Drainage & Utility Connections in Cornwall & Devon
Foul and surface water laid to the right fall, air tested, signed off by building control, and utility ducting in the ground before your drive goes down. Free site visit and a fast, honest quote.
Drainage is invisible until it fails, then it is the most disruptive thing on site
Drainage and utilities cover everything that runs below ground and carries something: foul water from the building to the sewer or treatment plant, surface water from roofs and hard standings to a soakaway or attenuation system, and the ducting that brings electricity, water, gas and telecoms in. All of it has to be at the right depth, on the right bed, at the right fall, with access to rod it and a route that does not undermine the building.
We install new systems on extensions and new builds, replace and repair failed runs on existing properties, and put in the soakaways and attenuation that Cornish surface water demands. Because we also do the excavation and the slabs, drainage is set out with the levels and thresholds in mind, and ducting is placed before concrete and paving arrive rather than cut into them afterwards.
On notifiable work we book and attend the building control inspections, air test where required, and get sign-off before backfilling. Nothing gets covered until it has been seen.
What's included
Foul and surface water drainage
Soakaways and attenuation systems
Utility trenching and ducting
Drainage repairs and replacements
Manholes, inspection chambers and connections
Air testing and building control sign-off
Who it's for
Homeowners with blocked, collapsed or repeatedly backing-up drains
Self-builders and extensions needing new foul and surface water systems
Anyone suffering standing water, saturated ground or run-off towards the house
Developers and builders needing plot drainage, connections and ducting
Properties on septic tanks or treatment plants needing new runs or upgrades
When it's needed
A new extension, annexe or house needs connecting to foul and surface water
Drains are blocking, smelling, collapsing or have been surveyed as failed
Rainwater is discharging to ground and causing damp or standing water
Utility connections are booked and ducting has to be in the ground first
Hard standings or a new drive are increasing run-off that needs managing
Why It Matters
What ignoring drainage actually costs
Water working on the foundations
Leaking runs and soakaways too close to the building saturate the ground supporting your footings. That leads to damp, movement in the worst ground, and remedial work that costs far more than the drainage did.
Blockages that keep coming back
A run with insufficient fall, a belly in the pipe, or no rodding access will block again however many times it is jetted. Each visit is money spent without fixing the cause.
Collapsed pipework under a finished surface
Old clay or pitch fibre pipes that fail under a new drive or patio mean lifting everything above them. The pipe repair is the cheap part; the reinstatement is not.
A failed drainage inspection or air test
Building control will not sign off runs that leak, lack access or are laid without correct bedding. Discovering that after backfilling means reopening ground you have already made good.
Foul water where it should not be
Cross-connected foul and surface water, or a failing septic system, creates a health issue, an environmental one and a problem that will surface in any future sale of the property.
Digging up a new drive for utilities
Ducting left out at the ground stage means excavating finished paving or concrete later, at full cost, to run a cable or pipe that could have been laid in an hour while the trench was open.
Common mistakes we're asked to put right
Guessing gradients instead of setting them out from levels
Connecting new runs into old pipework without checking its condition first
Siting a soakaway too close to the building, or in ground that will not take water
Laying pipes straight on stony ground with no bed or surround
Leaving out inspection chambers and rodding points to save a small amount
Backfilling and paving before the air test and building control inspection
Our Process
How the job runs, step by step
Every job follows the same order, so you always know what has happened and what comes next.
Step 1
Free site visit and investigation
We look at existing manholes and runs, establish levels and invert depths, find where the connection point is, and check what the ground will and will not take. Free visit, fast quote.
Step 2
Design and scope agreed
Route, gradients, chamber positions, soakaway or attenuation sizing and ducting requirements are set out and priced: fixed price, cost-plus or labour-only, with stage payments and no deposit normally required.
Step 3
Excavation and setting out
Trenches excavated to depth on the agreed route, supported and kept safe, with existing services located first and levels checked so the fall is set out rather than eyeballed.
