Paving Costs Solihull: Why a Fair Price Starts With Seeing the Garden
Summary
Paving costs in Solihull vary from one garden to the next because the paving on top is only part of the job. The levels, the access, the existing surface and the drainage all change how much groundwork sits underneath, and none of them shows up in a postcode or a measurement of the area. That’s why an honest price for block paving or porcelain paving depends on someone seeing the property first.
Key Takeaways
- Most of the work in a paving job sits underneath the surface, in the excavation and the compacted stone base underneath, so two gardens of the same size can be very different jobs.
- Paving is laid to a slight fall so that rain runs off, which means the existing levels decide how much has to be dug out or built up.
- Access decides how materials get in and old material gets out, so a narrow side passage changes the work in a way that a plan of the garden never shows.
- Old paving, concrete or a worn base may have to come out before anything new goes down, and what lies underneath it matters as much as the surface.
- Quotes only compare fairly when they cover the same area, the same material, the same depth of base and the same drainage.
Anyone pricing up paving for the first time tends to notice how far apart quotes can be, and it’s natural to wonder what sits behind the difference. At Ideal Building & Landscapes, we have over 25 years of experience installing paving for homeowners in Solihull, so we’ve seen how much the ground, the access and the existing surface can change a job that looks identical on paper. We’d always rather explain that before we quote, because a price built on guesswork is likely to change once the work starts.
In this post, we’ve put together what we look at before pricing a paving job in Solihull, and how the choice between block paving and porcelain paving changes the work underneath, so that the quotes you receive are easier to compare.
Why Paving Costs Differ From One Garden to the Next
Two patios of the same size can turn out to be very different jobs, mostly because of what you can’t see. The slabs or blocks are the part you notice, but the work is decided by what sits underneath and around them:
- The base: a layer of compacted stone under the paving stops the surface from sinking, and how deep it has to be depends on the ground below, since soft ground such as clay needs a deeper base than firm ground does.
- The load: a path only takes footsteps, whereas a driveway takes a car and sometimes a delivery lorry, so the two call for different builds.
- The edging: paving needs an edging around the outside to hold it in place.
- The fall: the surface needs a slight slope so that rain runs off rather than lying on it.
In some gardens those details add a lot of work and in others they barely register, which is why the size of the area tells you very little about the job.
What that means for you is that a quote only makes sense once you know what it includes underneath. At Ideal Building & Landscapes, our approach is to look at the ground, the edging and the fall of the surface before we talk about slabs or blocks, because that’s where gardens differ most.
When you’re comparing quotes, it’s worth asking each company how deep a base they’re allowing for and where the water will go, and for more on what sits behind the cost of a project, see our post: How Much Should You Budget for a Garden Transformation?
If you’d like us to take a look, photographs of the garden and a rough idea of how you’ll use the paving are all we need to get started, and we’d then come and see it in person before putting a price together.
Paving Costs Solihull: What We Look at Before Quoting
We look at four things before we put a number on a paving job. Each one changes the work underneath the surface, and each gives you something you can note down before we visit, so the conversation starts from your actual garden rather than a guess.
1. The Levels and Falls
Rain needs somewhere to go, so paving is laid to a gentle slope away from the house, towards a drain, a border or a soakaway. On a level garden, that’s simple, but where the ground already slopes, or the paving has to meet the house, the levels decide how much we dig out and how much we build up, and moving more earth or bringing in more stone takes extra labour and materials, which is why a sloping garden can cost more to pave than a level one.
We also check the height of the walls, because the finished surface has to sit below the damp proof course. If there’s a slope or a step by your back door, it’s worth mentioning early, since it helps us plan the groundwork.
For more on drainage and the local rules that go with it, see our post: Permits, Planning & Drainage Rules for Driveways in Solihull.
2. Access to the Garden
Poor access means more machinery and more labour, and that feeds straight into paving costs. Paving materials are heavy, and a patio takes a great deal of stone and sand as well as the slabs or blocks, all of which have to be carried from where they’re delivered to where they’re laid. A wide drive beside the house makes that easy, whereas a narrow side passage, or a garden you can only reach through the house, means every load is handled several times over, and the old material we dig out has to leave by the same route.
When assessing access to the garden, we will also look at where a skip can go, because the waste has to leave the site too. If you can tell us how we’d reach the garden, or send a photograph of the gate or passage, we can plan the deliveries and the clearance before we arrive.
3. What Is There Now
If there’s old paving, a concrete base or an earlier driveway, it has to come out before the new surface goes down, and what’s underneath matters as much as what’s on top. A patio can look fine from the house while the base below it has failed, so rocking slabs and sunken areas tell us far more than a photograph can.
When the old base is past saving, we dig it out and replace it with compacted stone, which is a bigger job than laying new paving over what’s there. If you’ve noticed rocking slabs or dips, point them out when we visit, and we’ll look at those first, then tell you honestly whether the base can stay.
