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Civil Engineering Services
Comprehensive civil engineering for developers, authorities, and contractors who need certainty
Complex infrastructure projects fail for predictable reasons.
Unknown ground conditions, utility conflicts, drainage failures, adoption delays, regulatory non-compliance – any one of these adds months to programmes and destroys budgets when they surface mid-project.
Infrastructure delivered with compliance certainty
You need confidence everything’s designed right, built to adoptable standards, and signed off without defect disputes.
We deliver this across the South West, South Wales, and the Thames Valley. From initial design and enabling works through to construction, maintenance, and formal adoption with complete documentation packages.
What we can deliver for your site...
Why civil engineering projects fail, and why it destroys programmes
The real-world impact...
There's a better way to deliver infrastructure...
Infrastructure delivered right, compliance guaranteed. One partner handling everything from design through adoption
Design through to sign-off:
We manage feasibility, detailed design, technical approvals, construction, testing, and adoption. One partner accountable for the whole lifecycle.
Adoptable standards guaranteed:
NHSS-accredited teams building to SHW, DMRB, adoptable highway standards. Construction that passes authority inspections first time.
Fixed-fee certainty:
Transparent pricing for defined scope. Clear change control for genuine unforeseen conditions, not gaps in our work.
Fast mobilisation:
Desktop studies within 48 hours, mobilisation within 10 working days. Most projects completed in 12-20 weeks depending on complexity.
Compliance documentation sorted:
As-built surveys, materials testing certificates, CCTV drainage surveys, health and safety files. Everything adoption authorities require.
Defect liability managed:
We handle the maintenance period, rectify defects at our cost, secure formal adoption. You're not firefighting problems 12 months after handover.
Why developers and contractors choose Highways Plus
You’re managing tight programmes and fixed budgets. You need a partner who understands that civil engineering isn’t just about what gets built – it’s about preventing the failures that wreck programmes and lock up capital.
What sets us apart
NHSS and ISO accredited:
National Highway Sector Schemes accreditation proves we meet highway authority standards. ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 certification demonstrates consistent quality, environmental management, and safety systems.
We've delivered hundreds of complex projects:
Twenty-five years managing adoptable highways, drainage systems, Section 38/278 agreements. Backlog defects? Fixed hundreds. Adoption disputes? Resolved them all.
Fixed-fee backlog defect resolution:
Our Adoption Management System provides lump-sum pricing for defect rectification, accelerating Section 38 and Section 104 sign-off by 6-12 months.
One contact for everything:
Design, enabling works, construction, drainage, utilities, traffic management. You don’t coordinate five specialists and manage interface risks.
Technical approvals secured:
We handle Section 38/278 technical approval submissions, respond to authority queries, attend site inspections. Approvals secured, not endless back-and-forth.
Responsive delivery:
Most enabling works completed in 8-12 weeks, construction programmes 12-20 weeks. Phased handovers let follow-on trades mobilise early.
A clear, structured process that keeps your project on track
Good civil engineering requires thorough investigation, methodical construction, rigorous quality control. Comprehensive documentation at every stage.
What you get...
Most projects follow phased delivery – investigation and design establishing the full scope before physical works begin. This front-loads risk identification, preventing discovery-phase disasters.
Typical timelines: 12-16 weeks for standard road construction, 16-24 weeks for complex infrastructure with multiple utilities, 8-12 weeks for enabling works and site preparation.
Desktop study and site assessment:
Review of utility maps, planning history, ground conditions, environmental constraints. Risk register identifies every requirement before we mobilise, giving you accurate cost and programme visibility upfront.
Design and technical approvals:
Detailed design to adoptable standards (SHW, DMRB specifications), structural calculations, drainage design, traffic management plans. Section 38/278 technical approval submissions prepared and submitted, with all authority queries managed by us.
Site investigation and enabling works:
Topographical surveys, utility mapping (Ground Penetrating Radar), geotechnical testing, contamination assessment. Sites fully prepared before construction starts, eliminating surprises mid-programme.
Construction and quality assurance:
Works executed to approved method statements with continuous quality control - material testing, compaction checks, dimensional verification. Regular inspections by local authority engineers ensure compliance throughout, not just at handover.
Testing, certification, and adoption:
As-built surveys, CCTV drainage surveys, materials certificates, health and safety files. Comprehensive documentation packages prepared for adoption authorities, defect liability managed through maintenance period until formal sign-off.
Civil engineering services CASE STUDY
Mixed-use residential development, Somerset
The Challenge:
- Developer inheriting a stalled scheme with 18 months of unresolved backlog defects preventing Section 38 adoption of new access roads and Section 104 adoption of drainage.
- Multiple failed drainage runs from poor installation, road surfaces not meeting thickness specifications, kerb lines misaligned by 200-400mm in places. Highway authority refusing adoption, blocking final sales and preventing bond release.
- Previous contractor had ceased trading. Original design consultants disputing liability. Developer facing six-figure rectification costs with no clear route to adoption.
