Foundations & Groundworks
134 sources in the library on foundations & groundworks, 7 on this page cited in a published note. Each one says what the document covers and what it is good for. Name a source to see which document it is and where to read it. One at a time. Page 2 of 4.
- supplier figure RN-8G3FFF cited
Tarmac (hosted by Wickes)
Tarmac's data sheet for its bagged general purpose cement, a CEM II/B-V or CEM II/A-LL 32,5R cement sold for concrete, mortar, render and screed.
Cited in Cement Types Explained: OPC, Rapid-Set, SR & Masonry.
- supplier figure RN-4TS29G cited
Unilin Insulation (formerly Xtratherm)
Rigid extruded polystyrene board, 1250 x 600 mm, thicknesses 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 and 160 mm. Thermal conductivity 0.033 to 0.035 W/mK. Compressive strength CS(10Y) 300 kPa. Reaction to fire: Euroclass E. Published R-values (m2K/W): 30 mm 0.90, 40 mm 1.20, 50 mm 1.50, 60 mm 1.80, 80 mm 2.25, 100 mm 2.85, 120 mm 3.40, 140 mm 4.00, 160 mm 4.25. The range is also available in 500 kPa and 700 kPa grades.
- supplier figure RN-FBWY8Q cited
Visqueen
A manufacturer datasheet for a mainstream UK polythene DPM. It gives the roll sizes: 4 m by 25 m for the 1000 and 1200 gauge grades.
Cited in Damp Proof Membranes (DPM) & DPC: Types & Installation.
- supplier figure RN-X3K6PB cited
Wickes
Retail product page for a 25 kg bag of Blue Circle General Purpose Cement, showing the shelf price of £7.50 including VAT in September 2026.
Cited in Cement Types Explained: OPC, Rapid-Set, SR & Masonry.
- supplier figure RN-2XE501 cited
Wickes
Retailer product page carrying the maker's product description for Blue Circle Postcrete; it states the setting time of 5 to 10 minutes. No maker page was fetchable.
Cited in Cement Types Explained: OPC, Rapid-Set, SR & Masonry, Chain Link Fence Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Fencing Cost & Types: A UK Guide.
- supplier figure RN-T7X0W6 cited
Wickes
Wickes' product page for an 800 kg jumbo bag of MOT Type 1 at £75 excluding delivery, which supports the bulk bag price range in the cost table.
Cited in Brick Driveway Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Hardcore, MOT Type 1 & Sub-base Materials Explained.
- supplier figure RN-RK73HT cited
Wienerberger UK
A brick manufacturer's guide to UK brick classes. It gives DPC1 bricks (4.5% maximum absorption) for buildings and DPC2 bricks (7%) for external works only.
Cited in Damp Proof Membranes (DPM) & DPC: Types & Installation.
- very strong RN-0226KN
Environment Agency (GOV.UK)
The Environment Agency guidance on how to assess and manage the risks from historic land contamination, produced with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, SEPA and Natural Resources Wales. LCRM runs in four sequential stages set out as separate documents: Before you start, Stage 1 risk assessment, Stage 2 options appraisal, and Stage 3 remediation and verification. It is the framework a contaminated land condition on a planning permission or an Approved Document C contaminants assessment is discharged against, and it points to jurisdiction-specific guidance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- very strong RN-GWB58E
Scottish Government
What has to come out of the ground before a floor goes in, in Scotland. Standard 3.1 requires the building to be designed and constructed so there is no threat to it or to occupants' health from harmful or dangerous substances, and names the categories: corrosive, explosive, flammable, radioactive or toxic materials, deposits of faecal or animal matter, and gases with hazardous characteristics, specifically flammable, explosive, toxic and asphyxiating gases including methane and carbon dioxide. Before construction, unsuitable material including turf, vegetable matter, wood, roots and topsoil must be removed from under the footprint of the building and the immediately adjoining ground, to a depth that prevents later growth that could damage the building. The solum, the prepared ground beneath a suspended floor, should be treated to prevent vegetable growth and to reduce evaporation of moisture from the ground, which is the Scottish version of the site covering requirement. Where gas is present the remedial recommendation is that the construction be free from unventilated voids. Cited documents: BS 10175:2001 investigation of potentially contaminated sites, BS 5930:1999 site investigations, BRE BR 255:1994 performance of building materials in contaminated land, and PAN 33 development of contaminated land.
