These Terms of Service set out the basis on which you may use this website and the basis on which IHB Groundworks Ltd supplies groundworks, setting out and excavation services. By using the website or by accepting a quotation, you agree to these terms.
Please read them before you send an enquiry or accept a quotation. If anything is unclear, contact the depot and a crew leader will explain it in plain language. Nothing in these terms is intended to remove a right that the law gives you and that cannot be removed by agreement.
Where a separate written contract, order or subcontract has been agreed for a project, that document takes precedence over these terms to the extent of any conflict. Otherwise these terms apply.
The services covered by these terms are supplied by IHB Groundworks Ltd, a groundworks and excavation firm based at 206 Wardle Road, Rochdale - OL12 9JB, United Kingdom (GB). The Company may be contacted by email at grounds@ihbground.hair or by telephone on +12244881722.
References in these terms to the Company, we, us and our mean IHB Groundworks Ltd. References to the client, you and your mean the person or organisation that uses the website, sends an enquiry or accepts a quotation.
The website is maintained on behalf of the Company with support from the developer IHB Ground. The developer handles technical hosting matters and does not carry out the groundworks work itself.
You may use this website for lawful purposes connected with understanding our services, contacting us and arranging work. You must not use the site in a way that damages it, interferes with other users or attempts to gain unauthorised access to any system.
You must not submit content that is unlawful, misleading, abusive, malicious or that contains software designed to harm a computer. Enquiries must be genuine. Automated scraping of the site for bulk marketing is not permitted.
We may suspend or withdraw access to the website, or any part of it, for maintenance or for any other reason. We will try to keep disruption to a minimum, but we do not promise that the site will always be available or free of errors.
An enquiry is an invitation to discuss work, not an order. When you send an enquiry, we may ask questions about access, services, spoil space and drawings in order to give a useful answer.
A quotation is prepared from the information available at the time. It states the work covered, the depths and lengths assumed, the waste allowance and any exclusions. A quotation remains open for the period stated on the document, normally thirty days from its date.
Quotations are based on what can reasonably be seen and measured. Ground below the surface, buried structures and the exact position of service pipes can only be confirmed by digging. Where a quotation rests on an assumption, the assumption is written on the document and may lead to a variation if it proves wrong.
We reserve the right to decline an enquiry or withdraw a quotation where the work cannot be carried out safely, where access is not adequate or where the information provided is materially inaccurate.
A contract for groundworks services is formed when you accept our quotation in writing and, where a deposit is required, when that deposit has cleared. Until both steps are complete, neither party is bound to proceed.
The contract consists of the accepted quotation, any drawings or specifications referred to in it, these terms and any written variations agreed later. Verbal discussions are not part of the contract unless they are confirmed in writing.
If you are a consumer, you may have a right to cancel within fourteen days of accepting a quotation under consumer law. If you ask us to begin work within that period, you may be asked to confirm the request in writing and you may be responsible for the value of work carried out before cancellation.
Our crews carry out the work described in the accepted quotation. That normally includes setting out the site, digging trenches to the stated depths, trimming sides, placing pipe and stone where specified, and preparing bases for follow-on trades.
Setting out is carried out from the drawings and dimensions supplied to us. The client is responsible for confirming that the drawings are current, that the dimensions match the site and that any planning or building control approval is in place before digging begins.
Unless the quotation states otherwise, we do not supply structural design, do not certify the design of foundations and do not act as principal designer. Those responsibilities rest with the client and the appointed engineer or architect.
Pegs, depth tags and tape lines are working aids. They are not a substitute for the engineer instructions, and they may be moved by plant, weather or other trades. Where a reference needs to survive the whole project, we recommend that the client records it with the engineer.
Good access makes safe work possible. The client must provide a clear route for plant and delivery vehicles, a safe area for spoil and a secure place for materials. Gates, fences and overhanging branches that would obstruct the work should be dealt with before the crew arrives.
The client must tell us about any known services, wells, drains, tanks, mine workings or other buried features. Where a service is known to cross the working area, the client should provide a plan or arrange for the utility owner to mark it.
The client must also provide reasonable welfare arrangements where the project is large, and must warn us of any hazard on site, including unstable ground, contaminated soil, livestock, asbestos containing material or restricted space.
Where the client fails to provide safe access or accurate information, we may suspend work and any resulting delay or cost may be charged as a variation.
Groundworks always carries uncertainty. Rock, made ground, old foundations, buried tanks and unexpected water can change the depth of a dig and the time it takes. Before work begins we use locators and visual checks, but no locator can find everything.
If we encounter an obstruction or a service that was not shown on the drawings, we will stop work in that area, record the finding and tell the client. We will not cut, move or damage a service without instruction from the client or the utility owner.
Extra depth, additional trench support, rock breaking or disposal of unexpected material is treated as a variation and priced separately. We will explain the reason and give a figure before proceeding where it is practical to do so.
Where contaminated ground is suspected, work will be paused until the client arranges appropriate testing and the necessary controls are in place.
Prices are quoted in pounds sterling and, unless stated otherwise, exclude value added tax. The quotation states whether a deposit is required and when the balance is due.
Unless the quotation says otherwise, invoices are payable within fourteen days of the invoice date. Payment may be made by bank transfer to the account shown on the invoice. Please do not send card details by email.
Where work is carried out in stages, we may invoice at the end of each stage. If a payment is late, we may suspend further work and charge reasonable costs of recovery, including statutory interest where the law allows it.
If a quoted price is affected by a change in the cost of materials or haulage before the work starts, we will discuss the change with the client before proceeding. No price increase will be applied silently after a contract has been accepted.
