Ground screws have become the foundation of choice for a huge range of structures — garden rooms and annexes, decking and terraces, timber and steel-framed buildings, walkways, signage, solar arrays and modular units. The engineering is the same wherever the site is: screws driven to a depth where the ground can reliably carry the load, levelled across the footprint, and finished with the right head fixings for the subframe above.
We built our installation service on ground screw foundations across Surrey, where we design and build SIP garden rooms on our own screw foundations. That same engineering-led approach now travels: for larger residential projects, trade subframe packages, commercial structures and multi-site programmes, we mobilise our team, equipment and First Base screw stock anywhere in the UK.
Mobilisation & Equipment Setup
We price travel as Mobilisation & Equipment Setup — it covers getting our installation equipment, screw stock and team to your site and set up ready to work. The minimum mobilisation charge is £250 + VAT.
| Distance from our Surrey base | Mobilisation & Equipment Setup |
|---|---|
| Up to 30 miles | £250 + VAT |
| 31 – 60 miles | £350 + VAT |
| 61 – 100 miles | £500 + VAT |
| 101 – 150 miles | £750 + VAT |
| 151 – 200 miles | £1,000 + VAT |
| 201 – 300 miles | £1,350 + VAT |
| Over 300 miles | From £1,750 + VAT |
Accommodation: Where overnight accommodation is required, this will be priced according to suitable availability on the project dates. We will always aim to keep accommodation costs reasonable and agree them before the work is booked.
What Ground Screws Are Used For
The same engineered foundation system suits a remarkable range of structures — wherever the site is in the UK.
Garden rooms & annexes
Garden offices, studios, gyms and living annexes — level, load-rated bases with no excavation or curing time.
Decking & terraces
Decked platforms, raised terraces and boardwalks — including sloping sites and ground you'd rather not dig.
Timber & steel-framed buildings
Outbuildings, workshops, agricultural and equestrian structures on engineered screw grids with timber or steel subframes.
Walkways & signage
Boardwalks, footbridges, signage, lighting columns and street furniture — installed cleanly with minimal ground disturbance.
Solar & renewables
Ground-mounted solar arrays and renewable infrastructure anchored to engineered depth.
Modular & portable units
Site offices, welfare units, glamping pods and modular buildings — repeatable foundations, ready ahead of delivery.
Ground Screws From 800mm to 3m
We install ground screws from 800mm up to 3,000mm (3m). Final screw selection depends on the loads, ground conditions and engineering requirements of the specific project.
800–1,250mm
Decking, pergolas, walkways, fencing and lighter garden structures in good ground. Fast to install with minimal disturbance.
1,500–2,000mm
Garden rooms, annexes, heavier timber and steel-framed structures, and clay or root-affected ground where deeper anchoring is needed.
2,500–3,000mm
Engineered and commercial loads, poor or made-up ground, and projects where an engineer's specification calls for deep anchoring.
How We Engineer a Ground Screw Foundation
Four things determine whether a screw foundation performs for decades: ground conditions, load transfer, the subframe above and the setting out.
Ground conditions
Clay, sand, gravel, chalk and made-up ground all behave differently. We assess the ground before specifying, and adjust screw length, diameter and spacing so each screw reaches soil that can reliably carry its share of the load — including seasonal movement in shrinkable clays.
Load transfer
The structure's dead and imposed loads are distributed across the screw grid so no single screw is overloaded. Point loads — posts, glazed openings, heavy equipment — get dedicated screws or tighter spacing.
Timber & steel subframes
Screw heads are levelled and finished with fixings to suit the subframe: timber ring beams and joist grids for most garden buildings, or galvanised steel subframes where spans, loads or ground clearance demand it.
Screw spacing & setting out
Screws are set out from the structure's drawings, not by eye — typically at 1.2–2m centres depending on load and subframe design, positioned under bearing lines so the frame above lands exactly where it should.
Real Installation Photography
Everything on this page is from genuine Helps & Co and First Base installations — no stock imagery.
Projects We Mobilise Nationally For
Larger residential
Annexes, large garden buildings, substantial decking and landscaping schemes where foundation quality matters and concrete would be slow and disruptive.
Trade & contractors
Builders, landscapers and garden room companies who want screws supplied and installed to spec, on programme. See our trade page.
Commercial & multi-site
Commercial structures, site programmes and rollouts across multiple locations. See our commercial page.
UK Ground Screw Installation — FAQs
Do you install ground screws anywhere in the UK?
Yes. We are based in Surrey and undertake suitable larger residential, trade, commercial and multi-site ground screw projects throughout the UK. Selected international projects are considered individually.
How is travel charged for projects outside Surrey?
Travel is priced as Mobilisation & Equipment Setup, minimum £250 + VAT, banded by distance — see the table above. It covers getting our equipment, screw stock and team to your site and set up ready to work.
What ground screw sizes do you install?
From 800mm up to 3,000mm (3m). Final screw selection depends on the loads, ground conditions and engineering requirements of the specific project.
How are overnight stays handled on distant projects?
Where overnight accommodation is required, this will be priced according to suitable availability on the project dates. We will always aim to keep accommodation costs reasonable and agree them before the work is booked.
What size of project is worth mobilising nationally for?
Larger residential builds, trade subframe packages, commercial structures and multi-site programmes. For smaller single-structure projects far from Surrey, the mobilisation cost may outweigh the benefit — we will always tell you honestly if that is the case.
Can you install to our engineer's specification?
Yes. We regularly install to engineers' screw schedules and setting-out drawings, and can also design the screw layout from your architectural drawings with load calculations where needed. Use the plans upload form to send drawings.
Planning a project outside Surrey?
Send us your drawings or a project outline and we'll come back with a screw specification, mobilisation band and honest advice on whether national mobilisation stacks up for your project.