Three things to know
- Supply dimensions and levels from the design.
- Address building setting out and utility information separately.
- Coordinate excavation, acceptance and concreting in advance.
Contents of this guide
Provide the design and level information
For a quote, send current drawings and state whether you need excavation only or further foundation work. Depth and width cannot be copied from another building: they relate to your design and site conditions. Identify who supplies positions and levels and who assesses the prepared excavation before the next stage.
Building setting out and utility checks are different tasks
Before starting, agree who marks the building position and levels and who explains them to the operator at handover. Address underground utilities and their operators' conditions separately. Records of a utility's existence are not the same as on-site marking. ČEZ Distribuce offers marking as a separate service for its equipment; check the procedure with the relevant operator for other services.
Plan access, machine working space and soil storage
Photograph the route from the road through the gate to the foundations. Add entrance width and height, turns, gradients and known obstacles. Besides excavator access, allow for its working space and any loading onto a truck.
Decide beforehand what stays on site for later use. Do not specify topsoil, material intended for possible backfill and soil for removal as one undifferentiated pile. Material positions must suit safe site arrangements, particularly around open excavations.
What to agree between excavation and concreting
Confirm with the next contractor the condition in which they expect to receive the excavation and who assesses the exposed ground. Allow time for that check in the programme. Excavation is not complete merely because the machine reaches an approximate depth: it must meet the agreed brief and be handed over to the responsible person.
If water, an old structure or different ground is encountered, record the situation and have the next steps confirmed. Arbitrary deepening or changed dimensions cannot be recommended for every project. The contractor determines excavation support and safe access according to site conditions.
SÚIP — 2022 summary report, construction section (excavation safety, Czech) ↗
Example: the same footprint, different work arrangements
An open site may allow separate soil storage and direct loading. For a garage between a house and a fence, material may need moving out of the working area as excavation proceeds. Foundation dimensions could still be similar. This illustrates a logistical difference; it is neither a price calculation nor a description of a specific project.
Our gallery includes documented garage foundation excavation in Unhošť. We do not give dimensions, duration or price for that job here because we do not have verified information for publishing those details.
What affects the price and how to enquire
Alongside the foundation trench scope, access, ground type, required finishing, soil movements and removal affect the quote. Check whether equipment transport, the operator, loading and final tidying are included. Have any subsequent building work listed explicitly.
For work in Prague, Prague-West, Kladno or Beroun, send the municipality, documents and photographs. Include the planned handover date to the next trade. SORTI will discuss suitable equipment and the work scope against your brief.
Frequently asked questions
How deep should strip foundations be?
Depth follows the particular building design and ground conditions. Send the design for a quote; a universal figure could be wrong for your site.
Can I enquire about excavation alone?
Yes. Separate excavation from subsequent foundation construction in the brief. Confirm the next contractor's requirements in advance.
Must I have chosen the foundation contractor before enquiring?
Not for an initial discussion. Before confirming the date, however, clarify handover requirements and the contact responsible for the next stage.
Can I change a foundation trench route verbally on site?
Have the relevant responsible person confirm any design change and pass it to all subsequent contractors. An agreement with the operator does not replace the design.
Need excavation to your design?
Attach drawings with version references, access photographs and your foundation contractor's requirements. We will confirm excavation and transport scope separately.