A variation is any change to the work described in the quotation. It may arise from a client instruction, a change in the drawings, an unexpected ground condition or a requirement from a regulator or engineer.
Variations should be agreed in writing before the extra work is carried out. Where an urgent safety matter requires immediate action, we may carry out the minimum work needed and explain it afterwards.
Variation records state the extra work, the reason and the price or rate. They are added to the project file and reflected in the final invoice.
Digging produces spoil. The quotation states where spoil will be placed and whether any of it will leave the site. Unless agreed otherwise, the client is responsible for providing a place on site to store reusable spoil and for confirming that removal of surplus material is included or excluded.
Where we remove waste, we do so as a registered carrier and use licensed facilities. Transfer notes are completed for each movement and copies are kept in the project file. The client may request copies at any time.
We do not knowingly accept hazardous or contaminated material for removal. If such material is found, the client must arrange specialist handling and the work will be paused until it is safe to continue.
We take care to protect watercourses, drains and neighbouring land. Sediment controls, wheel washes or protective matting may be used where the site requires them, and the cost of these measures is included in the quotation where they were foreseeable.
Start dates and durations are given in good faith based on the information available and on the current dig calendar. They are estimates unless the quotation states that a date is fixed.
Weather, ground conditions, delayed deliveries, utility strikes and access problems can all affect progress. We will tell the client as soon as a delay becomes likely and will explain what is being done to recover time.
Where a delay is caused by the client, by another trade or by a factor outside our control, we are not responsible for the consequences and any additional cost may be charged. Where a delay is caused by us, we will work to reduce its effect and will discuss a fair adjustment.
A client may cancel a confirmed booking by writing to grounds@ihbground.hair or by telephoning +12244881722. The sooner we know, the more likely it is that crews and plant can be reallocated without loss.
Where a booking is cancelled with less than two working days notice, we may charge for plant, haulage and crew time already committed. Where work has begun, the client is responsible for the value of work carried out and for materials ordered specifically for the project.
We may cancel or postpone a booking where access is unsafe, where the required information has not been supplied or where payment terms have been breached. In such a case we will explain the reason and agree a new date if possible.
We work to the dimensions and levels in the accepted quotation and to the standards expected of a competent groundworks firm. Open trenches and completed bases are available for inspection by the client and the engineer before they are covered.
The client should raise any concern about the work promptly, while the crew is still on site where possible. We will inspect the concern, explain what we find and put it right where the work does not meet the agreed standard.
At handover we provide the setting-out notes and the as-built levels that have been recorded. Any soft spot, variation or change to the depth is noted so that the follow-on trades are not surprised.
Defects that appear after handover should be reported in writing as soon as they are noticed so that the cause can be established while the evidence is still visible.
Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or for any other matter that cannot be limited by law.
Subject to that, we are responsible for loss that is a foreseeable result of our breach of contract or our negligence. We are not responsible for loss that was not foreseeable, for loss of profit or business opportunity, or for damage caused by a factor outside our control.
We are not responsible for damage to services that were not located, marked or disclosed before work began. Where a service plan is inaccurate or missing, the client accepts the risk of an unrecorded strike, and the cost of repair will be discussed fairly once the circumstances are known.
Our total liability in connection with a project is limited to the value of the contract unless a higher figure is required by law. Any limitation is applied only to the extent permitted by relevant legislation.
We hold insurance appropriate to the groundworks work we carry out, including public liability cover. A certificate of insurance can be provided on request for projects where a main contractor or client requires evidence of cover.
Insurance arrangements are reviewed regularly and are maintained at levels suited to the type of work carried out. If a project requires a specific level of cover, please tell us at quotation stage so that the requirement can be assessed.
The text, layout, drawings and photographs on this website belong to IHB Groundworks Ltd or are used with permission. You may read the pages, print them for personal reference and share links to them. You may not copy substantial parts of the site for commercial use without written permission.
Setting-out sheets, project photographs and as-built records prepared for a client are shared with that client for the purpose of the project. They may not be sold or published by a third party without agreement.
Any plans or drawings that you send to us remain yours. We use them only to prepare a quotation or to carry out the work.
This website may contain links to other sites for information or convenience. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content, their availability or their privacy practices.
A link does not mean that we endorse the organisation behind it. If you follow a link, you do so at your own risk and should read the terms and privacy notice of the site you reach.
Our handling of personal information is described in the Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms. The policy explains what we collect, why we collect it and how long we keep it.
By using the website or sending an enquiry, you acknowledge that you have read the Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the way information is handled, please contact us before sending personal details.
We are not responsible for a failure to perform that is caused by an event outside our reasonable control. Such events include severe weather, flooding, snow, strike action, utility failure, sudden illness affecting key crew members, restrictions imposed by a public authority and shortages of essential materials.
Where such an event occurs, we will contact the client as soon as practical, explain the effect on the project and agree a revised plan. If the event continues for a prolonged period, either party may discuss ending the contract on fair terms, with payment for work already carried out.
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction over disputes arising from them, subject to any right a consumer has to bring proceedings in the courts of the country where that consumer lives.
If a dispute arises, we ask that you raise it with us first so that we can try to resolve it directly. Most concerns can be settled by a conversation and an inspection. If direct discussion does not resolve the matter, the parties may agree to use mediation before starting legal proceedings.
For any question about these terms, a quotation or a project, use the details below.
IHB Groundworks Ltd
206 Wardle Road, Rochdale - OL12 9JB, United Kingdom (GB)
Email: grounds@ihbground.hair
Telephone: +12244881722
Our office is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 17:00 and Saturday mornings by arrangement. We will reply to written questions as soon as practicable.