- very strong RN-NNXJYS
Scottish Government
The standard behind subsoil drainage under a new or replaced ground floor in Scotland. Standard 3.3 requires the building to be designed and constructed so there is no threat to the building or to occupants' health from flooding and the accumulation of groundwater. The site must be assessed for existing groundwater levels and seasonal fluctuation before construction, and where accumulating groundwater could affect the structure or penetrate the building, subsoil drainage or other dewatering treatment must be provided. The handbook lists the purposes of that drainage as improving ground stability, preventing surface flooding, reducing subsoil water pressure that causes dampness, protecting foundations and preventing frost heave damage, and directs field drain design to BS 8301:1985 clause 10. Where a site carries flood risk, that risk should be assessed so mitigation can be designed in, and resilient materials and details used to limit structural and material damage. Cited guidance: PAN 69 Planning and Building Standards Advice on Flooding, CIRIA C624 (2004) Development and Flood Risk, CIRIA (May 2007) Improving the Flood Performance of New Buildings, and Design Guidance on Flood Damage to Dwellings (1996).
- very strong RN-4KIEKS
Scottish Government (gov.scot)
SCOTLAND. Standard 3.2 requires protection from radon and sets the action level at 200 becquerels per cubic metre, the level above which radon in homes should be reduced. Clause 3.2.1 defines a radon probability area as one where tests show 1 per cent of existing dwellings are likely to exceed 200 Bq/m3, mapped in the Indicative Atlas of Radon in Scotland published July 2011 by the Health Protection Agency and the British Geological Survey on the UKradon website, with per-property radon risk reports available from the same source. Clause 3.2.2 requires protective work where a dwelling is to be located or extended on ground designated as a radon probability area or where radon is known to exist, so an extension in Scotland can trigger radon measures that an England-based note would attribute to Approved Document C.
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UK Health Security Agency (UKradon)
Gives a floor-type and concentration decision table for remediation. For a solid floor under 500 Bq per cubic metre the recommended solutions, best first, are a radon sump or positive ventilation; for a solid floor over 500 the answer is a radon sump. For a suspended floor under 500 it is natural under-floor ventilation or positive ventilation; over 500, mechanical under-floor ventilation or natural under-floor ventilation. Warns explicitly that simple actions such as sealing around loft hatches, sealing large openings in floors and extra ventilation do not reduce radon levels on their own, and that completely sealing floors is difficult and can cause rot in wooden floors. Names an active radon sump fitted with a fan as the most effective method, working best under solid floors and under suspended floors where the ground is covered with concrete or a membrane. Advises contacting UKHSA for levels above 1000 Bq per cubic metre, and the local council Environmental Health Department for advice.
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UK Health Security Agency (UKradon)
UKHSA recommends that radon levels be reduced in homes where the average exceeds 200 becquerels per cubic metre, the Action Level, and states that this recommendation is endorsed by Government. The Action Level refers to the annual average concentration, so a valid measurement uses two detectors, one in a bedroom and one in a living room, left in place for three months to average out short-term fluctuations. Separately defines a Target Level of 100 Bq per cubic metre as the ideal outcome of remediation in existing buildings and of protective measures in new buildings, and advises that where a result falls between the Target and Action Levels action to reduce the level should still be considered, especially where a smoker or ex-smoker lives in the home. Radon is described as a colourless, odourless radioactive gas formed by decay of naturally occurring uranium in rocks and soils.
- strong RN-4PFJ8L
BRE Group
The catalogue of BRE Digests, Good Building Guides and reports that building professionals cite, with document numbers, authors, dates and prices, which lets a note reference the correct BRE publication rather than BRE in general. Titles include Rising damp in walls: diagnosis and treatment (DG 245, 2007, 15 pounds), Assessment of damage in low-rise buildings with particular reference to progressive foundation movement (DG 251, revised 1995, 15 pounds), Foundation movement and remedial underpinning in low-rise buildings (BR 184, 1991, 35 pounds), Recognising wood rot and insect damage in buildings 3rd edition (BR 453, 2003, 37.50 pounds), Radon: guidance on protective measures for new buildings including supplementary advice for extensions, conversions and refurbishment projects, 2023 edition (75 pounds), Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight: a guide to good practice (BR 209, 2022 edition, 75 pounds, superseding the 2011 edition), External fire spread: building separation and boundary distances (BR 187 2nd edition, 55 pounds) and Wind loads on roof-mounted photovoltaic and solar thermal systems (DG 489, revised 2014, 24 pounds). The BRE U-value Calculator is listed at 0 pounds plus VAT.
