Garden Condition Inspection in Preston
Written contractor report for waterlogged gardens, failed lawns and rotting fence posts.
Waterlogged ground and rotting fence posts need a proper look before anyone starts digging. We visit for up to an hour, photograph what we find, and send a written contractor report within three working days, with a budget to put it right.
- Inspection
- one standard residential garden, up to 60 minutes
- Cost
- £195 + VAT, payable before the visit
- You get
- photos, written contractor report in 3 working days, budget to fix it
- Not included
- CCTV drain survey, RICS survey, legal blame
- Free alternative
- works-only estimate if you do not need a report
A waterlogged garden inspection Preston is a paid site visit for homeowners who need the problem in writing — standing water, failed lawns and fence posts rotting at ground level. We inspect one garden for up to 60 minutes and send a contractor report within 3 working days. £195 + VAT, payable before the visit.
Do you need a written report, or just a price?
Just a price to put it right
A free online estimate / normal quote for drainage, fencing or other works. No written condition report.
Get a free works estimate →Written condition report
£195 + VAT, payable before the visit. Site visit, photographs and a contractor condition report. The fee is not deducted from later work.
Request an inspection →What a written garden inspection is useful for
Book this when you need a contractor’s view in writing before you spend — not when you only want a price for the work.
Deciding what to spend
Whether a French drain, soakaway, new turf, or fence replacement on concrete posts is the honest next step on this plot.
A record before anyone digs
Dated observations and numbered photos of standing water, ground conditions and posts, so the problem is documented.
Talking to a landlord or managing agent
Enough detail for them to approve drainage or fence works. It is not an insurance expert report or a document for court.
A budget to put it right
A separate quotation for recommended works, so you know the scale of the job. The inspection fee is not taken off that work.
What a waterlogged garden inspection in Preston includes
- Site visit up to 60 minutes on one standard residential garden
- Photographs of the garden, wet areas and affected posts / structures
- Written contractor condition report within 3 working days
- Budget quotation for recommended drainage and / or fence works
The £195 fee is for the inspection and report only, is payable before the visit, and is not taken off later works.
What is not included
- Full measured topographical survey
- CCTV drain survey (refer to a drainage specialist)
- Digging trial holes or pulling posts (optional extra, quoted on the day if agreed)
- Large front and large rear garden on one fee
- Commercial sites, new-build estates, or plots that need more than an hour
- Boundary / legal ownership
- Access onto a neighbour’s land
- Expert-witness, court, or insurance-grade wording
- A return visit after rain unless they pay again
- Anything that looks oversized on the pre-visit photos — that inspection is quoted, not sold at £195
Signs your Preston garden has a drainage problem
Standing water more than 24 hours after rain is a sign the garden is not draining. On Preston and Lancashire clay — and where the water table sits high — a soggy lawn, moss, leaning posts and soft timber at soil level usually mean the ground is holding water, not just a wet week.
- Puddles still there 24 hours after rain
- Spongy lawn
- Moss
- Leaning posts
- Soft timber at soil level
Why fence posts rot from the bottom in wet ground
Fence posts usually rot first at and just below ground level when timber sits in saturated soil. The post can look sound above the soil and fail where it stays wet. We probe a sample of posts with a screwdriver — we do not excavate every post as part of this fee. Fence replacement on concrete posts is quoted as ordinary works if you want it doing.
What the written report contains
- Date, weather and limitations (visual inspection unless extra investigation is agreed)
- Observations and numbered photos
- Practical recommendations
- Budget range for works
This is a landscaping contractor’s inspection and quotation. It is not a RICS survey, structural report, CCTV drain survey, or expert report for court or insurance proceedings. If you need that kind of document, we can still quote the physical repairs and point you to the right specialist.
How to book (photos first)
- 1Request an inspection and send photos of the garden, wet areas and posts
- 2We confirm it is a standard inspection (or quote a larger visit) and take the £195 + VAT fee
- 3We visit for up to 60 minutes and photograph the garden
- 4You receive the written report and a separate works quotation within 3 working days
- 5If you want the work doing, we schedule it as a normal project. The inspection fee stays paid.
How much a garden drainage inspection costs
£195 + VAT
A standard waterlogged garden inspection in Preston costs £195 + VAT — a fixed fee for one garden, not a starting price. Larger plots, both gardens, excavation or CCTV are quoted separately.
Optional extras (quoted if needed — no extra prices on this page)
- • Trial hole / post excavation if agreed on the day
- • CCTV of existing drains referred to a drainage specialist if needed
Areas we cover
We offer this garden drainage inspection in Preston, Leyland, Penwortham, Walton-le-Dale, Chorley, Lancashire and the wider North West — the same area as our other landscaping work.
A written garden drainage report sits alongside our garden drainage solutions in Preston and fencing work. If the visit points to a French drain, soakaway or new fence line, we price that as a normal project. Read our Preston garden drainage guide, notes on high water tables in Preston, French drains vs soakaways, and waterlogged new-build gardens if you want the background first — or request a free works estimate if you only need a price.
Garden inspection FAQs
Is this the same as a free quote?
No. A normal quote for drainage or fencing is still free. Pay for this service only if you want a written condition report.
Is the £195 taken off the job if we go ahead?
No. The fee covers the visit, photographs and report. It is payable before the visit and is not deducted from later works.
Why do you need photos first?
So we can confirm the garden fits the standard one-hour inspection. If it is a large or complex plot we will quote the inspection separately instead of taking the £195 fee.
When do I pay?
Before the visit is booked. We do not write the report on a promise to pay later.
How long does it take?
The visit is up to 60 minutes. The written report is sent within 3 working days.
Will you say who is to blame?
No. The report describes what we can see. It does not decide legal responsibility.
Do you camera-survey the drains?
Not as part of this fee. If a CCTV survey is needed we will say so and refer it.
What if I have a front and a rear garden?
The standard fee is one garden. Tell us on the form. A second garden or a large plot is quoted separately.
Will this report work for insurance or a landlord?
Landlords and managing agents sometimes use it to decide what work to do. It is a contractor condition report, not an insurance expert report or a document for court. If you need that kind of paper, we can still quote the physical repairs and point you to a drainage engineer or chartered surveyor.
Request an inspection, or get a free estimate for the works only
Send photos of the garden, wet areas and posts with your request. Staff confirm the £195 + VAT fee by email and take payment before the visit is booked.