Large scale landscaping advice needed
Discussion
OK folks as some of you may know I am looking to build my dream house and garage. Anyway I need some advice on site clearance and topsoil needs.
I have a 3 acre plot in Caterham on the Hill in Surrey, and due to negligence on my part it is now very overgrown. It seems to have been taken over by white barked tree like things that are up to 12 feet tall with a trunk up to 1 1/2 inches thick. That and some of the most deadly looking thorn bushes I have ever seen.
Anyway we will be looking to clear about two acres of the plot and lay down topsoil.
I have given an initial quote of about £2000 to clear the site and mulch down the remains but have not been given an idea on how much topsoil I will need. One supplier has told me topsoil will be £220 per 20 tonne lorry load.
Do any of you guys have any idea how much topsoil I will need for just over two acres and is that clearance cost reasonable?
I have a 3 acre plot in Caterham on the Hill in Surrey, and due to negligence on my part it is now very overgrown. It seems to have been taken over by white barked tree like things that are up to 12 feet tall with a trunk up to 1 1/2 inches thick. That and some of the most deadly looking thorn bushes I have ever seen.
Anyway we will be looking to clear about two acres of the plot and lay down topsoil.
I have given an initial quote of about £2000 to clear the site and mulch down the remains but have not been given an idea on how much topsoil I will need. One supplier has told me topsoil will be £220 per 20 tonne lorry load.
Do any of you guys have any idea how much topsoil I will need for just over two acres and is that clearance cost reasonable?
StreetRod- Topsoil weighs approx 1.5 tonnes per cubic metre. A reasonable depth would be about 8 inches but take advice on this. To cover 1 acre you're looking at 800 cubic metres or 1200 tonnes...60 truck loads. Sounds like a lot doesn't it.
The math is Metres length and width of lawn space X depth (8 inch = 0.2M) =cubic metres. Hope that helps.
An acre is roughly 64M X 64M X 0.2(soil depth) =819 CBM X 1.5T(per cbm)
Hope that helps
On the quote id just make sure you are explicit on what 'cleared' means. You don't want a pile of mulch which needs subsequent removal.
The math is Metres length and width of lawn space X depth (8 inch = 0.2M) =cubic metres. Hope that helps.
An acre is roughly 64M X 64M X 0.2(soil depth) =819 CBM X 1.5T(per cbm)
Hope that helps
On the quote id just make sure you are explicit on what 'cleared' means. You don't want a pile of mulch which needs subsequent removal.
m3jappa said:
Whats the soil underneath like? You will probably get away with a skim over the top of it.
Bear in mind most topsoil now is recycled and can be real crap. £11 per ton will quite possibly not be nice lawn material.
I'm no gardener but it appears to be very chalky and stoney. Bear in mind most topsoil now is recycled and can be real crap. £11 per ton will quite possibly not be nice lawn material.
How much should I expect to pay for a decent quality topsoil then chaps as I want a kick arse lawn?
If it is all going to be lawn then you only need and inch or 2 over as grass roots take most of their nutrients at the surface the deeper roots are for water supplies.
If the soil is too stoney then you can get very large auto sieves to remove anything too large etc.
£2k to mulch a site sound very expensive as it sounds like they will get in a flail and tractor, basically what they use at the side of the road when they butcher the crap outta it!! If that is the case then will take half a day!!
If the site has been left to overgrow then flail/mulching will only bring down to ground level and will regrow instantly!!
If you are wanting a kick arse lawn then you will need to take your time to clear and steralise the site otherwise your kick arse lawn will be unruly meadow in no time!!!
Hope this helps
I'll PM you some further details
If the soil is too stoney then you can get very large auto sieves to remove anything too large etc.
£2k to mulch a site sound very expensive as it sounds like they will get in a flail and tractor, basically what they use at the side of the road when they butcher the crap outta it!! If that is the case then will take half a day!!
If the site has been left to overgrow then flail/mulching will only bring down to ground level and will regrow instantly!!
If you are wanting a kick arse lawn then you will need to take your time to clear and steralise the site otherwise your kick arse lawn will be unruly meadow in no time!!!