- strong RN-AWIY25
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: WITHDRAWN, and very recently: 27 March 2025. BS 4483:2005 was published 30 September 2005 and specified factory produced, machine welded steel fabric (mesh) sheets for reinforcing concrete, made from ribbed bar to BS 4449:2005 or, for the wrapping fabrics D49 and D98, from wire to BS 4482. It is the standard behind the A142, A193, A252 and A393 mesh references that every concrete slab and driveway note quotes. Because it was withdrawn in March 2025 this is a live correction: notes specifying A142 or A393 mesh to BS 4483 should be checked against the current specification, with product conformity now sitting under BS EN 10080 for weldable reinforcing steel. Catalogue page confirms number, title, publication date, withdrawal date and scope, and names D49 and D98 wrapping fabrics, but does not name the replacement standard.
- strong RN-6SUN79
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT. BS EN 12878:2014 was published 30 April 2014 and supersedes BS EN 12878:2005. It specifies the requirements and test methods for pigments used to colour building materials based on cement, or on cement and lime, covering single pigments, pigment blends, pigment and extender blends in powder or granular form, and aqueous preparations, and it tests for durability, corrosion resistance (that the pigment does not attack the reinforcement or the matrix), heat stability, weather resistance and light fastness. This is the standard a note should cite when telling a reader that coloured mortar, coloured render or coloured concrete must use a pigment fit for a cementitious matrix rather than a general purpose colourant, and it is the reference for why cheap pigments fade or cause efflorescence. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the test detail is paywalled.
- strong RN-GRZKQJ
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT (marked Under Review). BS EN 1340:2003 was published 25 April 2003 and covers unreinforced, cement bound precast concrete kerb units, channels and complementary fittings for use in trafficked paved areas and roof coverings, specifying materials, properties, requirements and test methods along with product marking and evaluation of conformity. It deliberately does NOT prescribe cross sections, shapes or dimensions beyond tolerances, and it does not deal with kerb tactility or visibility, so a note about a dropped kerb crossover cannot take the kerb profile from this standard: profiles come from the highway authority's own specification. It is the concrete counterpart to BS EN 1341 for natural stone slabs and BS EN 1338 for concrete block paving. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the requirement tables are paywalled.
- strong RN-PGM57T
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT. BS EN 14647:2005 was published 22 February 2006 and gives the general definition of calcium aluminate cement and its composition, together with the mechanical, physical and chemical requirements, the conformity criteria and the related production rules. It excludes calcium aluminate cement used as a constituent of formulated products for specialised applications such as dry mixes, which matters because most rapid setting repair and screed products are formulated mixes rather than the cement itself. It is the standard to cite when a note distinguishes calcium aluminate (high alumina) cement from common cements to BS EN 197-1 and masonry cement to BS EN 413-1; UK notes should also record that high alumina cement concrete has been prohibited for structural use in buildings since the 1970s because of conversion, so this standard covers a material with restricted structural application. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the requirements are paywalled.
- strong RN-ASG0MX
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT (marked Under Review). BS EN 14967:2006 was published 30 June 2009 and specifies the characteristics of flexible bitumen sheets intended for use as damp proof courses in buildings, setting out product types, characteristics and test methods with evaluation of conformity, marking, labelling and packaging. Its scope explicitly EXCLUDES preformed cavity trays, copings and flashings, which is a distinction a note should keep when describing a retrofitted cavity tray above an extension abutment. It is the modern European counterpart to the old British bitumen DPC standard BS 6398:1983 and sits beside BS 6515:1984 for polyethylene DPCs, with design and installation in BS 8215:1991. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the characteristic tables are paywalled.
