Setting the benchmark for groundworks excellence in the South.
At Mackoy, we pride ourselves in raising the bar when it comes to the groundwork services we provide. We consistently add to our resources with the latest machines, and take proactive measures to ensure our work is completed to the highest specification and safety standards.
Our groundwork remit doesn't just involve digging out trenches. Mackoy operatives are skilled and trained in all areas of essential groundwork infrastructure: from block and beam flooring and earthworks to advanced drainage solutions, retaining structures and 278 works. If it involves muck, mortar and machines, we are in our element.
With experienced groundworkers in our gangs, all of whom are CSCS-qualified and further trained in-house, we're uniquely placed to oversee entire groundwork contracts from start to finish. We specialise in delivering full infrastructure packages for some of the South's leading property builders, including on-site installations of roads, kerbs and recreational areas.
Our work takes place both above and below ground. We start with stripping a site of its existing vegetation to get it primed for building; we then excavate the utilities trenches and the foundations that give every new home a solid grounding. We ensure that our workmanship is executed safely and in line with the latest site drawings and quality controls.
Our groundwork plays a vital part in making our clients' homes safe, structurally sound and comfortable to live in. Therefore, we invest in the very latest plant to get the job done efficiently, safely and to the highest specification possible. We conduct regular safety audits of our worksites and provide an on-site foreman on all projects, whose job it is to uphold the excellent quality standards we demand on all our live builds.
I have used Mackoy for over eight years. The skill set of the company is more than just groundworks and expands to delivering schemes on time, within budget while maintaining a high level of health & safety.”
Tom Moody
Director
- Hampshire Homes
The numbers don't lie. Take a statistical look at what sets Mackoy apart in the south's groundwork and civil engineering sector.
Our workforce includes over 300 skilled groundworks operatives, who uphold our commitment to quality workmanship and safe practice.
We regularly invest in new plant for our gangs, extending our fleet to more than 150 privately owned machines since 2011. We spend between £2-4m per year on new plant to keep in conformity and legislations.
Contract values ranging from £250,000 to £10 million have fuelled our eight-figure annual company turnover.
With over 800 successful site inspections passed each year, our infallible heath and safety record remains intact.
What groundworks means/what is groundworks? The term groundworks refers to work that is carried out to prepare sub-surfaces for the start of construction work. Groundworks is usually the first stage of any construction project. Groundworkers are usually the first and last trades performed on site. Typically, a groundworker will clear the site, lay the foundations, install draining and other pipework, as well as laying roads and so on. This work is essential before any building can be erected.
Why is groundwork needed when building a new house Groundworks is essential when building a new home because no building can be built without a proper foundation; groundworks essentially anchors any building to the ground. When it comes to building a home, groundworkers will also install draining and sewer systems, substructure brickwork, beam and block flooring and much more – all imperative to keeping a house structure safe, in place, and free from damp as much as possible.
How much does groundworks cost? It’s impossible to say how much a groundworks package would cost. As with knowing how long groundworks would take, putting a price to general groundworks without knowing the specifications from the client is not possible. When we tender for a contract, we can then put a price on the groundworks as we would know how many units are needed, what services are included, what the timescales are and then we can look at materials and labourers. Without that, there’s no way of costing up.
What qualification and skills are needed to be a groundworker? In order to work in construction industry, including groundworks, you will need a valid CSCS card (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) – the leading construction industry training association. You may also be required to obtain a CPCS card – which is an industry-standard identification that an individual has the necessary knowledge and competence to work as a plant operator in the field of construction. You would also receive regular training when you work on site, or at least you do with Mackoy, and toolbox talks. Construction sites can be dangerous places if rules are not abided by and proper training is in place. That’s why, in order to even be on a construction site, you must have the above accreditations.
How long do groundworks take? There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to groundworks. It completely depends on the size of the project. We would be able to estimate a timeframe when we tender for a project but that would be based on how many units we are working on, and what other services are included in the overall project. Sometimes, we do a complete groundworks infrastructure, which would include foundations, roads, sewers, 278 works and more. Other times, we may be required for less services, but it’s still groundworks nonetheless.
What is a groundworks foreman? A foreman is essentially a senior position or supervisor on a construction site. They are in charge of the groundwork gangs and ensure that projects stick to their schedule on a day-to-day basis. The foreman would work alongside the construction managers and health and safety teams to deliver site inspections, health and safety documents and report on the daily work completed.
We apply soft and hard landscaping techniques to radically transform clients' developments, and to install unique character features that give a project life and soul – from installing football pitches and recreational spaces to changing a site's elevation, feel and flow.
Our CAD surveys offer a topographical overview of a site based on field data, illustrated by a series of computer-aided 3D drawings. CAD surveys offer an insightful analysis of a piece of land's geological make-up and composition, and are backed up by research findings.
Our civil engineers use environmental and structural expertise to bring a building to life. Not only do they ensure a development project can be delivered on time and on budget, they also provide the complex calculations needed for a mechanically sound construction.
Whether a client needs a basement or is developing a sloping site, the retaining walls created by our groundworkers help to contain soil in its place. This maintains the integrity of a structure and ensures that no amount of pressure or environmental impact compromises its stability.
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