Welcome to HV24 Groundworks - Your Experts in Construction pre build phase.

Groundworks and utility installations for a new timber frame home in the UK are a critical, early phase that occurs while the frame is being manufactured off-site. 

Site preparation involves clearing and levelling the plot, followed by conducting a soil survey to determine the most suitable foundation type, such as trench fill or strip foundations, which must be precisely laid to a high degree of accuracy to ensure the structural integrity of the frame. 

Simultaneously, the process requires early application for connection to essential services like water, electricity, gas (if available in the area), and sewage. Service trenches for these utilities are typically dug as part of the initial groundworks, often in a shared trench with specific separation distances and depths (e.g., water at 750mm deep to avoid freezing) as per industry standards. 

Once the frame is erected and the building is weatherproof, 'first fix' internal installations for plumbing and electrical systems are completed within the wall cavities, with careful planning to ensure compliance with building regulations and the Future Homes Standard for energy efficiency, which favours low-carbon heating technologies like heat pumps.