Clear it, find out what the soil is, then build in order. The middle step is the one people skip.
Cut and clear the bulk first, then find out what the ground actually is, then work in order: boundaries, soil, levels, planting, turf last.
On a newer estate plot the soil is the question that decides everything else, and it is invisible until you dig.
| What you find | What it means |
|---|---|
| Good depth of dark topsoil | Straightforward — improve and plant |
| Thin topsoil over pale subsoil | Needs importing before anything establishes |
| Rubble and brick within inches | Remove what you can; import topsoil |
| Spade stops dead | Compaction — break it up before anything else |
| Water standing in the hole | Drainage; address before turf or planting |
| Membrane and gravel | Failed developer landscaping; lift it |
Tell us what you need and we will arrange a free quotation.
On an estate the boundary is usually the next most useful thing to sort, because developer fencing goes in all at once and reaches the end of its life all at once — so if one panel has gone, the rest are close behind. It is also far easier to do while the garden is bare than once anything is planted or laid.
Price the first clearance firmly and everything else afterwards. Anyone quoting a whole garden through a wall of brambles is guessing — and on a newer plot the soil is the biggest unknown, because it decides whether the next stage is a light improvement or importing several tonnes of topsoil.
See what our garden clearance service covers in Stoke Gifford, or read more about the service across the areas we work in.
Cut and clear the bulk first, then find out what the ground actually is, then work in order — boundaries, soil, levels, planting, turf last.
Digging a test hole. On an estate plot the soil decides everything else and it is invisible until you look.
Dig a spade-deep hole in two or three places. Note how deep the dark topsoil goes, look for rubble, see whether the spade stops dead, and check whether water sits after rain.
It needs building up before anything will establish. That is common on newer plots and it changes the budget for everything that follows.
Because developer fencing goes in all at once and fails all at once — and it is far easier to do while the garden is bare.
Clear, check the soil, trees and hedges, structures out, boundaries, soil improvement and levelling, wash the surfaces, then planting and turf.
Price the first clearance firmly and the rest afterwards. The soil is the biggest unknown and it decides whether the next stage is light or substantial.
Move clutter, mark what stays, dig the test holes, photograph it, talk to neighbours about boundaries, and check your deeds for covenants.
Need tree surgery, hedge maintenance, fencing, garden clearance, turfing or power washing? Complete the form and tell us what work you require.