Step 4
Installation
Pipework bedded and surrounded in the correct granular material, laid to the specified gradient, with chambers, junctions and rodding access built in. Soakaways and attenuation formed and connected. Ducting laid with draw cords and marker tape.
Step 5
Testing and inspection
Runs air tested and checked for fall and free flow, then building control inspects the installation. We book and attend the visit, and nothing is covered until it has passed.
Step 6
Backfill, reinstatement and handover
Careful backfill and compaction in layers, ground and surfaces reinstated, chamber covers set to final level, and the route recorded so you know what is where under your garden or drive.
What You Get
The difference this makes on your drainage & utilities job
It works in heavy Cornish rain, not just on a dry day
Falls, pipe sizes and soakaway capacity are set out for the actual roof and hard standing areas draining into them.
Rodding access where you will need it
Chambers and access points at bends and junctions mean a future blockage is a ten-minute job, not an excavation.
Tested and signed off before covering
Air testing and building control inspection happen with the trench open, so problems are found when they are still cheap.
Water moved away from the building
Soakaways sized and sited clear of foundations, with levels arranged so surface water leaves rather than collects against the structure.
Ducting in before the surface goes down
Utility routes laid with draw cords while the ground is open, so future connections do not mean breaking up a finished drive.
One team for dig, drainage and reinstatement
The people who open the ground close it back up and make good, so nobody is arguing about whose responsibility the surface was.
Fully insured, properly operated plant
£5m public liability, £10m employers' liability and Contractors' All Risks cover, with CPCS-carded operators on the machines.
Straight answers on repair versus replace
If a section can be repaired we will say so; if a run is at the end of its life we will tell you that instead of patching it twice.
In Detail
Drainage and utilities in detail
Foul water drainage
Foul runs carry waste from WCs, kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms to the public sewer, a septic tank or a treatment plant. Pipe sizes and gradients are chosen so flow is self-cleansing, too flat and solids settle, too steep and liquid runs away from them. We install branch connections, gullies and stacks, form inspection chambers and manholes to depth with correctly benched bases, and make the connection to the existing system or plant. Runs pass under or clear of foundations with the protection and lintelling that building regulations require.
Surface water, soakaways and attenuation
Roofs, drives and yards shed a surprising volume of water. Where it can be discharged to ground we build soakaways sized to the contributing area and to how quickly the ground actually accepts water, sited well clear of foundations and boundaries. Where discharge has to be controlled, a restricted outfall or an existing system with no spare capacity - attenuation stores the peak and releases it slowly. Channel drains, gullies, linear drainage and land drains deal with water at the surface before it reaches the building or the road.
Materials and methods
The specification matters as much as the labour:
Plastic (uPVC and structured wall) pipework for most new foul and surface water runs, with push-fit sealed joints
Clay pipework where matching into existing systems or where the specification calls for it
Granular bed and surround so the pipe is supported evenly and not bearing on stone
Concrete surround, protective slabs and lintels where cover is shallow or loading is heavy
Preformed and brick or concrete-ring inspection chambers and manholes, with covers rated to their location
Geotextile-wrapped stone or modular crate soakaways, sized to the drained area
Ducting to provider specification with draw cords, marker tape and correct separation between services
Repairs, replacements and existing systems
On older properties we take out failed sections: cracked clay, deformed pitch fibre, collapsed junctions, roots - and replace with new pipework and proper bedding, tying back into sound existing runs. Where a survey shows a whole run at the end of its life, replacing it is usually cheaper over five years than repeated jetting and localised digs. We also rebuild collapsed chambers, reset covers to level, cut in new rodding access on runs that never had any, and separate foul and surface water that has been cross-connected.
Utility trenching, ducting and connections
Electricity, water, gas and telecoms all have their own depth, bedding, separation and marking requirements, and providers will refuse to pull cable into ducting that does not meet them. We excavate and lay the ducting so the connection can go ahead when the provider arrives: correct depth for the service and the surface above it, sand or fine bed, draw cords in place, bends within pulling tolerance, marker tape and warning boards, and ducts sealed against water and vermin. Where trenches are shared we maintain the required separations rather than bundling services together.