- strong RN-2LJB46
BSI (BSI Knowledge catalogue)
Dated 30 November 2011, this is the UK code of practice for the structural design of low-rise housing without recourse to full engineering design. Its scope covers the stability of the structure, site investigation, and the foundations and ground floor slabs used in construction, with foundations comprising strip footings or trench fill in normal ground being the only types described. Notes in the scope state that BS 8103-1 does not cover basement design (though a single level basement providing a firm platform at ground level may allow the standard to be used for the superstructure above), and that proprietary housing systems and timber, steel or concrete framed houses are outside its scope. This is the standard that sits behind the deemed-to-satisfy foundation and stability rules a domestic builder works to.
- strong RN-GV27ML
BSI (BSI Knowledge catalogue)
ISBN 978 0 580 60699 1, published by BSI and dated 1 January 2006. This is the companion standard to BS 4449 that specifies how reinforcement is scheduled, dimensioned, bent and cut, covering the shape codes, bending radii, dimensional tolerances and marking used on a UK bar bending schedule. Its listed descriptors cover reinforcing steels, shape, dimensions, bending radius, cutting, dimensional tolerances, marking and labels, under ICS codes 77.140.15 (steels for reinforcement of concrete) and 91.080.40 (concrete structures), committee ISE/104. It is the reference for what a shape code such as 00, 11 or 21 on a rebar schedule means.
- strong RN-0NVA8H
BSI (BSI Knowledge catalogue)
The European standard for concrete, first published 31 December 2013 and amended in 2016. It is the standard that defines the compressive strength classes written as C20/25, C25/30, C30/37 and so on, where the first figure is the characteristic cylinder strength and the second the characteristic cube strength in N/mm2 at 28 days, and it sets the exposure classes, consistence classes and conformity rules that a ready mixed concrete delivery ticket is written against. In the UK it is used together with the complementary standard BS 8500.
- strong RN-9GB5I7
United Utilities
A sewerage undertaker setting out its own build-over process, which is the practical authority for the consent a homeowner actually needs (the Water UK Sewerage Sector Guidance covers adoption, not build-over). The page states that United Utilities approval is required for building works within 3 metres of a public sewer or lateral drain. On access, it requires sufficient access points to the affected sewer, meaning manholes and rodding points; states that ideally buildings and extensions should not be sited where they would remove an existing point of access; and requires access points to be easily accessible and visible for use in an emergency. Where ground conditions are poor, the developer must arrange special design and construction plans so the pipe is protected from any risk of damage. On the route through building control, it explains that building control inspectors operating under the United Utilities Protocol agreement can approve build-overs that meet set criteria, and that where a proposal does not fit those criteria the inspector escalates it so United Utilities can deal with the developer directly, which is why a homeowner may find the sewer question handled inside their Building Regulations application rather than as a separate approach to the water company.
- good RN-NWBGX4
CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association)
The reference for what happens when an excavation goes below the water table, which is the hidden cost driver in basement digs and deep foundations on wet ground. CIRIA C750, Groundwater control: design and practice, second edition, published April 2016, 205 pages, ISBN 978-0-86017-755-5, authors Preene, Roberts and Powrie. Paywalled at GBP 110 excluding VAT (GBP 55 for members) with a minimum order of five copies, so only the catalogue page and a PDF excerpt are public. The page states the core proposition plainly: whenever an excavation is made below the water table there is a risk that it will become unstable or flood unless measures are taken to control groundwater in the surrounding soil. Scope covers the potential effect of groundwater on construction works, groundwater control and dewatering techniques as temporary works, safety management and contractual matters, legal and environmental issues, site investigation requirements, and design methods for groundwater control schemes.
- good RN-5DEQ2D
CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association)
The reference work behind every soakaway, permeable driveway and garden drainage decision in the UK, and the document local authority drainage officers work from. CIRIA C753, The SuDS Manual, published December 2015, 964 pages in PDF, ISBN 978-0-86017-759-3, authors Woods Ballard, Wilson, Udale-Clarke, Illman, Scott, Ashley and Kellagher. It is free to CIRIA members and GBP 25 excluding VAT to non-members, so the full text is behind a login but the catalogue page confirms scope and status. It replaced the 2007 SuDS Manual (C697), and the page states expressly that in delivering SuDS there is a requirement to meet the framework set out by the government non-statutory technical standards, which C753 complements while going further to support cost-effective delivery of multiple benefits. It covers planning, design, construction, management and maintenance of SuDS. Cite it as the technical authority when a note explains why a permeable or drained-to-a-soakaway driveway avoids the planning consequence of an impermeable one.