Hope this helps
I'll PM you some further details
shimmey69 said:
If it is all going to be lawn then you only need and inch or 2 over as grass roots take most of their nutrients at the surface the deeper roots are for water supplies.
If the soil is too stoney then you can get very large auto sieves to remove anything too large etc.
£2k to mulch a site sound very expensive as it sounds like they will get in a flail and tractor, basically what they use at the side of the road when they butcher the crap outta it!! If that is the case then will take half a day!!
If the site has been left to overgrow then flail/mulching will only bring down to ground level and will regrow instantly!!
If you are wanting a kick arse lawn then you will need to take your time to clear and steralise the site otherwise your kick arse lawn will be unruly meadow in no time!!!
Hope this helps
I'll PM you some further details
ThanksIf the soil is too stoney then you can get very large auto sieves to remove anything too large etc.
£2k to mulch a site sound very expensive as it sounds like they will get in a flail and tractor, basically what they use at the side of the road when they butcher the crap outta it!! If that is the case then will take half a day!!
If the site has been left to overgrow then flail/mulching will only bring down to ground level and will regrow instantly!!
If you are wanting a kick arse lawn then you will need to take your time to clear and steralise the site otherwise your kick arse lawn will be unruly meadow in no time!!!
Hope this helps
I'll PM you some further details
My lawn had new topsoil 6 years ago-good point about not buying crap soil. Mine is riddled with seed spores and all kinds of nasty rubbish. It looks like a jungle. Make sure you buy good clean soil. I am not sure about depth for grass vs more robust trees and shrubs. I'm sure you can find the answer on google or numerous horticultural forums
wouldnt you be better hiring a jcb, and having a kick ass day clearing things yourself, burning anything you dont want etc?
also, why not ait until after your build to do the topsoil? that way it wont get ruined through the build stage.
in the past i have gone as deep as 450 topsoil for planted and lawned areas
also, why not ait until after your build to do the topsoil? that way it wont get ruined through the build stage.
in the past i have gone as deep as 450 topsoil for planted and lawned areas
I should have mentioned that before,paid £11,000 for this,kept it 2 years and sold it for £9,000.
The builder we had in at the time had budgeted £4,000 for digging out,so I bought this and did it myself,so it paid for itself.
And then had a lot of fun digging out tree stumps in a half acre back garden.
Hi folks, quick update on my situation.
My other half came up with this hair brain idea last week about getting London Zoo to do the clearing for us, what you may ask?
Well apprently it costs a lot to keep all those animals feed so they were delighted when we suggested they came over and take whatever they need. So next week they will be clearing all our brambles, apparently the Giraffe's love them, and all the leafy trees which again the animals love.
The other half does come up with a buch of silly ideas but every once in a while she scores big. The best bit is it wont cost us a penny
My other half came up with this hair brain idea last week about getting London Zoo to do the clearing for us, what you may ask?
Well apprently it costs a lot to keep all those animals feed so they were delighted when we suggested they came over and take whatever they need. So next week they will be clearing all our brambles, apparently the Giraffe's love them, and all the leafy trees which again the animals love.
The other half does come up with a buch of silly ideas but every once in a while she scores big. The best bit is it wont cost us a penny
I'd just add - don't lay down topsoil until you've finished building.
Clear the site, start to build. Diggers, deliveries and builders will churn great big craters into your nice site. It'll take a year or more to build, so during that time eliminate the persistent weeds and strim the rest. You'll be there often enough to check on progress, take deliveries and so on, so keep some gardening stuff on site so you can keep on top of the garden at the same time.
Then once the build is done with, skim it and fill in the big holes. Get some topsoil for where things are really bad. Then lay lawn or seed or whatever suits your desires.
Clear the site, start to build. Diggers, deliveries and builders will churn great big craters into your nice site. It'll take a year or more to build, so during that time eliminate the persistent weeds and strim the rest. You'll be there often enough to check on progress, take deliveries and so on, so keep some gardening stuff on site so you can keep on top of the garden at the same time.
Then once the build is done with, skim it and fill in the big holes. Get some topsoil for where things are really bad. Then lay lawn or seed or whatever suits your desires.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff