LandDrainage&SurfaceWaterinBournemouth&Poole
Percolation tested, then sized to fit. Land drains, soakaways and surface water runs built for the worst week of the winter, not the day of the quote.
- Sized from an actual percolation test, not a guess
- Same team handles the dig, the drainage and the reinstate
- 2-year workmanship warranty
- 2 yearsWarranty on work
- Owner-ledOne team throughout
- In-houseBy our own team
- CSCS · SSSTS · NVQ 2Qualified team
What Land & Surface Water Drainage Actually Involves
Land drainage is working out where the water actually goes, then building for it. That starts with a percolation test, trial pits timed to see how fast the ground takes water, so a soakaway or land drain gets sized to what the ground can actually manage rather than a guess. It suits any garden that puddles, a patio that pools, or a plot that needs sign-off from building control before a soakaway or septic system goes in.
How Land Drainage Work Runs With Us
The same three moves on every drainage job, whatever caused the flooding.
01Assess and test
We look at where the water is coming from and where it currently goes, and dig trial pits with a percolation test where the ground needs it.
02Design and fixed quote
The soakaway or drainage run gets sized to the test result, then priced as one fixed figure before anything is dug.
03Install, test and reinstate
We dig, lay and connect the drainage, test that it works, then backfill and hand the garden back tidy above ground.
French Drain, Channel Drain or Soakaway
Different drainage problems call for different fixes. Which one fits depends on where the water sits and what it takes to move it, which is what the site visit is for.
| French Drain | Channel Drain | Soakaway | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | A boggy strip or garden edge with nowhere obvious for water to go | A path, driveway or patio surface shedding water fast at one point | Ground that a percolation test shows will take water once it is given somewhere to sit |
| How it works | A perforated pipe in a gravel-filled trench, collecting water along its length | Surface water caught at a grate and piped away or into a soakaway | Water held below ground in a chamber or crate system until the ground absorbs it |
| What it needs | A fall to carry water away, or a connection into a soakaway | A hard surface to sit under and a point to discharge to | Ground proven by a percolation test to actually take the water |
| Upkeep | Rarely needs attention once it is in | Grates need clearing of leaves and grit | An occasional check that the chamber is not silting up |
Swipe to see every column
What A Drainage Job Includes
The detail behind a fixed quote, before you ask the price.
Percolation test
Trial pits dug and timed to see how fast the ground actually takes water, before anything is sized.
A soakaway or run sized to the test
Not guessed. Built to what the ground showed on the day.
Building control paperwork
Provided where the job needs sign-off for a soakaway or septic system.
2-year workmanship warranty
If it settles or the water finds its way back, we come back and put it right.
Pricing
What Land Drainage Costs
Priced once we know where the water is going
Drainage cost follows the ground, not a rate card. It is built from how fast your soil takes water, how far the run has to travel, what access the machine has, and whether the job needs a soakaway sized off a percolation test. We quote it in writing after a look, and the figure does not move once you have accepted it.
- What moves it: soil type, length of run, access and the drainage the ground actually needs
- Written and itemised before anything is dug
- Test results feed the quote, so nothing is guessed
How We Handle Land & Surface Water Drainage
Three steps, from finding the cause to leaving the garden tidy.
Assess and test
We look at where the water is coming from and where it currently goes, and dig trial pits with a percolation test if the ground needs it.
Design and fixed quote
The soakaway or drainage run gets sized to the test result, then priced as one fixed figure before we start.
Install, test and reinstate
We dig, lay and connect the drainage, test that it works, then backfill and hand the garden back tidy. Paperwork provided where the job needs sign-off.
Land Drainage, While It Was Still Open
Most of a drainage job disappears the moment it is backfilled, which is why photographs of it are rare. Here is what the work looks like while it is still in the ground.
What Our Land Drainage Customers Say
Feedback from customers whose gardens and driveways we have drained across Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset.
Natasha Coombes
Really happy with our garden transformation. We went to Four Groundworks and landscaping for the installation of a land drain, soak away, new garden pathway and barked play area. However, as with any project nothing is ever straight forward and we had to pivot with the plan and instead they installed a land drain directly into our house drainage which was a much bigger task than originally quoted. As well as adding on installation of artificial grass. They offered a competitive quote, did a great job and left the site clean. We'll be sure to use them again for future projects.
Land Drainage Work We Have Carried Out
A sample of the drainage and groundworks jobs across the area.