- good RN-BTTT08
CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association)
The standard reference a structural engineer uses to design an embedded retaining wall, which is what a basement dig or a deep terraced garden retaining structure actually needs. CIRIA C760, Guidance on embedded retaining wall design, published February 2017, 471 pages, ISBN 978-0-86017-764-7, authors Gaba, Hardy, Doughty, Powrie and Selemetas. It is paywalled at GBP 170 excluding VAT (GBP 85 for members) with a minimum order of five copies, so only the catalogue page and a PDF excerpt are public. Scope confirmed on the page: selection and design of VERTICAL EMBEDDED retaining walls to satisfy the Eurocodes, covering temporary and permanent cantilever, anchored, single-propped and multi-propped walls embedded in soft soils, stiff clays, other competent soils and soft rocks. The page also states it clarifies areas of ambiguity and common misunderstandings in applying the Eurocodes to embedded retaining walls and sets out an unambiguous method for applying the Observational Method. Note the scope limit: this is not the reference for a low garden gravity or masonry retaining wall.
- good RN-F4L7WS
CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association)
The UK code of practice for making an existing home resistant to and recoverable from flooding, and free to download after sign-in, which makes it unusually accessible for a CIRIA title. The C790 project produced four outputs a note can name separately: C790A, the Code of practice for property flood resilience, Edition 2, which sets six standards specifying what should be achieved; C790B, Guidance on the code of practice, explaining how each of the six standards should be met across the stages of a property flood resilience delivery process; C790C, Making your property more flood resilient, written for households and businesses; and C790D, Guidance for local authority planners. The code draws the distinction a renovation note should use: resistance measures reduce the amount of water entering a building, and recoverability measures limit the damage caused once water is inside, with the aim of reducing damage and speeding up recovery and reoccupation.
- good RN-FITI8H
The Concrete Society
The index to the Concrete Society technical library and the place to check a concrete claim against an industry-independent source. Four publication families are listed: Technical Reports giving in-depth guidance on design, construction, maintenance and innovation (for example TR43, Post-tensioned concrete floors design handbook, at GBP 85 full price and GBP 51 to members, and Discussion Document DD51 on calcined clay as a supplementary cementitious material, free to all); Good Concrete Guides on practical aspects (GCG8, Concrete practice, and GCG11, Digital monitoring and measurement of fresh concrete); Advice Sheets on specific topics such as no-fines concrete and brushed and tamped surface finishes; and Fingertips, short free reference pages covering masonry densities, cold joints, consistence tolerance and the slump test, floated and trowelled finishes, core testing for compressive strength, delamination of concrete floor surfaces and hot weather concreting. The Society also runs an advisory service of engineers and concrete technologists giving impartial advice to members, including desk studies and site visits. The Fingertips pages are the freely readable part and carry real figures; the Technical Reports are mostly paid.
- good RN-8TA2LQ
The Concrete Society
A free, citable data sheet giving the density ranges a note needs when explaining block types or estimating dead load. Published 3 June 2025 and filed under Buildings, Domestic (low rise). Dense aggregate blocks have a density in the range 1,800 to 2,100 kg/m3. Lightweight aggregate blocks, also called medium dense, are in the range 650 to 1,500 kg/m3. Aircrete blocks are in the range 400 to 900 kg/m3. Concrete bricks are 1,900 to 2,100 kg/m3 for Commons, Facing and Engineering quality, and 1,400 kg/m3 for lightweight bricks. The sheet points onward to the Concrete Block Association and the Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products Association for more detail.
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Anglian Water
A true or false self-assessment checklist that decides whether an application is needed at all for work over or within three metres of a public sewer. The eight criteria: the sewer flows by gravity and is not pumped; the sewer is less than 3 metres deep; the sewer is 150mm diameter or less; the structure is not a new build premises; there are no manholes or access points inside the building before any alterations; the foundations are designed so the sewer is suitably protected; the sewer pipe is not pitch fibre or asbestos cement; and the length of sewer passing under the proposed building does not exceed six metres. The last two apply only where the sewer is actually built over, not where the building is merely close. A false answer on the pumped sewer question is fatal: work near a pumped sewer is never allowed, whatever is submitted. Answer true to all eight and no consultation with Anglian Water is required. Otherwise a build over or near application costs £692 including the Build Over Agreement; a consultation service to resolve any 'not sure' answers costs £163, and that £163 is deducted from the £692 if a full application follows. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval, and approval is especially unlikely if the work is not compliant with Building Regulations Part H4; a copy of the completed self-assessment should be given to the Building Control Body.