Our Solution:
- Comprehensive defect assessment identified exactly what needed fixing to meet adoptable standards - no unnecessary gold-plating, just compliant construction.
- Fixed-fee package quoted at £127,000 covering all drainage reconstruction (including CCTV surveys proving compliance), road surface overlay to correct specification, kerb realignment, as-built survey updates.
- Works phased to maintain resident access. Liaison with highway authority throughout, attending joint inspections, responding to queries. Traffic management maintained safe operation for occupied properties.
The Outcome:
- Defect works completed in 14 weeks against 16-week programme
- Section 38 adoption achieved three months after completion, releasing £180,000 developer bond
- Section 104 drainage adoption secured simultaneously
- Total cost £127,000 versus £165,000 estimate from alternative contractors, saving £38,000
Proven delivery of civil engineering across diverse sectors
Whether you’re developing housing, managing public infrastructure, or delivering commercial projects, you need confidence your civil engineering meets adoptable standards first time.
Sectors that rely on us:
Residential developments:
Developers managing Section 38 new road adoption, Section 104 drainage, backlog defect resolution. Single accountability from design through adoption sign-off, accelerating sales completions and bond release.
Commercial and industrial:
Business parks, logistics hubs, industrial estates requiring heavy-duty roads, extensive drainage, utility infrastructure. Civil engineering designed for intensive vehicle use with minimal ongoing maintenance.
Local authorities and highway departments:
Council infrastructure teams managing planned maintenance, reactive repairs, bridge works, traffic management. NHSS-accredited delivery meeting public procurement requirements.
Main contractors
Construction firms requiring civils subcontractor partnerships for enabling works, roads, drainage, utilities. Proven coordination capability and compliance documentation.
Infrastructure projects:
Major road schemes, junction improvements, public realm requiring Section 278 agreements, traffic management, utility diversions. Complex projects coordinated with multiple stakeholders.
Educational and healthcare:
Universities, colleges, hospitals needing access improvements, car parks, pedestrian routes. Phased delivery maintaining partial operation throughout construction.
Your Civil engineering services questions, answered...
How long do civil engineering projects typically take?
Standard road construction: 12-16 weeks. Complex infrastructure with utilities and drainage: 16-24 weeks. Enabling works and site prep: 8-12 weeks. We provide detailed programmes at quotation based on your specific project scope and constraints.
What standards do you work to?
Specification for Highway Works (SHW), Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), local authority adoptable standards, British Standards for drainage (BS EN 752, BS EN 1401), SuDS standards. All work complies with requirements for Section 38 highway adoption and Section 104 drainage adoption.
How do you handle Section 38 and Section 278 agreements?
We manage the entire process: technical approval submissions to highway authorities, responding to authority queries and amendments, attending site inspections throughout construction, preparing adoption documentation packages, managing defect liability periods until formal sign-off. Developers and contractors get one point of contact for all adoption requirements.
What's included in your fixed-fee pricing?
Design, technical approvals, construction, materials, traffic management, testing, as-built surveys, adoption documentation. Excludes only genuine unforeseen ground conditions not identifiable through proper investigation, or client-requested changes to approved designs.
Can you handle complex utility coordination?
Yes. We manage all utility diversions, disconnections, protection measures. Coordination with electricity, gas, water, telecoms operators, obtaining permits, arranging site access, supervising diversions. As-builts capture all service locations for adoption authorities.
What if ground conditions differ from investigation?
Proper investigation minimises surprises. If genuine unforeseen conditions emerge, we stop, assess implications with you, provide options with clear cost and programme impacts. No additional work proceeds without your approval. Our NHSS accreditation and experience means we identify risks upfront.
How do you ensure quality during construction?
Continuous quality control: material testing before use, compaction testing at each layer, dimensional checks throughout. Regular inspections by local authority engineers during construction, not just at handover. Materials certificates and testing records provided for all elements.
What documentation do you provide at adoption?
As-built surveys (CAD and GIS format), CCTV drainage surveys proving compliance, materials testing certificates, compaction test results, traffic management records, health and safety files, maintenance schedules. Everything highway authorities and water companies require for formal adoption.
Can you rectify existing defects preventing adoption?
Yes. Our Backlog Defect Resolution service provides fixed-fee rectification of defects preventing Section 38 or Section 104 adoption. We assess what’s genuinely non-compliant, quote a lump sum for rectification, manage the works, secure adoption. Developers get certainty, not endless negotiations.
Need expert advice on your infrastructure project?
Book a Free, No-Obligation Civil engineering services Assessment
We’ll review your requirements, assess technical risks, identify adoption requirements, advise on compliance standards, provide a written report with fixed-fee quotation.
No obligation, no sales pressure – just expert guidance from NHSS-accredited specialists who’ve delivered hundreds of adoptable infrastructure projects across the South West, South Wales, and Thames Valley.
Call or fill out our form and we'll be in touch within 24 hours.
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