Groundworks & landscaping
Good building work starts below ground. We dig and pour foundations, lay drainage and build bases for extensions, new builds and garden rooms, and we finish outside spaces with patios, paths and walls across Essex.
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Domestic & commercial work
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Groundworks
Much of south Essex sits on London clay, which shrinks and swells with the seasons and with nearby trees. We build foundations to the depth your engineer and building control require, so the work above them stays sound.
Landscaping
We have rebuilt front garden walls in Leigh-on-Sea and Westcliff to match the original Victorian brickwork, using reclaimed or matched bricks and the right mortar.
Patios
Hard-wearing, low-maintenance and resistant to stains, with a wide choice of colours and finishes. It needs careful laying on a solid bed, as the slabs are thin and dense.
Sandstone, limestone and slate give a traditional look, with natural variation in colour. They need sealing and occasional cleaning to keep them looking their best.
Practical for paths and driveways and easy to lift and relay if needed. It can be laid as permeable paving to let rainwater drain through.
Foundations
Clay soil moves as it dries out and gets wet again, and trees make this worse by drawing water from the ground. Foundations near trees often have to go deeper, and some sites need piled foundations or a reinforced design from a structural engineer.
Building control inspects the trenches before concrete goes in, to check the depth and ground conditions match the design. If the ground turns out different from expected, we stop and agree the next step with you and the engineer before continuing.
Drainage and Soakaways
Most building work involves drains: new connections for kitchens and bathrooms, diverting a drain out of the way of an extension, or dealing with rainwater from a new roof. We lay drainage to the right falls, with access points for future maintenance, and get it inspected and tested.
Rainwater from new roofs and paving often goes to a soakaway, a pit that lets water soak into the ground. On heavy clay, soakaways don't always work well, so we may suggest an alternative connection where it's allowed.
Improve your outdoor space
Our landscaping and groundworks services cover everything from the initial design and planning to the finishing touches. We have the experience to turn your ideas into reality, no matter how big or small your project.
We understand that starting a landscaping project can feel a bit daunting, but our friendly team will guide you through every step for a stress-free experience.
Done properly
Most failed patios and paths fail from the bottom up: a thin or poorly compacted sub-base lets slabs sink and rock, and poor falls leave water sitting on the surface. We dig out to the right depth, lay and compact a proper sub-base, and set falls so water runs away from the house.
For walls, the footing matters just as much. Garden walls built without a proper foundation lean and crack, especially on clay. We build ours on footings sized for the wall and the ground.
Areas we cover
We carry out groundworks and landscaping across south and mid Essex, from front walls in Leigh-on-Sea and Westcliff to foundations and bases in Rayleigh, Hockley, Basildon and Brentwood.
Get in touch
Tell us what you need and we'll arrange a free visit.
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Get In Touch
Call us now on 07785 933965
Serving Customers Throughout Essex
M R Construction & Carpentry is a small, family-run business based in Essex, working from Southend to Brentwood. We pride ourselves on professionalism and providing high quality building services.
M R CONSTRUCTION & CARPENTRY LTD
Company no. 13804305
Based in Southend-on-Sea
