We build fences, driveways, paths, terraces, drainage and outdoor lighting on private plots, from the boundary in.
Water before paving
The order matters more than the materials. Channels, drainage lines and falls are planned first, then the paving goes down. Paving laid over unresolved surface water is dug up within two seasons, usually right after the first heavy autumn — and by then the fence posts and the lighting cable are in the way. We set out where the water goes on a plan before anything is laid, including where it discharges, because moving it to the neighbour’s plot is not a solution.
Fences on a slope
A fence on sloping ground is a structure, not a decoration: it needs foundations sized for the ground, spacing calculated for the wind, and in some places integration with the retaining wall rather than a separate footing next to it. On the coast we also specify non-corroding fixings, because salt reaches the fittings long before it reaches the concrete and a fence usually fails at its bolts.
Driveways and parking
Planned for the actual vehicle and the actual turning circle, with a surface that survives a delivery truck rather than only a car, and a fall that takes water away from the garage rather than into it. Where the entrance is steep we plan the transition so the car does not ground on it.
Lighting and services
Cable routes, sockets in the yard, irrigation lines and any future pool feed go in before the paving. Adding them afterwards means cutting a trench through finished work, and that is the most common avoidable expense on a plot.
Timing and price
Depends on the area and the amount of groundwork. We quote after a site visit. Work is usually planned for dry periods and scheduled around the rainy season, and we say honestly when a start date is unrealistic.