Testing, inspection and records
New runs are air tested and checked for fall, alignment and free flow before backfill. Building control inspects the installation and, on notifiable work, we book and attend the visit with the drawings on site. We backfill and compact in layers so the ground above does not settle into a trench line across your garden or drive, set covers to finished level, and tell you where everything runs, which is worth a great deal the next time anyone needs to dig.
Domestic, rural and commercial differences
Domestic work is usually about working around an occupied house: protecting surfaces, hand-digging near unknown services, and keeping the property usable while the drains are open. Rural properties bring septic tanks, treatment plants, private outfalls, long runs and ground that varies over a few metres. Commercial and developer work adds attenuation, larger pipe sizes, heavier cover loadings, adoptable standards where relevant and more documentation. We cover all three across Cornwall and Devon as far as Exeter.
On Site
Drainage & Utilities we have carried out
Photographs taken on our own sites across Cornwall and Devon.
If your question isn't here, ring Calum and ask, a straight answer costs nothing.
How much does new drainage cost?
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It depends on the length and depth of the run, the ground, how many chambers are needed and how far the connection point is. We look at the site, establish levels and invert depths, then price it as a fixed price, cost-plus, or labour-only if you are supplying materials. Site visits and quotes are free with a fast turnaround.
How long does a drainage job take?
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A single new run or a soakaway is often one to three days. A full plot: foul, surface water, chambers, soakaway and ducting - is usually one to two weeks, plus the air test and building control visit. Depth, rock and connection arrangements are the usual variables.
Can you repair a section, or does the whole drain need replacing?
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Often a section is enough, and we will say so. Where a survey shows deformed pitch fibre, widespread root damage or a run with no fall built in, replacement is usually cheaper over a few years than repeated jetting and localised digs. You will get a straight answer either way.
Do you air test and get building control sign-off?
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Yes. New runs are air tested and checked for fall and free flow, and on notifiable work we book and attend the building control inspection with the drawings on site. Nothing is backfilled or covered until it has been inspected.
Where can a soakaway go, and how big does it need to be?
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It needs to be clear of the building and boundaries, in ground that actually accepts water, and sized to the roof and hard standing area draining into it. We check the ground and the contributing area before sizing it, an undersized soakaway in tight ground simply backs up in heavy rain.
Can you connect a new extension into my existing drains?
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Usually yes, provided the existing run has the capacity and is in sound condition. We check what is there first, because connecting new work into a failing pipe just moves the problem. If the existing run is not up to it we will price the replacement rather than build on top of it.
Do you lay ducting for electricity, water and broadband?
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Yes. We trench and lay ducting to the providers' depth, bedding, separation and marking requirements, with draw cords in place, so the connection can be pulled through when they arrive. Doing it while the ground is already open avoids digging up a finished drive later.
Do you work on septic tanks and treatment plants?
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We install and replace the drainage runs and connections serving them, and we handle the excavation and groundworks involved. Specialist plant supply and commissioning is coordinated with the appropriate supplier, still under Calum's project management so you have one point of contact.
Are you insured for work near my property and services?
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Fully insured, £5 million public liability, £10 million employers' liability, products liability and Contractors' All Risks cover. Our operators are CPCS-carded and Calum holds SMSTS for site management safety.
Which areas do you cover for drainage work?
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All of Cornwall and Devon as far as Exeter. Liskeard, Menheniot, Dobwalls, St Ive, Callington, Looe, Saltash, Torpoint, Bodmin, Launceston, Fowey, St Austell and Tavistock are all regular working areas from our Horningtops yard.
Related Work
Services that usually go with this one
Most jobs cross more than one trade. Taking them together keeps the programme and the price tighter.
Get a free drainage & utilities quote from someone who's walked the ground
Calum will come out, look at the site and give you a straight price: fixed, cost-plus or labour-only, whichever suits the job. No deposit normally required, and stage payments as work is completed.
Send us the details and Calum will come out, look at the ground and give you a straight, free quote: fixed price, cost-plus or labour-only, whichever suits the job.
