Soakaways
Soakaway Installation in Kent
Crate and rubble soakaways sized from a percolation test, so rainwater drains away on your land.
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- 20+ Years’ Experience
- Trusted & Friendly Team
- Full Project Management
- Competitive Pricing
Groundworks
Sizing a Soakaway Properly
A soakaway is an underground pit that holds rainwater and lets it soak into the surrounding ground. How big it needs to be depends on how fast your soil drains, so we dig a test pit, fill it with water and time how quickly the level falls. This percolation test is the method building control expects to see.
Heavy clay, common across the Weald, drains slowly and needs a larger soakaway. On some plots the ground will not take the water at all, and it is far better to find that out before the drive or extension goes in.
Our WorkAbout Us
Our Experience with Soakaways
We are a family run groundworks business based in Staplehurst, and we bring over 20 years of experience to every soakaways job across Kent, East and West Sussex and south-east London.
The same small, friendly team surveys the job, prepares the ground and finishes the surface, so you deal with the people doing the work from the first visit to the final sweep.
We have worked on behalf of Kent County Council and utility companies, our team is registered with the Street Works Qualifications Register, and we are approved under the Trading Standards Buy With Confidence scheme.
Our WorkOur Projects
Soakaways: Recent Work
Real jobs, photographed by us. Tap a photo to see it full size.
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Soakaways
Crate & Rubble-Filled Soakaways
Crate soakaways use plastic cells wrapped in geotextile membrane. They hold much more water than the same size pit filled with rubble, and the membrane stops soil washing in and clogging them. A traditional rubble-filled soakaway can still suit a small area where the ground drains well.
Whichever type you have, the soakaway sits at least 5 metres from the house and other buildings, so the water it releases does not soften the ground under their foundations.
Our WorkSoakaways
Linking Downpipes & Driveways
We connect roof downpipes, channel drains and gullies to the soakaway with sealed pipework, through a silt trap or inspection chamber you can lift and clear. Sending driveway water to a soakaway is a SuDS approach: it keeps rainwater out of the public sewer and helps a front garden driveway meet the planning rules for hard surfaces.
Our WorkThe Detail
What’s Included
- Percolation test before the soakaway is designed
- Excavation and removal of spoil
- Geotextile-wrapped crate or rubble-filled soakaway
- Pipework from downpipes, gullies or channel drains
- Silt trap or inspection chamber
- Backfill and reinstatement of the surface above
Your Quote
What Affects the Price
Every quote is written after a visit, so you know what the price covers before any work is booked.
- 01The size needed, which depends on the drainage rate and the area draining to it
- 02Crate or rubble-filled construction
- 03Length of pipe runs from downpipes and drains
- 04The surface to reinstate above, such as lawn or paving
- 05Access for a digger
Ready to Talk About Your Project?
Free site visits and written quotes across Kent and the South East.
How the Job Runs
Your Soakaways Step by Step
Percolation Test
A test pit is dug where the soakaway could go and the drainage rate is measured.
Design & Position
We size the soakaway for the area draining to it and position it at least 5 metres from buildings.
Excavation & Install
The pit is dug, lined and filled with crates or clean rubble, then wrapped and covered.
Connect & Reinstate
Pipework is run in from the downpipes or drains, and the lawn or paving above is put back.
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Why Choose Us
Why Customers Choose Us
Domestic driveways or council-standard reinstatement, the same team and the same standards on every job.
20+
Years’ Experience
Over two decades of getting the sub-base, levels and drainage right first time.
Accredited Staff
SWQR registered for highway work and approved under Trading Standards Buy With Confidence.
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Free, No-Obligation Quote
Get a FREE Quote
Tell us what you have in mind and where the job is. We’ll come back to you to talk it through and arrange a visit to measure up.
- A site visit to measure up and check levels
- A written price before anything is booked
- Street works registered, Trading Standards approved
Prefer to Talk?
Tell Us About Your Project
We reply to every enquiry, usually the same working day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Soakaways: Your Questions Answered
How far from the house does a soakaway need to be?
What if my ground does not drain?
Can a soakaway take water from my driveway?
What size soakaway do I need?
What is a soakaway made from?
Can’t Find Your Answer?
Get in touch and we’ll talk it through, with no obligation.
Where We Work
Where We Work
From our base in Staplehurst we cover the whole of Kent and reach into East Sussex, West Sussex and south-east London.