Concrete shed bases & groundworks in Croydon. Small gate, no problem.

What we do in Croydon

From Addiscombe and Thornton Heath out to Purley, Coulsdon and Selsdon, most of the calls we take are for a level, properly built base and the digging that goes with it. We work with our own machines and take the spoil away as part of the quote.

Whatever the job is, the first step is the same: a photo of the area and a photo of the gate.

• Concrete shed and garage bases, 100 to 150mm with A142 mesh
• Excavation and levelling for sloping gardens
• Ground clearance and rubble removal
• Shed installation in timber, metal or plastic
• Concrete steps and ramps
• Demolition and old shed removal
• Mini digger and dumper hire with a CPCS-carded driver

Terraces, semis and sloping plots

Close to the centre and towards Thornton Heath and South Norwood you get a lot of Victorian and Edwardian terraces. The gardens are long and narrow and the only way in is often a side passage. That is where a 0.8 tonne digger earns its keep: if you can get a person with a wheelbarrow through, we can usually get the micro digger and a tracked dumper through as well. Roughly 80cm clear is what we want to see.

Further out, around Shirley, Sanderstead and Selsdon, the housing is more 1930s semis and detached houses with wider drives and side gates. Some of those back gardens fall away from the house, so levelling can matter as much as the base. We cut the high side back and build the slab on firm ground rather than propping it up on made-up soil.

One thing worth sending in your photo is the fence line. In terraced streets the boundary is often close to where the shed would naturally go, and a neighbour's fence panel or a shared wall sometimes needs support while we dig alongside. If we think a boundary needs care, we say so at the quote stage so there are no arguments afterwards.

Ground under the slab

Much of London sits on clay, which shrinks and swells through the seasons. That is why we put the concrete on a properly compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base with steel mesh in it, rather than pouring on whatever is there. A base that moves will crack and twist the shed floor, so this is not a place to cut corners.

Ground varies a lot across a borough this size, so we do not guess. We look at the photos first and check what we find when we dig.

How it works

Send a photo of the garden, a photo of the access and a rough size to WhatsApp. We come back with a guide price, usually within 30 minutes. We then check access, ground and measurements and confirm a fixed price. There is no deposit on standard domestic jobs.

A normal shed base is dug, prepared and poured in a day. It is walkable after 24 to 48 hours, and we advise leaving about 7 days before a heavy shed goes on.

Roads, permits and nearby areas

Getting around Croydon means the A23 and A232 and a lot of narrow residential streets. If a skip or vehicle needs to go on the road, a council permit may be needed, and we will tell you before it becomes a problem.

We also cover Sutton, Bromley and the rest of south London, plus Kent from Sevenoaks and Dartford.

Nearby areas and services