SITE ACTIVE — READING RG7 EST. 1925
REG No. 08001063
R C SAUNDERS LTD EXCAVATING · READING

Excavating Contractors · Silchester · Reading

We move
earth.
We build ground.

A century in the ground. From our base at Withy Place in Silchester, R C Saunders Ltd delivers excavation, groundworks and civil engineering projects with the precision of a heritage contractor and the plant capability of a modern fleet.

Discuss your project → Our capability
LIVE FLEET // EXCAVATION IN PROGRESS Heavy excavation machinery operated by R C Saunders Ltd on a Reading construction site
100
Years of heritage
1925
Founded by Cecil Saunders
UK
Nationwide coverage
2+
SIC codes served

// Our Heritage

From the Royal Household to deep groundworks.

Founded in 1925 by Cecil Saunders, the business established a strong reputation as skilled timber merchants and traditional besom makers — proudly supplying the Royal Household.

Rooted in craftsmanship and practical expertise, that early work set the standards of quality and reliability that still define us today. A century later, R C Saunders Ltd has evolved into an excavating contractor delivering end-to-end groundworks, civil engineering and technical infrastructure works across the UK.

Today we operate from our registered office at Withy Place, Silchester — close to Reading — combining fourth-generation values with a modern plant fleet, fully compliant methodologies and a commitment to sustainable, renewable-energy partnerships.

THE SAUNDERS GROUP // NATIONWIDE CIVIL & TECHNICAL ENGINEERING
1925
Founding Year · Cecil Saunders

// Capability Sheet

Plant, people & precision groundworks.

Classed under SIC 42990 (civil engineering) and SIC 81300 (landscape service activities), we operate at the boundary between infrastructure and finished ground.

Excavation & Earthworks

Bulk excavation, cut-and-fill, reduced-level digs and contouring for residential, commercial and infrastructure footprints.

  • Topsoil strip & stockpile
  • Reduced level excavation
  • Site clearance & grading
  • Muck-away & material management

Groundworks & Substructure

Foundations, footings, slab preparation and drainage runs — built to engineer's drawings, signed off to building control.

  • Strip & trench-fill foundations
  • Piled pad & ring beam support
  • RC slabs & oversite
  • Storm & foul drainage

Civil Engineering

Construction of civil engineering projects n.e.c. — infrastructure pads, retaining structures, service corridors and access ways.

  • Retaining walls & RC structures
  • Service trenches & ducting
  • Access roads & hard standings
  • S278 / S38 highway interfaces

Landscape & Finished Ground

Specified landscape service activities — finished grading, planting preparation, hard-soft interfaces and amenity groundworks.

  • Finished level contouring
  • Sub-base & bound surfacing
  • Planting bed preparation
  • SUDS & permeable systems

Site Setup & Clearance

Enabling works, demolition support, compound establishment and full site clearance — getting land ready to build on.

  • Site compound & welfare
  • Demolition & soft strip
  • Hazard removal & sorting
  • Temporary works platforms

Renewable & Sustainable Partnerships

Groundworks supporting renewable energy installations — EV charging infrastructure, solar farm arrays, heat-pump loop trenches and more.

  • Solar array groundworks
  • EV charging cable trenches
  • Ground-source heat loops
  • Battery storage compounds

Fleet, labour & supply chain —
managed under one Reading-based contractor.

// TRUSTED SINCE 1925

Our coordinated plant and labour resource means fewer interfaces on your site, clearer accountability and a single point of contact from first break-in to final inspection.

// Method Statement

A four-phase excavation methodology.

Every job moves through the same disciplined sequence — so the unknowns are eliminated long before the bucket hits the ground.

DEPTH ▾ 0.4M
01
Survey & Mark-Out

Site walkover, utility scans, CAT tracing, setting-out and engineer confirmation before any plant arrives.

DEPTH ▾ 0.9M
02
Strip & Reduce

Topsoil strip, controlled reduced-level excavation and material segregation for re-use or licensed removal.

DEPTH ▾ 1.6M
03
Form & Build

Foundations, drainage runs, sub-base and structural elements — installed, levelled and inspected stage-by-stage.

DEPTH ▾ COMPLETE
04
Sign-Off & Handover

Building control sign-off, as-built records, site reinstate and clean handover to follow-on trades.

// Sectors Served

Where our groundworks go to work.

From single-plot residential footings in Berkshire to multi-hectare infrastructure and renewable energy schemes nationwide.

SECTOR 01

Residential & Housing

Foundations, drainage and external works for developers, self-builders and housing associations across the Home Counties.

SECTOR 02

Commercial & Industrial

Slab prep, service yards, carparks and structural groundworks for commercial units and industrial facilities.

SECTOR 03

Public Realm & Infrastructure

Civil engineering for public spaces, highways interfaces, footpaths and community infrastructure projects.

SECTOR 04

Renewable Energy

Groundworks supporting solar farms, EV charging networks, heat pump systems and battery storage installations.

SECTOR 05

Landscape & Amenity

Finished grading, sub-base preparation and planting bed works for landscape architects and specifiers.

SECTOR 06

Agricultural & Rural

Yard slabs, farm access tracks, slurry lagoon prep and rural drainage drawing on our Silchester heritage.

// Start the Conversation

Have ground to break?
Speak to the Saunders team.

Tell us about your site, your programme and your drawings. We'll quote from first principles — plant, labour, muck-away and material — and give you a realistic start date from our Reading base.

+44 7860 424898

// Site Office & Registration

Registered Office
Withy Place, Bramley Road,
Silchester, Reading RG7 2LN
Telephone
+44 7860 424898
Company Status
Active · Private Limited Company
Company Number
08001063 (Incorporated 22 Mar 2012)
Operating Hours
Mon–Fri 07:00–17:30 · Sat by arrangement
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