About piling
What piling involves
Piling transfers a building's load to strong ground well below the surface. Slender shafts are sunk until they find a bearing layer or build up enough friction along their length to hold. A reinforced beam ties the pile heads together and the walls are carried on it, so the weak upper soil no longer takes the weight.
For existing Surrey homes this usually means mini piles put in by compact rigs, where firm ground is too deep for mass concrete underpinning to reach at sensible cost. It is also common on extension plots near large trees on clay, and on made ground in older town centres. Send an enquiry and a specialist will be in touch, then provide a free quote once the ground and access are understood.
How it works
How piling works with us
Soil testing
A borehole or deep probe establishes where the firm bearing layer sits and what the pile design has to allow for.
Rig positioning
A compact rig is brought in and set over each marked pile point along the wall or across the floor.
Pile installation
Each pile is bored or screwed to the design depth, then filled or capped as specified.
Beam casting
A reinforced beam is cast across the pile heads and connected to the existing wall or the new foundation.
When a pile design makes sense
Does this sound like your home?
- Trial holes show soft clay or fill continuing well below normal footing depth
- Mature oaks or poplars within reach of the foundations
- Earlier underpinning that has started moving again
- An extension planned on ground with a history of movement
- A soil report recommending deep foundations
- A tight plot where a small rig fits but a large dig would not
Looking after it
Looking after it afterwards
- Keep a dated photo record of any remaining hairline cracks so you have a baseline to compare against.
- Keep guttering, downpipes and drains clear and in good repair, leaking water is a common trigger for further movement.
- Avoid planting fast-growing trees or shrubs close to the property without taking advice first.
- Keep your engineer's report and any completion paperwork safe, they matter for future insurance, remortgaging or sale.
What you get
Getting movement sorted across Surrey
Prices set out in writing. The specialist firm puts its quote on paper before any work starts.
Findings you can keep. The specialist firm records the cause in writing, handy for insurers and buyers.
Local ground, local firms. Specialists who work across Surrey and know its clay and chalk.
Your decision, your pace. Read the quote, ask questions, and walk away if it does not suit.
What's involved
Points Surrey owners raise
Noise and neighbours
Bored or screw piles cause far less vibration than driven piles. That matters on terraced streets and next to older houses laid in lime mortar.
Through the floor or from the garden
Mini piles can sometimes be installed through a cleared ground floor room, or along the outside wall from the garden. The specialist explains which route suits the building.
Design and approval
Pile layouts are normally based on a structural design and passed through building control. Ask what the specialist expects your job to need.
Piling across Surrey
Specialists handle piling for homes in Camberley · Caterham · Egham · Epsom · Guildford · Reigate · Walton-on-Thames · Woking and many more areas around Surrey, from cracked bay windows to conservatories pulling away from the house.
Questions we hear
Before you ask
Why would piling be chosen instead of underpinning?
When stable soil lies several metres down, digging mass concrete bays that deep becomes slow and costly. Piles reach that depth with far less excavation, which is why they are favoured on deep clay, filled ground or sites near big trees.
How much do piling works cost for a house?
It varies with the number of piles, the depth they must reach, the rig needed and how easy the site is to work. A specialist looks at the ground information and access, then gives a free quote for the scheme.
Does piling cause problems for neighbouring properties?
Bored and screw piles are chosen near other houses because they keep vibration low. The specialist will say whether a party wall notice is likely to be needed before work starts.
Can piling go ahead while an insurance claim is open?
If an insurer has accepted a subsidence claim, it usually manages the repair and appoints its own contractors. Speak to the insurer before arranging piling yourself, so the claim is not affected.