Choosing a Screw Piling Contractor: What You Need To Know

Screw piling quotes can look very similar on paper. Most contractors promise quick installation, no concrete, and minimal disruption, so it’s tempting to compare prices and choose the cheapest.

Most screw piling contractors promise quick installation, no concrete, and minimal disruption, so it can be hard to tell them apart. 

The differences tend to lie in the piles they supply, how carefully they install and record each one, and the experience they bring to difficult ground.

Read on for what to look for when you’re choosing a screw piling contractor, whether you’re an architect, structural engineer, main contractor or developer.

What to Look for in a Screw Piling Contractor

Screw piling contractors offer different mixes of services. Some only supply piles, some only install them, and others cover design, supply, installation and testing combined – with a plethora of other services to help with your project. 

Whichever you need, these are the areas worth checking.

A Proven Range of Piles

The piles should be accompanied by published sizes and recognised manufacturing standards.

Our helical screw piles come in four stock sizes – 76R, 89R, 114R and 140R – and meet:

• EN 10025 for structural steel
• EN 10210 and EN 10219 for structural hollow sections
• ISO 3834 for welding quality
• EN ISO 1461 for hot-dip galvanising
• EN 1090-1 for CE/UKCA conformity

If a project needs something outside that range, our engineers can design bespoke piles, adjusting shaft size, helix configuration, and length to suit.

Calibrated Torque Monitoring

Engineers primarily use installation torque to estimate a helical pile’s load capacity. That makes accurate torque monitoring one of the most important parts of a contractor’s on-site work.

Look for a contractor that monitors torque on every pile with calibrated equipment and records the reading together with pile depth depth. Our teams use high-powered rotary torque drivers with fully calibrated torque monitoring equipment on every job, and we record the torque and depth of every pile we install.

Clear, Complete Documentation

All piles need robust documentation and paperwork. The structural engineer and building control will both rely on it, so check everything a contractor provides as standard. For a helical screw pile installation, that should include:

• A torque pile log for every pile, showing installation torque, depth, pile identification and performance data
• Load capacity reports based on the recorded data
• Certificates and warranty info for the piles themselves

Every helical screw pile installation we carry out comes attached with a comprehensive torque pile log. Our cutting-edge deep foundation software produces certified load capacity reports for each pile, so engineers, architects, etc, are never short on the data they need. 

Experience on Various Site and Ground Conditions

Screw piles are often the answer on awkward sites where traditional foundations struggle, so look for a contractor with experience of the conditions relevant to your project, such as:

• Soft, variable or made ground, where the ground conditions decide how deep the piles go
• Sites near trees, including those with a Tree Preservation Order
• Sites close to water or with a high water table
• Sloping ground or changes in level
• Restricted access, where the installation machine has to suit the space available

We’ve worked across a huge range of sites in our 15+ years of operations, in all conditions, and with all types of ground.

Our recent screw pile case studies include foundations for a light gauge steel extension in Burnham, where our team installed 89R piles 4 metres into dense gravel, and the foundation received Building Control Approval. On a masonry build in Beenham, poor ground required piles up to 14 metres deep.

There’s always some variation from project to project, but a quality scew pile contractor will be able to listen to the details and work with you towards the best possible outcomes. 

Accreditations and Health and Safety

Accreditations show that an independent body has assessed a contractor’s health and safety arrangements.

Screw Foundations UK holds several accreditations, including from CHAS Elite, Constructionline Gold, the Common Assessment Standard and CITB, which also help with pre-qualification in commercial construction.

Supply Options to Suit the Project

Some project teams have their own plant and screw piling experience, while others want a contractor to handle the whole foundation. Look for a contractor that can work either way, with support available whichever option you choose.

We offer three options for helical piles, and each one includes a site-specific pile design:

• Supply only: We deliver the piles to site for you to install with your own plant and team, along with a product datasheet and technical support by phone
• Supply and training: We deliver the piles with on-site installation training from our team, torque monitoring guidance and technical support throughout, which suits contractors installing helical piles for the first time
• Full turnkey: We design, supply, install, monitor and certify the piles, with GPS mark-out, a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey for buried services, and a full torque pile log and certification pack on completion

Experience With Similar Structures

A contractor’s track record with your type of structure is just as useful as their experience of the ground. Our helical screw piles support a wide range of projects, including:

• Bridges and raised walkways
• Rail gantries, towers and masts
• Battery storage units and data centres
• Solar farms and renewable energy infrastructure
• Retaining walls and pile caps
• Underpinning existing buildings, including listed and heritage properties, as we can install the piles at a range of angles with minimal vibration

Comparing Screw Piling Quotes

Quotes for screw piling can cover very different scopes of work, so check whether each one includes:

• Supply of the piles specified, or pile design if you need it
• Installation, including the machine and operators
• Pile caps, ground beam or connection details
• Torque monitoring and the torque pile log
• Load testing
• Checks for underground services before installation

A lower price sometimes reflects a smaller scope rather than better value. If one quote is noticeably cheaper, identify any omissions before you decide. 

Why Choose Screw Foundations UK

We’ve been installing screw foundations across the UK for over 15 years, and we can help with as much or as little of a project as you need:

• Product supply of our helical screw piles from UK stock
• Professional installation by our in-house teams, with a torque pile log for every pile
• Pile design and bespoke piles for projects outside our standard range
• Load testing and torque monitoring
• Installation training for contractors who want to install the piles themselves

If you’re specifying foundations or comparing contractors for a project, contact us with your drawings and site details, and we’ll talk you through the options.