- fair RN-1OZ657
Cadent Gas
What is and is not allowed over a gas easement, and what to do after a strike. Normal cultivation including ploughing to a maximum depth of 0.5m is permitted without further reference; anything deeper, including sinking fence and gate posts to a depth greater than 0.5m, requires contacting Cadent first, as does storing material above the pipeline or planting trees and shrubs on the easement. Enquiries go through the LinesearchbeforeUdig online service, which returns results within minutes from a grid reference or postcode and issues asset plans plus the Specification for Safe Working in the vicinity of Cadent assets; where the work is close, a Cadent technician visits site to locate and mark out the pipeline. Emergency procedure after damage: call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999, remove and extinguish potential ignition sources, evacuate all personnel from the area and ensure nobody approaches the asset. Specific higher-risk activities that always need Cadent's own guidance and safe working distances include explosives and blasting, piling, boring, construction, demolition and deep excavation.
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Electricity North West
Before breaking ground, check the location of underground services on network plans and then follow safe digging techniques. Underground services are commonly found in roads, footpaths, on sites and across open land; always assume they are present and treat any cable as live. Service cables and pipes are routinely confused, and the specific trap named is that black plastic covered electricity cable looks like plastic water pipe. Network plans are obtained through LinesearchbeforeUdig. The reference safe-digging document is HSE HSG47, Avoiding danger from underground services, which should be read before commencing work on site.
- fair RN-ODN8KR
HomeOwners Alliance
Basement conversion costs and constraints. Converting an existing dry cellar with no structural change £900 to £1,400 per m2. Excavation and underpinning £1,500 to £2,000 per m2, so a 40 m2 basement runs about £100,000 to £160,000. Adding a lightwell or extending beyond the footprint pushes rates to £2,500 to £3,000 per m2 and, at the top end, £5,000 to £7,500 per m2. Add about 20% for fees. Individual costs quoted: structural engineer £1,500 to £3,000, householder planning application £206 or £462 where a new unit of accommodation is proposed, party wall surveyor at least £750 for the owner and at least £700 per neighbour. Party wall notice is triggered by excavating within 3 metres of a neighbour's building and below the level of their foundations, or within 6 metres where a 45 degree line from the bottom of their foundations is intersected. Recommends a 2.4m finished ceiling height and warns at least 2m headroom is needed over the stairs.
- fair RN-OEN5HU
HomeOwners Alliance
Costed flood resilience measures for a house. Air brick covers £50 to £300, to be removed once flooding passes so the bricks can dry. Non return valves on drains and pipes to stop sewage backflow £50 to £500. Raising electrical sockets to about 1.5m £1,000 to £4,000. Raising door thresholds above flood level, front door and porch, £1,000 to £10,000. Sealing exterior walls around £500, with a warning it can trap damp in poor condition brickwork. Water resistant air bricks £500 to £1,000, needing careful maintenance to avoid seepage. Flood boards or flood resistant doors and windows £500 to £3,000, requiring permanently visible fixings. A pump, the most effective answer to groundwater, £50 to £2,500, with the inlet installed lower than the water being pumped. Basement tanking £10,000 to £20,000. On insurance, Flood Re is funded by a levy all UK home insurers must pay, and a home qualifies only if it was built before 2009 and is in council tax bands A to H.
- fair RN-FAG5UZ
Northern Powergrid
When an extension or a new low carbon technology forces a supply change rather than just new circuits. The named triggers for increasing or decreasing capacity or changing the size of the main fuse are adding new rooms, extensions, electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps, or additional appliances. Applications need a site location plan, submitted through the online mapping tool or as an Ordnance Survey or Land Registry plan. Three parties are always involved in moving an electrical service: Northern Powergrid moves the service cable and mains fuse, the electricity supplier moves the meter and must be booked to attend on the day of the works, and a qualified electrician handles anything on the customer's own internal wiring.
