One machine, many jobs

The Hitachi ZX19U-5 mini excavator is built for small and medium earthworks: it fits through a narrow gateway, works alongside a fence and moves through an established garden, yet it does in hours what would take days by hand. Below we go through the most common types of work, so you know exactly what to ask for – and how much time to allow.

Every price includes the machine, a qualified operator and the call-out within Pest County. No deposit and no hidden costs.

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Foundation excavation

Excavating strip or raft foundations for houses, garages, outbuildings and terraces to the depth and width shown on the plans. The advantage of a mini excavator is that the strips are cut on an accurate line with clean edges, so less hand finishing is left. We spread the excavated soil on site, or stack it for later removal. A strip foundation for an average family house typically takes one to two working days.

Pool excavation, digging the pool pit

Excavating the pit for a garden pool – concrete, liner or moulded – to the size specified by the manufacturer, with the working space and slope required. Pool excavation is not simply digging a hole: the level of the base, the position of the plant chamber and the trench for the water and electrical connections all matter, so we handle them in one visit. We spread the displaced soil across the plot, or prepare it for removal. An average 6×3 metre pool pit is usually finished in a day.

Trench digging

Digging narrow, straight trenches for cable, pipe, ducting or drainage. With a narrow bucket we can work at widths of 30–40 cm, so the disturbed surface is minimal and there is less to reinstate. Near existing utilities we work carefully, layer by layer. We can backfill and roughly reinstate the surface on request.

Utility trenches – water, gas, electricity, drainage

Digging trenches for utility connections within the plot and at the street front, to the required laying depth and with an even fall. For drainage, accuracy of fall is critical, so we check it separately. We also prepare the trench to receive a sand bed, backfill after the pipe is laid, and spread the surplus soil.

Sewer and wastewater connections

Connecting to the public sewer, or excavating the pit for a domestic wastewater chamber, inspection chamber or sealed tank. We prepare the chamber position so that concreting, or placing the plastic tank, can continue immediately. We dig the trench for the connecting pipe in the same visit, so the machine does not need to come twice.

Ground levelling and grading

Putting an uneven, sloping or neglected plot in order: cutting down high points, filling hollows and forming an even fall away from the house. Without good levelling, seeding, paving and drainage all go wrong later, so it is worth starting garden work here. The result is a flat surface, ready for compaction.

Spreading and filling soil

Spreading imported topsoil, sand, gravel or crushed stone across the plot, or returning excavated soil. We work in layers so that the surface does not settle later. This work is often part of a larger job – after pool or foundation excavation, for example – and saves a great deal of barrowing by hand.

Fence foundations and post holes

Digging a strip foundation for a fence on a straight line, or excavating individual post holes. Working on a boundary, we take particular care with the neighbouring surface and existing planting. Over a longer run of fence, machine digging is not only faster but gives a more even depth than hand work.

Drainage and French drains

Dealing with rainwater and groundwater problems: French drains, the pit for a soakaway, the position of a rainwater collection tank, or reshaping the ground so that water runs away from the house. We check the fall throughout, because an error of a few centimetres is enough to trap water. Best done before autumn.

Tree stump and root removal

Removing the stumps and root systems of felled trees so that the area can be built on or seeded. Roots left in the ground can cause settlement and fungal problems, so it is worth taking them out completely. We fill and level the remaining hole.

Plot clearance and site preparation

Clearing a neglected or overgrown plot, or one filled with dumped material, and preparing it for construction: removing scrub and roots, pushing together surface debris and levelling the surface. This is the first step if you are about to build or landscape and the plot is currently not accessible by machine.

Breaking work and loading rubble

Breaking up smaller concrete areas, paths, old foundations and chambers, then collecting the resulting debris and loading it into a container or onto a truck bed. The mini excavator works where a larger machine cannot fit – in a narrow yard, beside the house, along a fence.

Loading and moving materials

Moving bulk material – topsoil, gravel, chippings, crushed stone – within the plot, unloading from a lorry, or relocating a stockpile. In many cases this alone justifies the machine: what takes two people two days by hand takes a few hours with it.

Preparing bases for paving and paths

Excavating the formation under a driveway, path or terrace to the correct depth, then forming an even surface ready to receive the crushed stone bed. How long paving lasts depends largely on the layer beneath it – which is why this step should not be rushed.

Garden ponds, rain gardens and green areas

Excavating the bed of a garden pond or rain garden with stepped depths, and preparing the positions of beds, hedge trenches and raised beds. We can work in an established garden too: the rubber tracks protect the surface, and we fit through a narrow gateway.

How does an order work?

  1. You tell us what you need. On WhatsApp, by phone or by email – a few sentences and a couple of photos of the site are usually enough.
  2. We come back to you. We tell you how many hours or days is realistic, and what it will cost. If needed, we come out to look.
  3. We agree a date. Flexibly, including weekends if required.
  4. We do the work. With the machine, our own qualified operator, and the site left tidy.

Not sure which service you need?

Describe in a few sentences what you want to achieve, and we will tell you what work is needed, how long it takes and what it costs. We usually reply quickly.

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