What's under your driveway?

Most people never think about what's under their drive until someone wants to dig into it. If you're planning a bollard, a gate, a charger or new paving, it's worth knowing what's likely to be down there.

The usual suspects

Gas. If your house has gas, a service pipe runs from the main in the street to your meter. It often crosses the front garden or drive, usually less than a metre down.

Electricity. The supply cable runs from the street to your meter. Like gas, its route often crosses the front of the property.

Water. The supply pipe runs from the stop tap near the boundary into the house. Older homes may have metal pipes. Newer ones usually have plastic.

Drains. Foul and surface water drains run from the house towards the street. Look for manhole covers and gullies as clues to their route. Some homes also have a soakaway under the garden or drive.

Phone and broadband. Copper or fibre cables run into the house, either overhead or underground.

The ones that catch people out

These are the ones no utility map will show, because they belong to you:

• Electric car charger cables, especially to a charger on a post rather than the house wall. See fitting a bollard near a car charger.
• Garden and driveway lighting
• Gate motors, sensors and cameras
• Outside sockets, sheds and garden offices
• Irrigation pipes and outside taps
• Oil pipes, if you heat with oil

Why utility maps don't show everything

Utility companies keep records of their own networks. Their plans usually stop at your boundary or your meter. Anything on your side, and anything added by you or a previous owner, won't appear.

That's why a proper installer does three things: searches the utility records, asks you about private services, and scans the ground on the day. Here's how we do it.

How you can help

Before anyone digs into your drive:

• Note where your gas and electricity meters and your stop tap are.
• Look for manhole covers, drain gullies and inspection chambers.
• Think about anything you've had installed: a charger, lighting, a gate, a garden office.
• Dig out any old plans from when the house was built or extended.

Questions people ask

How deep are pipes and cables under a drive? It varies. Many services are less than a metre down, which is within reach of a bollard hole. Never assume depth.

Can a scanner find everything? No. Scanners are good at finding live cables and metal pipes, but plastic pipes without a tracer wire can be missed. That's why careful digging still matters.

Who's responsible for the pipes on my property? Generally, the pipes and cables on your side of the boundary or meter are yours, while the networks in the street belong to the utility companies. Check with your supplier if you're unsure.

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