That decision makes a real difference to paving costs, because replacing a base means extra digging, stone and labour that a surface-only job doesn’t need.
4. Where the Water Goes
Drainage can add to paving costs, because a soakaway or French drain is extra groundwork on top of the paving itself. Surface water has to go somewhere, and the options depend on what the property already has.
Some gardens have a drain or gully close by that the paving can fall towards, and where there’s nothing nearby, a border or lawn may have to take the run-off, so in some gardens drainage becomes a job in its own right.
A porcelain paving project we completed in Claverdon shows how much that can matter. The property isn’t on the main drainage system, so alongside the new patio and pathways we installed soakaways and a French drain, which a quote based only on the area would have missed. If you can show us where water lies after heavy rain, it saves a lot of guesswork.
For more on how wet and cold weather affects paved areas, see our post: Weather Challenges: How to Protect Your Paving & Outdoor Structures in Redditch.
How the Type of Paving Changes the Work
The material you choose changes the way the job is laid as well as the price of the material itself, so it helps to know what each option involves:
- Block paving: laid on a bed of compacted sharp sand over the stone base and held in place by an edging and by the sand brushed into the joints. Nothing is bonded with mortar, so individual blocks can be lifted and relaid if one sinks, which suits a driveway used every day and keeps later repairs smaller.
- Porcelain paving: very dense slabs that don’t bond to mortar the way other paving does, so each one is laid on a full bed of mortar with a coat of primer brushed onto its back. Cutting needs a diamond blade, and the joints have to be cleaned carefully after grouting because any cement left behind shows as a haze, which is why porcelain takes more time and care, and more labour.
- Natural stone: slabs of around 25 to 60mm suit paths and patios, and the finish matters as much as the colour, since smooth finishes suit heavy foot traffic while heavily textured ones give more grip. The stone you pick affects the cost, so we’ll talk through the options with you before we quote.
Those differences are why the same garden can need quite a different amount of work, and a different cost, depending on which surface you choose. If you’re undecided, tell us what the paving will be used for and we’ll talk you through which one suits it.
What Should You Compare When You Get Paving Quotes?
Quotes that look far apart can be pricing different jobs, so it helps to set them side by side on the things that sit underneath the paving. Check that each one covers the same area and the same material, then ask:
- How deep is the stone base?
- What is being done about drainage and edging?
- Is removing the old surface and taking the waste away included?
The base and the groundwork are where two quotes for the same patio can differ most, and they are also the parts that can’t be inspected once the paving is down, so a lower quote may simply leave out groundwork that a higher one includes.
Our approach is to go through what is included underneath the surface as well as on top of it, because that’s the only way two quotes can be compared fairly.
Why Choose Ideal Building & Landscapes For Paving in Solihull?
A paving price only means something if you can trust what sits underneath it, and that’s where our experience counts. With over 25 years of experience, we give the base and the drainage as much attention as the surface, because they decide how well paving lasts, and we’ll go through what’s included in a quote so you can see where the money goes.
One team takes your paving from the ground preparation through to the finished surface, so the people who prepare the ground are the ones who finish it, and that’s how we look after homeowners across Solihull, Bromsgrove and Redditch.
If your paving is a new driveway, the groundwork is backed up too as we provide a 5-year guarantee for all new driveway installations. We’re a Which? Trusted Trader and fully insured, so you can have us look at your garden with confidence.
If you’re still weighing up who to ask, see our post: How to Choose the Right Paving Company in Solihull.
Arranging a Visit Before You Compare Quotes
The simplest way to find out what your paving will involve is to have it looked at where it is going to be laid, because the levels, the access, the existing surface and the drainage can all be seen in a single visit. Our free consultation and no-obligation quotation for paving across Solihull is where our team talks through the options for your garden, so that when you do compare quotes, you’re comparing like with like.
Contact Us Today
To arrange a time for us to look at the area you would like paved, call 01564 334 777 or send us a message through our contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Work Out a Paving Price Myself by Measuring the Area?
You can work out the area, and it is a useful starting point, but the area alone leaves out the levels, the access, the existing surface and the drainage. Photographs of the garden from a few angles, along with your measurements, give a much better idea of what the job involves before anyone visits.
Do I Need to Choose My Paving Before I Get a Quote?
The material changes how the job is laid, so a shortlist helps, but it isn’t essential, because our team talks through the options during a free consultation.
How Do I Know Whether My Existing Paving Needs Replacing or Repairing?
Slabs that rock, areas that have sunk and water that no longer runs off usually point to a problem in the base rather than the surface. Block paving can often be lifted, the base put right and the same blocks relaid, so a repair isn’t always a replacement, and a visit shows which of the two applies.
What Should I Have Ready for a Paving Visit?
It helps to know what the paving is for, what will use it, and anything you would like to change nearby, such as a border or steps. Photographs of the area, along with any plans or earlier quotes you have, give us a good starting point.
