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Service · Cornwall & Devon

Drainage and soakaways.

Surface water and foul drainage done properly, including soakaways sized for the ground you've actually got. We do percolation tests where the spec needs them, install to current building regs, and sign the job off with photos of every connection.

Fully insured · public liability Free quotes · Cornwall & Devon 10+ years · on the tools
New drainage run and soakaway, Cornwall
What's included

Every drainage & soakaways job, four areas covered as standard.

01 / 04

Percolation tested

Where soakaway sizing matters we dig a test pit and run a BRE 365 percolation test before quoting. Cornish ground is wildly variable, from free-draining sand to slow-draining clay over rock.

02 / 04

Sized to BS

Soakaways sized to BS EN 752 and current building regs Part H, not guessed. Crate systems, traditional rubble pits or shallow infiltration trenches, whichever suits the ground.

03 / 04

Falls and gradients

1 in 40 for foul drainage as standard, with rodding eyes and inspection chambers at every change of direction. Falls verified with a laser level, not eyeballed.

04 / 04

Photographed and signed off

Every connection photographed before backfill, every chamber benched and signed off with building control. You get a folder of as-built drainage photos at handover.

Frequently asked

Common questions, plainly answered.

Can you install a new soakaway for a driveway or patio?

Yes. New surface-water soakaways for driveways, patios and roof drainage are routine work for us, sized to the impermeable area and the ground type. We test the ground first if there's any doubt.

Do you do connections to the public sewer?

Yes, where the property is within reach of a South West Water main. We organise the S106 application, install to spec, and have the connection inspected by SWW before backfill.

What if my ground won't take a soakaway?

Heavy Cornish clay over rock sometimes won't soak away at all. In that case we'll look at attenuation tanks with a flow-controlled outfall, or a connection to an existing surface-water sewer. We don't install a soakaway that won't work just to tick a box.

Do you fix blocked or collapsed drains?

Yes. We'll camera-survey the run, dig down on the collapsed section and replace it with new pipe to fall. Mostly we get called for older clay drainage that's failed under tree roots or settlement.

Can you handle drainage in coastal AONB areas?

Yes. AONB and conservation areas around Bude, Newquay and the Roseland need a slightly more careful approach to surface-water management, often using attenuation or shallow infiltration so the landscape isn't disturbed. We've done this work and know what the planners want to see.

Where we work

Drainage & Soakaways across Cornwall & Devon.

R A Groundworks covers the towns and villages of Cornwall and Devon as standard. Longer trips taken on negotiation.

Start a project

Tell us what you're building.

A quick call or message with Robert is usually enough to know whether your drainage & soakaways job is a good fit. No detail too small.

Phone

Mon to Sat, 7am to 7pm

Email

Reply within one working day

Based in

Treviscoe
St Austell, Cornwall PL26 7QP

Covering all of Cornwall & Devon

Response

Within 24 hours

Drawings or a brief, both fine

Start your project

A quick form. We'll come back to you within a day.

We never share your details. Same-day reply.