Hard Landscaping · Service 09 of 12
Patios & Paving
Porcelain, sandstone, slab and block paving, laid to fall so water goes where it should. We do not skip the sub-base — that is the difference between ten years and two winters.
What this is
About our patios & paving
Almost every failed patio we are asked to replace failed underneath, not on top. Slabs laid on sand or on five spots of mortar over unprepared ground will move, and once one slab rocks the joints open, water gets under, and frost does the rest. The visible material is the cheap part of a patio; the base is the expensive part, and it is the part worth paying for.
So we build from the bottom: excavate to depth, lay and compact a proper sub-base, then bed the paving fully rather than on dabs. We set falls away from the house so surface water drains where it should, and we keep finished levels correctly below any damp-proof course — bridging a DPC with a patio is a genuine cause of damp inside a house.
Beyond new build we do repair work: relaying sunken sections, replacing cracked slabs, and repointing patios where the joints have failed but the base is still sound. Repointing a good patio is a fraction of the cost of replacing it, and we will always say when that is the better option.
What is included
- New patios, paths, steps and seating areas
- Porcelain, natural sandstone, limestone, concrete slab and block paving
- Excavation and removal of existing surfaces
- Compacted MOT sub-base laid to the correct depth
- Full mortar bedding rather than spot-bedding
- Drainage falls set away from the building
- Finished levels kept clear of the damp-proof course
- Pointing, jointing and block paving joint sanding
- Repointing, relaying and slab replacement on existing patios
- Edge restraints, kerbs and step construction
Every job is quoted as a fixed price, and every price includes removing the waste.
Do you need this?
You probably need this if…
No sales pitch — just the situations that usually mean it is time to make the call.
- Slabs rock, sink or have visibly lifted
- Water pools on the patio, or runs back toward the house
- Joints have cracked out, gone loose, or filled with weed and moss
- The surface is cracked, stained or a colour you no longer want
- You want to extend usable outdoor space or add a defined seating area
- Steps are uneven, crumbling or unsafe underfoot
How it runs
Our patios & paving process
Step by step, so you know exactly what happens and in what order.
- 01
Survey levels and drainage
We check where water currently goes, where the damp-proof course sits, and what the finished level needs to be. This decides most of the build before a slab is chosen.
- 02
Choose the material honestly
Porcelain is hard-wearing, dimensionally consistent and low-maintenance. Sandstone is warmer and more forgiving to lay. Block paving suits drives and curves. We explain the real trade-offs and cost differences.
- 03
Dig out and build the base
Existing surface out, excavation to depth, then MOT Type 1 laid and compacted in layers. Unglamorous, invisible, and the reason the patio lasts.
- 04
Lay to line, level and fall
Paving is fully bedded, set to string lines and laid to a consistent fall away from the house. Cuts are made to fit the space rather than the space fudged to fit whole slabs.
- 05
Joint, clean and hand over
Joints pointed or brush-filled to suit the material, surface cleaned down, and all spoil and old paving removed. We will tell you when it is ready to take furniture and foot traffic.
What you get
Why it is worth doing properly
It stays flat
A compacted sub-base and full bedding is what stops movement, and movement is what causes every other patio problem.
Water goes where you want it
Correct falls and finished levels keep water off the house and out of the joints — and keep the patio from becoming a paddling pool every November.
Genuinely more usable garden
A well-placed patio or path changes how much of a garden actually gets used, particularly in the shoulder seasons.
Repair before replace
If your existing patio can be relaid or repointed rather than ripped out, we will tell you. It is a smaller job and we would rather do it than oversell.
Pricing
What affects the price
We quote per job rather than per hour, so the number cannot creep. These are the things that move it up or down.
The fastest route to a price: send two or three photos on WhatsApp. We can usually quote from photos the same day, with no site visit needed.
- 01Area in square metres
- 02Material choice, which is the biggest single variable
- 03Whether an existing surface needs excavating and removing
- 04Depth of excavation and sub-base required for the intended use
- 05Levels, steps, curves and the amount of cutting involved
- 06Drainage work, channels or soakaways if needed
- 07Access for materials and for removing spoil — barrow runs cost time
Questions
Patios & Paving questions
The things people ask us most about this particular job.
For pricing, booking, waste and legal questions that apply to every job, see our full FAQ page.
A typical domestic patio is three to five days: excavation and base, then laying, then jointing. Weather matters more here than on most jobs, since mortar and jointing compounds need reasonable conditions to cure.
Porcelain is denser, does not stain readily, resists algae, and comes in exact sizes with tight joints — but it needs a slurry primer and precise laying, so labour is higher. Sandstone is more characterful and cheaper to lay, but is porous and benefits from sealing. Both are good; they suit different priorities.
Usually not for a domestic patio at ground level. It becomes a consideration with raised decking or terraces, or where a large area of front garden is being paved with a non-permeable surface and drains to a highway. We will flag it if your job is near either line.
If the base is sound and the slabs are not moving, yes — and it is dramatically cheaper than replacement. We will look at whether the failure is in the joints or underneath before recommending either.
Because paving that reaches or bridges the DPC gives moisture a path into the wall above it, which shows up as damp inside. Keeping finished levels correctly below it, with drainage away from the wall, is a basic requirement — and something we see done wrong regularly.
Patios & Paving across West London
We cover Uxbridge, Hillingdon, Ickenham, Cowley and Ruislip, Hayes, West Drayton, Yiewsley, Northwood, Harefield, Denham, Iver, Hounslow, Heston, plus Northolt, Greenford, Southall, Ealing, Harrow, Slough, Isleworth, Chiswick and the surrounding areas. Check your area.
Often booked together
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These are the services customers most often combine with this one — usually because one naturally follows the other.
Patios & Paving
Get a fixed price for patios & paving
Tell us about your garden and we will come back within 24 hours with a fixed price for the patios & paving you need. Free, and no obligation.
Prefer to message? Send us photos on WhatsApp — it is the fastest way to an accurate price.