Before You Ask
The questions we hear before anyone signs off a drainage job.
Will this actually fix it, or just move the water somewhere else?
A percolation test tells us how the ground behaves before we design anything, so the soakaway or run is sized to what the ground can actually take.
Will my garden get wrecked working out where the problem is?
Trial pits are kept to the size the job needs, and the site is left tidy once we have what we need from it.
How do we know the fix is not a guess?
The percolation test gives a measured figure, and the soakaway or drain is sized to that result, not to what usually works.
What You Can See, And What It Actually Means
Common signs of a drainage problem, and what usually causes them.
Puddles that sit for days after rain
What it actually isGround beneath the lawn that is not taking water away fast enough
What it needsA percolation test shows how the ground actually drains, and a soakaway or land drain is sized to that result.
A patio or driveway that pools instead of draining to an edge
What it actually isFalls that were never set correctly when the surface was laid, or drainage left out altogether
What it needsFalls and a channel or French drain are built in, so water runs off the surface rather than sitting on it.
Damp creeping up near the house
What it actually isSurface water with nowhere to go finding the path of least resistance, often against the foundations
What it needsA land drain intercepts it and carries it away before it reaches the building, connected into the existing run where one exists.
Land Drainage, Explained
Garden flooding solutions usually come down to two questions: where is the water coming from, and where has it been sent. Most gardens that flood were never given a proper way for water to leave. A land drain or a soakaway gives it one, matched to the amount of water the site actually produces rather than a standard size fitted everywhere.
Surface water drainage installation starts with a percolation test, BRE 365-style trial pits timed to measure how fast the ground takes water. That figure decides whether a soakaway will work at all, and if so what size it needs to be. Skipping the test and sizing a soakaway from experience alone is how a drainage job ends up repeating the same problem it was meant to fix.
French drain installation and channel drain installation both move water on the surface rather than storing it below ground, so the choice between them usually comes down to whether the problem is a boggy area or a hard surface shedding water fast. Every garden drains differently, which is why we test before we design rather than assume, and provide building control paperwork where the job calls for it.
Land Drainage Questions
What customers actually ask before booking a percolation test or a soakaway.
Why is my garden flooding?
Usually because of where the water is coming from and where it has been sent, not simply how much rain fell. That is what a site visit works out.
Do I need a percolation test, and what is one?
A percolation test times how fast the ground absorbs water using trial pits. It tells us what size soakaway the ground actually needs, rather than guessing.
Will this satisfy building control or my builder?
Yes, where the job calls for it, and we provide the paperwork.
How much does land drainage cost?
Every garden is different, so we price it after a look at the site and what is causing the problem. Get in touch for a fixed quote.
How long does it take?
A percolation test is a short visit. A full soakaway and drainage run usually takes a few days, confirmed once we have seen the site.
What qualifications and accreditations do you hold?
CSCS, Street Works (NRSWA), SSSTS and NVQ Level 2, alongside a Diploma in Groundworks. The business is an approved Checkatrade member and holds Google Guaranteed status, with over 15 years in the industry behind it.
Other Drainage Services
On the wrong page? Here is where the rest of the drainage work lives.
01Percolation Testing
Trial pits and a timed test, so a soakaway gets sized to what the ground can actually take.
Learn more
02Soakaway Design & Installation
A soakaway built and sized from a percolation test, not guessed.
Learn more- 03
Driveway & Patio Drainage
Falls and channel drains built into a new or existing surface so water runs off it.
Learn more
Land & Surface Water Drainage Across Bournemouth & Poole
Four of the areas we work in most for drainage and groundworks.
Poole
Flat ground close to the harbour brings us out to plenty of Poole gardens that need a proper way for surface water to go.
Poole coverageChristchurch
Gardens near where the Stour and Avon meet are a regular call for land drains and soakaways.
Christchurch coverageFerndown
A steady stream of drainage and groundworks work across Ferndown, from garden soakaways to full surface water runs.
Ferndown coverageRingwood
Rural plots and larger gardens around Ringwood often need a longer land drain run than a typical in-town garden.
Ringwood coverageGet a free quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a price. No pressure, no hard sell.
Prefer to talk? Call Four Groundworks & Landscaping on 07886 075828
Land and surface water drainage
Trench lines, the gravel surround and where the water is actually being taken to. These go up on our Instagram as each run goes in.
See more on Instagram