Where there's no mains drainage connection, a percolation test and a properly sized soakaway are essential for Building Standards approval. I carry out the on-site test and prepare a full foul and/or surface water drainage design — backed by 45 years' experience in Building Control and Building Standards, including senior local authority roles.
Site visit required — currently covering Dumfries & Galloway, the Scottish Borders and Cumbria only
A percolation test and soakaway design underpin your drainage strategy — get it wrong and you risk a failed inspection, a resubmission, or a soakaway that doesn't cope in wet weather.
Percolation testing carried out in line with BRE Digest 365 and BS 6297, giving Building Standards, SEPA and the Environment Agency a result they can rely on.
Having spent decades assessing these very submissions from the other side of the desk, I know exactly what a drainage design needs to demonstrate to pass first time.
No need to instruct separate contractors — the percolation test, soakaway sizing calculations and drainage design report are all prepared by the same Chartered Surveyor.
If Building Standards, SEPA or the Environment Agency come back with queries once you've submitted, I'm on hand to help you respond — and happy to liaise directly with your architect, engineer or drainage designer if you have one acting on your behalf.
A straightforward process — you provide access and a source of water, I do the rest.
I'll confirm the number, size and depth of trial holes needed for your site. You (or your groundworker) dig these before my visit and provide a source of water on site.
I attend site, carry out the percolation test to BRE Digest 365 / BS 6297, and record ground conditions across the test holes.
I calculate the required soakaway size and prepare a full foul and/or surface water drainage design report, ready for submission to Building Standards, SEPA or the Environment Agency, as applicable.
Available afterwards to advise on queries from the authority, or changes needed if ground conditions vary once construction starts. If you have an architect, engineer or drainage designer acting on your behalf, I'm happy to liaise with them directly.
Because this service requires a site visit, I'm currently only able to offer it within a limited travelling distance.
Every site drains differently, so the final price depends on ground conditions, number of trial holes and travel distance — but here's a guide to what most jobs cost.
Not sure which applies to your site? That's exactly what the free chat before booking is for — get in touch with your postcode and a rough idea of ground type, and I'll confirm a fixed price before any work begins.
Yes — you or your groundworker digs the trial holes and provides a source of water on site before my visit. I'll confirm exactly how many holes, and their size and depth, once I know a little about your site.
BRE Digest 365 requires slow-draining ground to be pre-soaked and monitored over a longer period to get a reliable result. That means more time on site (and sometimes a return visit), which is reflected in the guide price.
Not every site is suitable for a standard soakaway. If the test shows poor infiltration, I'll advise on the alternatives — larger or deeper soakaways, constructed wetlands, or in some cases a package treatment plant with alternative discharge.
Yes. The percolation test and drainage design are prepared to BRE Digest 365 / BS 6297, which is the recognised methodology Building Standards expect to see, along with SEPA in Scotland and the Environment Agency in England (including Cumbria).
Yes — if you have an architect, engineer or other designer acting on your behalf, I'm happy to liaise with them directly to make sure the drainage design ties in with the wider scheme.
Possibly, for sites reasonably close by — get in touch with your postcode and I'll let you know honestly whether it's practical for me to attend.
Tell me a little about your site — location, ground type if known, and what the drainage is for — and I'll come back with a fixed price and available dates.