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mySoakaway Installation Cost
At a Glance
- The average cost of installing a soakaway drain is around £750.
- The job will take approximately 2 to 4 days to complete.
- A complete pricing breakdown which includes what you need to consider, along with what such a task usually involves.
- How long the job should approximately take and a general overview of what types of services can be performed.
- How to find and hire a soakaway fitter.
Soakaway drains are a great way to keep water away from your home but how much do they cost to install?
The average cost to install soakaway drainage is typically around £750.
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£750
Table of Contents
How Much Does a Soakaway Cost?
Drains below your driveway are a simple way to keep water away from the driveway. If you have a straight or seeping driveway, you don't want water to run onto it but away from it. So, you should ensure you find the right system for allowing the water to flow away from your property properly.
Drains have to be installed properly. Piping should be properly fitted, placed, and drains should be large enough, to ensure the water is running away from your property. If it is not properly aligned or even a few degrees off during installation, this can result in issues below the driveway over time.
Because you can hire various plumbers and specialists to install piping and draining, you have to know who to hire. You also have to understand who is going to do the paving work, if you are going to be updating the driveway of the home, at the same time you do the installation of new piping.
Whether you are doing a larger or smaller driveway, you want to know the work is going to be done properly. So, when the time comes to have new piping and drain systems installed, below are a few factors which are going to affect the overall cost of your project installation.
The soakaway for my property isn’t working anymore - any idea why this might be? How can I diagnose the problem, and if I figure out what the issue is? Is it something I could fix on my own, or is it the sort of job I should hire a professional for?
"What does the soakaway serve, and how old is it? It may just be old and not as sufficient as it used to be. You may be able to have it jetted, if not it will need a new soakaway."
Soakaway Installation Prices
| Job Description | Duration | Material Cost | Labour Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 190 Litre Soakaway | 1 Day | £150 | £550 |
| 333 Litre Soakaway | 1 Day | £190 | £600 |
| 800 Litre Soakaway | 2 – 3 Days | £230 | £800 |
| 950 Litre Soakaway | 2 – 3 Days | £260 | £850 |
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How Do I Know If I Need a Driveway Soakaway?
If you're a property owner, UK Building Regulations state that you're responsible for the surface water drainage around your home.
This means there must be adequate drainage systems in place to avoid standing water issues and flooding either on your property or on the roads surrounding it as a result of rainwater accumulation.
Making a soakaway drain is one way of managing excess water if you live in an area with poor drainage. Soakaways deal with surface water issues by collecting and containing rainwater so it can gradually drain into the ground instead of contributing to waterlogging.
If you have any of the following at your property, you'll likely need to install a soakaway:
- High volume of impermeable surfaces - The fewer natural surfaces there are, the more chance there is for standing water issues on patios, pavements, drives, and roads.
- Existing drainage issues - If you live in an area where there is already an issue with standing water, you're likely to need soakaways installed as a solution.
- Building regulations - New-build properties are generally required to have driveway soakaways.
Your soakaway specialist will carry out a percolation test to assess the soil to see how quickly water drains from it.
Heavy clay soils and closely compacted soils won't drain well and won't be suitable for soakaways, but sand, chalk, gravel, and clay and sandy loam will mostly all be suitable for soakaways.
We have block paving on our driveway, and water is pooling next to the house. We need to put in a drainage system to take rainwater down the drive and away. How much is an approx 10 metre linear drain system with soakaway in drive inc. removal and re-laying of block paving?
"I would recommend a site visit first to see what your best options would be, as there could be other options. An existing soakaway, if big enough, could be connected or expanded to facilitate the extra load, and this could work out cheaper. We would first need to calculate the area and conduct a ground percolation test to check adequate ground drainage. If there is a nearby surface drain or combined line, we could possibly connect to this."
What to Consider
You have to hire the right contractors for the job. The only way to ensure this is done is for you to compare a few local companies and their quotes and to learn what is required, prior to and during, if you are going to install new drain and water systems.
It is also important to determine if new water lines and drains are installed. In some cases, simply changing a few pipes will do; with older driveways, you might have to remove and update wiring and plumbing, which will cost more and take more time to complete.
Decide upon upgrading pavers, doing work on the driveway or simply adding the drain system. If you choose to update the driveway, you should do all projects at once to cut on the costs of labour as well as the duration of the project’s completion.
Ultimately, you want your new driveway to look good and for water to drain away from it. By taking the time to compare a few companies and the services they perform, you will ultimately find the best and have the work done properly.
Doing it Yourself
Driveway soakaway installation is not a simple DIY job. It is best left to professional plumbers and soakaway specialists to ensure the installation is done correctly and in compliance with local codes and regulations once the drain system is installed.
Your installer will take the following steps to install a soakaway:
- Site assessment - Before any installation begins, your soakaway fitter will assess the land. The soil will be tested to see how it drains, and the system's positioning will be determined by local regulations, avoiding underground services like electrical cables, gas, or water supplies. Soakaways must be at least 5 metres away from any structures.
- Excavation - Your installer will then start excavating the land, creating a pit for making a soakaway. Different calculations will be made to determine the depth and volume depending on your type of soakaway system. Any natural debris, such as roots or rubble, will be cleared.
- Base preparation - Once cleared, the pit will have a layer of pea shingle or sharp sand added and levelled out.
- Add soakaway crates and connect the inlet pipe - Soakaway crates will then be installed as per the manufacturer's instructions, and the inlet pipe will be connected.
- Backfilling - The soakaway will then be backfilled to stabilise the system.
Does a drain or a soakaway tend to be better at getting rid of rainwater? We've had increasingly heavy rain showers, and I'm wondering what we can do to future-proof our home.
"Rainwater has to go into a soakaway under new building regs, it should always happen."
Hiring a Tradesman Checklist
When you start looking for soakaway installation near you, make sure you keep the following in mind to ensure you're getting the best contractor for the job:
- Choose companies which specialise in soakaway driveway installations.
- Gather at least 3 quotes from different installers to get an idea of your local price range.
- Ask for written quotes with itemised breakdowns to see exactly what's included in your costs, asking about any necessary skip hire or waste removal services.
- Compare the soakaway specialists and the work they have already done, looking at photos or videos of their previous jobs.
- Understand regulations to make sure your new drains meet them.
- Find out if the contractors also do paving work if you choose to update your patio's driveway at the same time.
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FAQs
How long will this project take to complete?
Typically, the new drain system installation (only) should last from 2 to 4 days. If you do additional paving work or choose to install water lines and pumps, this can increase the duration up to 2 weeks in some homes.
How much are new drains?
New drain systems can run between £500 and £1,000, for most homes. Again, if additional work is required, you will have to calculate these costs and labour into the budget as well.
Can I install the drains myself?
It is not advised. If possible, you should hire a local contractor and plumbing team to do this job for you outside of the home to ensure precision and accuracy in the fitting and installation.
