the groundworks under it. We start by stripping the site and digging down to firm, undisturbed ground — not stopping at the first bit of hard going — and cart the spoil away. Getting to sound bearing ground is what stops settlement cracks appearing in walls and floors a year or two later.
From there it's about levels, fill and drainage. We set out falls and levels to the drawings, bring the ground back up in engineered fill or clean hardcore compacted in layers (not one deep dumped load), and lay foundations to the engineer's specification with the right depth, width and reinforcement. Drainage runs are laid to a proper fall, bedded and surrounded correctly, and tested — because a drain laid flat or backfilled carelessly is a callback waiting to happen.
The civils details that matter. Foul and surface water kept separate, soakaways and attenuation where the site needs them, service ducts run before the slab goes down, and everything set out accurately so the blockwork lands exactly where it should. We work with the site engineer where there's structural design involved, and to Building Control's requirements throughout, so the parts that get covered up are done to spec.
Foundations, drainage, hardcore, slabs, retaining structures and site works — for new builds, extensions and hard landscaping. Get the groundworks right and the rest of the build has a solid, level, well-drained base to sit on.
Get a groundworks quote →How it works
Free site visit
We assess the ground, levels, access and drainage.
Clear quote
An honest, itemised price for the works.
Dig & build up
Excavate, foundations, drainage and sub-base, done right.
Ready to build
A solid, level, well-drained base to build on — or we carry on ourselves.
What our customers say
"I would like to thank this firm for the stonework on a large project. Both the work and the employees were of the highest quality and did more than expected of them."
Kimmage Hardware · Google review"I can not recommend Arthur and his team highly enough... 10/10 in everything they done for me, very professional team of guys."
Alan Bow · Google reviewGroundworks & civils — your questions answered
What groundworks do you do?
Site clearance and excavation, foundations and footings, drainage and soakaways, sub-bases for driveways and paths, hard-standing, service ducting and general civil works — everything that goes in before and under a build.
Do you do the groundworks and the build?
Yes. We can dig it out, put in the foundations and drainage, and carry the same job right up through the blockwork, brickwork, stonework and finish — one team, so there's no gap between the groundworks crew and the builders.
Why does the groundwork matter so much?
Because everything above it depends on it. Poor foundations, bad drainage or a weak sub-base cause cracking, damp and sinking later. We take the time to get the ground right — the part you never see is the part that keeps everything standing.
Do you work on larger or commercial sites?
Yes. We handled the full groundworks, drainage and site works around the €1.2m restoration of Grange Castle in Dublin, alongside the stonework and landscaping — so we're set up for jobs from a house foundation to a full site.
Do you give free quotes?
Yes. A free site visit and a clear, itemised quote before any work starts.
Get my free quote
Your name and number is all we need — add a photo if handy. We’ll call you back today.
or call 086 066 6591 · WhatsApp · ★ Rated 5.0
Starting a build or need groundworks?
Tell us about your site — we'll call out for free and give you an honest, itemised quote.