Questions we get asked
Straight answers, before you ask
Everything below is the answer we would give you on the phone. If yours is not here, ask it directly — we answer within 48 hours.
Q-01
Quotes & pricing
How long does a quote take?
We answer every enquiry within 48 hours. The itemized figure lands within 48 hours of the site walk, which we normally schedule inside a week.
Is the site visit free?
Yes, and it stays free whether or not you go ahead. We quote after walking the ground because a figure written from a drawing alone is a guess dressed up as a commitment.
Why will you not give a price over the phone?
We will give you a range over the phone, and we will tell you honestly what could move it. What we will not do is commit to a number before seeing the access, the ground and where the water goes — because that number would change, and you would be the one surprised.
Do you take on small jobs?
Yes. Half a day with a 3-tonne machine is a normal booking. Roughly half our work is private clients: house platforms, drainage, access roads.
Q-02
On site
How much notice do you need?
Two to three weeks for a standard project in the usual season, longer between March and June. Framework clients hold reserved slots and skip the queue.
What happens if the weather turns?
On a project quote the price does not move; the programme does, and we tell you the same day rather than at the end of the week. On a day rate you are not billed for a day we cannot work.
Will my access survive the machines?
We assess that on the walk and say so plainly. Where a drive or verge is at risk we lay trackway or change the machine, and either way it is a line in the quote — not a conversation after the damage.
What state is the parcel left in?
Clean. No spoil heaps, no ruts, no leftover material, final grading done. Our work is judged by the trade that comes after us, and they notice.
Do you handle the permits?
We prepare and submit road-occupation and skip permits where the works need them, and we flag anything that requires a planning decision early enough for you to act on it.
Q-03
Admin & insurance
Are you insured, and what does it cover?
Public liability and works insurance on every project. We send the certificate with the quote rather than waiting to be asked. Damage caused by our works is our problem to fix.
When do I pay?
Project quotes are staged: 30% to secure the slot, 40% at the midpoint of the programme, 30% at handover once you have walked the site with us. Day rates are invoiced monthly.
What paperwork do I get at handover?
Compaction test results, waste tracking documents for anything that left the parcel, and an as-built plan where the works were buried. Enough for the next trade and for your file.
What if something is wrong after you leave?
Call us. Settlement, a drainage fault or anything traceable to our works gets put right — that is what the insurance and the testing records are for. Write to contact@terra-artisan.com and you will get a person, not a ticket number.
Still unanswered
Ask us the awkward one.
The questions clients hesitate to ask are usually the ones worth answering. Put it in writing and we will reply within 48 hours.