Digging out foundations at this time of year?

[Markbon]

Hello, on the odd occasion I've been involved in an extension at the early stages its always been in the summer. Id like to get on with this one in the near future. So has anyone got any experience/thoughts on starting the footings early in the year? with regards the stability of the sides etc. The ground seems sandy and the water table seems high, a few exploratory holes fill up after a day or 2 of rain. The job is southern England and theres hardly been any frost all winter.
Thanks.

 

[cdbe]

I did mine in the winter by hand, a bloody nightmare, had to use my Karcher wet and dry vax as a pump to drain the trench every morning and dig out the cave-ins.
If I did it again I'd wait till summer or get a groundworks gang with a machine to dig it one day and concrete the next.

 

[noseall]

Always have building control and the concrete people (including pump) in mind, before starting the dig. Check that your stopcock in the road actually works too.
We can turn around a (small ish) dig and a trench full of conc, signed off in 4 days.

 

[Notch7]

Hello, on the odd occasion I've been involved in an extension at the early stages its always been in the summer. Id like to get on with this one in the near future. So has anyone got any experience/thoughts on starting the footings early in the year? with regards the stability of the sides etc. The ground seems sandy and the water table seems high, a few exploratory holes fill up after a day or 2 of rain. The job is southern England and theres hardly been any frost all winter.
Thanks.

The biggest problem is the digger making a mess, getting stuck or causing trench collapses.

wait for a period of dry weather and gets all your ducks in a row before so you can dig, get inspected and concrete poured in as few days as poss.

 

[Markbon]

Thanks people, I better hold my horses for a bit and youve reminded me of a few things to do in the meantime.