- fair RN-U3ZN6C
Northumbrian Water
Three routes to consent for building over or within 3 metres of a sewer: the build meets the consent criteria; minor alterations are made to the network so that it does; or the build falls outside the criteria and a formal legal agreement or a payment in lieu is required. Typical criteria failures named are existing pipework deeper than 2m or an internal diameter larger than 150mm. Option 1, the Building Over Indemnity Undertaking, is a signed and witnessed legal agreement giving Northumbrian Water the right to move all or part of the building for future sewer repair without paying compensation, fee £431.00. Option 2, payment in lieu, buys the same right but with Northumbrian Water fully reinstating the building at its own cost, charged by floor area used for building regulations purposes: under 6 sq m £582 single storey / £966 two storey; 6 to under 10 sq m £682 / £1,165; 10 to under 15 sq m £812 / £1,355; 15 to under 20 sq m £930 / £1,551; 20 to under 30 sq m £1,045 / £1,745; 30 to under 40 sq m £1,167 / £1,939; 40 sq m or over £1,794 / £2,920. A CCTV survey is normally carried out within 15 working days of receiving the completed form and is paid for by the applicant. Minor alterations on small diameter sewers less than 1.05m deep may be done by the homeowner's own builder after an initial site visit, with 48 hours notice for inspection before anything is covered over, fee £120.00; deeper sewers or those over 150mm diameter must be altered by Northumbrian Water's contractors against an estimate agreed in advance. Payments on 0345 850 0514 quoting reference BOS plus house number and postcode.
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Northumbrian Water
Consent is required from Northumbrian Water where there is a public sewer within 3 metres of the proposed work, both to protect the property and the sewer from damage and to preserve future access to the drainage system. The trigger is stated as planning to build within 3 metres of the public sewer. The team is contactable 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and responds to enquiries within two working days. Applicants are directed to the published charges document before applying.
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Royal Horticultural Society
Identification, spread and disposal of Japanese knotweed on a renovation site. Stems are bamboo like with reddish purple speckling, conspicuous nodes and hollow centres, usually reaching about 2m (6 and a half feet) by late summer; leaves are spade shaped with flat bases, about 14cm (5 and a half inches) long, set in a zig zag along the stem, with creamy white flower clusters in late summer and early autumn. Rhizomes are thick and woody with an orange layer under the dark brown skin, commonly extending 1m (3 and a third feet) or more down, and a fragment as small as 1cm can grow into a new plant, so digging and careless disposal are the main spread routes; rhizomes can lie dormant in soil for many years. It is listed on Schedule 9 Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so planting or causing it to grow in the wild is an offence carrying fines and imprisonment, and it and any soil containing it are controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act duty of care regulations, requiring the Environment Agency to be informed, a registered waste carrier, an authorised disposal site and waste transfer permits. On sale and purchase, its presence must be declared on the TA6 form and lenders typically require a professional eradication management plan with a transferable insurance backed guarantee, usually supplied by the seller before completion. Glyphosate based weedkiller is the practical chemical control for a home gardener.
- fair RN-X2UXSX
Royal Horticultural Society
Defines the six garden soil types and gives the particle size boundaries used to classify them: clay less than 0.002mm, silt 0.002 to 0.05mm, sand 0.05 to 2mm, and stones larger than 2mm. Characterises the behaviour of each: clay soils are heavy, high in nutrients, wet and cold in winter and baked dry in summer; sandy soils are light, dry, warm, low in nutrients and often acidic. Useful for judging shrinkable clay, drainage and planting near a new extension or foundation.
- fair RN-3DRCAS
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN)
SSEN's published service alteration prices, all excluding VAT and excluding extras such as digging on the customer's land and traffic management. Scotland: basic overhead £435.18, basic underground £293.45, extended overhead £505.49, extended underground £505.49. England excluding London: basic overhead £380.13, basic underground £256.33, extended overhead £458.29, extended underground £458.37. London (priced higher because working costs in London differ): basic overhead £398.40, basic underground £268.51, extended overhead £477.65, extended underground £412.71. A basic alteration reuses the cable already in place; an extended alteration is needed when the new meter position requires additional cable to be bought and added. SSEN moves the service cable and main fuse only; the energy supplier moves the meter and must be booked for the same day so power is back on, and an electrician is needed for the consumer unit. A personalised quote is issued within 5 to 15 days. Appointing a private groundworker for the excavation is often more cost effective and SSEN will reduce the quotation scope accordingly.