How much does a ground investigation cost?

What drives the price.

• What you are building. A single-storey extension needs far less information than a block of flats or a retail unit.
• How many holes, and how deep. A couple of trial pits is a small job. Several boreholes to 15m or more is a bigger one.
• The method. Trial pits and window sampling are quicker than cable percussion or rotary drilling.
• Access. A clear field is quicker than a back garden reached through a side passage, where hand-held kit may be needed.
• Testing. The number and type of laboratory tests, and any soakaway, percolation or gas monitoring.
• Special risks. Contamination, coal mining or deep made ground all add scope, and drilling into coal needs a Mining Remediation Authority permit, which has its own fee.
• Reporting. A factual report of logs and results costs less than an interpretive report with engineering recommendations.

Paying for what you need.

The aim is to answer the questions your design actually needs answering, no more and no less. A good investigation is planned around the structure, the ground you are likely to meet and what building control, your engineer or your warranty provider want to see.

Under-investigating is a false economy. Finding soft ground, old workings or contamination during construction usually costs far more than finding it beforehand.

What to send us for a quote.

• The site address or postcode.
• What you are building, with drawings or a site plan if you have them.
• Any brief from your engineer, building control or a planning condition.
• A note on access.

We will come back with the right approach and a clear price.