What we do
Whether it is a glamping pod, a lodge, a garden room, an annexe or a commercial modular unit, the pattern is the same. The manufacturer makes it and delivers it to the roadside. Everything below and around it is left to you. GroundSet takes that whole job: one survey, one scope, one price, one programme, one company accountable from ground to handover.
The gap
The quotation says “base by others”, “delivery to suitable hard standing” and “crane to be arranged separately”. That means the access track, the base, the drainage, the service trenches, the transport plan and the crane are all your problem, split across trades that have never met. When the unit does not sit right, the argument is yours too. We exist so that it is ours instead.
“base by others”
“delivery to suitable hard standing”
“crane to be arranged separately”
What is included
Concrete pads, piled and screw-supported foundations, and ground-supported platforms, matched to the unit specification and the ground conditions. Factory-made units are made to tolerances of a few millimetres; the base has to meet the manufacturer’s stated tolerance or the warranty is at risk. We lay to that tolerance and record the as-built levels to prove it.
Levels, cut and fill, foul and surface water drainage, and treatment plants where there are no mains. Off-mains drainage is the single item that most often blows the budget on rural sites, so it is scoped and priced up front, not discovered later.
Water, power, drainage and data routes, trenching, ducting and the interface points, so the unit arrives ready to connect and use.
The lorry route, turning areas, crane standing and final hardstanding. Access is usually the difference between a clean one-day set and a job that drags for a week.
Movement of the unit from the factory or storage to the prepared site, route and access planning, abnormal load coordination where needed, and the arrival sequence. We also collect, relocate and re-site units, which matters to hire fleets and parks moving stock.
Contract lift arranged and managed: the lift plan, the lifting points, the exclusion zones and the final positioning on the base. You get a controlled, insured lift, not a hired crane and crossed fingers.
Ground conditions
| Ground | Usual answer | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Firm, level, dry | Concrete pad or ground-supported platform | Access for the wagon and crane |
| Sloping | Screw or piled foundation, stepped platform | Cut and fill cost, drainage runs |
| Soft or wet | Piles or screws with engineered design | Seasonal access, pumping, programme |
| Remote, no mains | Any of the above plus treatment plant and off-grid services | Utility budget often exceeds the base budget |
FAQs
Do you supply the building?
No. We install any manufacturer’s unit and sell none of them. That independence is the point: your manufacturer sets the specification, we meet it and prove it.
What does installation cost?
Bases typically run £1,300 to £11,000 depending on ground and unit size. Full site infrastructure for a glamping or lodge scheme typically runs £10,000 to £40,000, and £40,000 to £100,000 or more where access and utilities are difficult. Our cost guide breaks this down.
Can you work before we have chosen a unit?
Yes, and it is the best time to talk. A site assessment before you order avoids buying a unit the site cannot take, and we can coordinate delivery from any manufacturer.
Do you handle the crane?
Yes, as a managed contract lift with a lift plan, not a bare crane hire.
Where do you work?
Civils and groundworks across the north of England. Transport, siting and craneage travel further; ask.
The unit is already ordered and arrives in six weeks. Can you help?
Usually, yes. Send the base drawing and the site postcode and we will tell you within one working day what is possible in the time.
Contact
We can review the site, the base drawing and the programme before the unit arrives.