A guide to when a site-specific foundation depth assessment is required and what information a structural engineer needs to carry one out.
South East & East England - 0208 183 4321
South West, Wales & Midlands - 01452 346 156
North England & Scotland - 0161 820 3230
Understanding Foundations on Your Structural Drawings
Advice Centre
Structural drawings typically offer two foundation options — strip footing or pad — and builders can choose either. Here’s how to read them.
Understanding Foundation Depth and Party Wall Requirements
Advice Centre
Structural drawings show minimum foundation depths for Building Regulations. Party wall surveyors may need more. Here’s how both requirements interact.
Suspended Ground Floors: Which System Is Right for Your Project?
Advice Centre
Beam and block, proprietary decks, or timber joists — the three suspended ground floor systems used in domestic construction and who is responsible for designing each.
Strip Footing Foundation Specifications for Building Regulations
Advice Centre
How strip footing widths are calculated for Building Regulations compliance, with a worked example using Approved Document A Table 10.
Shrubs and Dense Planting Close to Foundations in Clay
Advice Centre
Forsythia, Choisya and similar large shrubs near clay foundations require the same treatment as trees. Here’s what the NHBC guidance says.
I’ve Got a Drain Clash with My Foundation — What Should I Do?
Advice Centre
A drain running through or beneath your proposed foundation is a common site problem. Here’s how to handle it structurally and practically.
How to Use the LABC Foundation Depth Calculator
Advice Centre
A step-by-step guide to the free LABC warranty foundation depth calculator — useful when clay soil and trees are present near your proposed extension.
Ground-Bearing Slab: Thickness and Reinforcement Specification
Advice Centre
Standard domestic ground-bearing slab specification — 150 mm thickness, A252 mesh bottom, A142 mesh top — and when unreinforced slabs are acceptable.
Do Deeper Foundations Increase Load-Bearing Capacity?
Advice Centre
A common misconception: deeper pad foundations don’t increase soil bearing capacity. It’s the footprint area that matters — not just the depth.
Foundation Concrete and Drainage Specification Notes
Advice Centre
The concrete grades, reinforcement mesh, cover depths and drainage precautions that apply to pad and strip foundations on PorthouseDean projects.
Footings Close to Neighbouring Foundations
Advice Centre
How to handle new foundations that will be dug close to an existing neighbour’s footings, including the 45-degree rule and staged excavation.
