A patio has to do three things well: stay flat, shed water away from the house, and sit low enough that it never lets damp into the walls. The slabs you choose set the look and much of the price, but those three points decide whether the patio still looks right in ten years. Most patio problems, from rocking slabs to damp inside the house, come from the base and levels rather than the stone.
Tell us the size, the material and what is there now, and you get an indicative price range straight away. We pass your enquiry to one local specialist, who confirms a fixed price.
What it costs
Prices are supplied and laid, waste taken away, on a new base.
| Material | Per m² | About 22m² on an old lawn |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete slabs | £80–£120 | £1,980–£3,040 |
| Block paving | £90–£140 | £2,200–£3,480 |
| Indian sandstone | £110–£160 | £2,640–£3,920 |
| Porcelain | £140–£210 | £3,300–£5,020 |
Digging out a lawn adds £10–£18 per m² (included above), and lifting old slabs or concrete adds £15–£35 per m². Steps between levels are £150–£300 each. New patios start at £1,500, and patios over 80m² are priced after a free visit. The patio cost guide has more examples.
Choosing a material
- Indian sandstone is the most popular choice locally. Natural riven texture, warm colours, good grip. It varies from slab to slab and can weather and mark over time, which many people like. It should be sealed or cleaned periodically.
- Porcelain is dense, uniform, stain-resistant and very low-maintenance. It needs a slurry primer on the back of every slab to bond to the bed, more careful cutting and a specialist jointing compound, which is why it costs more to lay as well as to buy. Look for an outdoor grade with an anti-slip rating.
- Concrete slabs are the budget option, with a wide choice of textures that imitate stone. They wear and fade more quickly.
- Block paving is hard-wearing and suits a patio that doubles as a parking or bin area. It can match a block driveway.
The image at the top of this page is sandstone; porcelain looks crisper, with tighter joints.
Falls, levels and the damp-proof course
Falls. A patio should slope gently away from the house so rain runs off rather than pooling against the wall. A fall of around 1 in 60 to 1 in 80 is typical: roughly 1.5cm over a metre, enough to shed water without feeling like a slope.
150mm below the damp-proof course. The finished patio surface should sit at least 150mm (two brick courses) below the house's damp-proof course. Rain splashing off a patio laid higher than that can bridge the DPC and bring damp into the walls. If the garden level makes that hard, the patio may need to be stepped down or have a channel drain against the house. Where there are air bricks, they must not be covered.
Drainage. Water from the patio has to go somewhere: onto a lawn, into a border or gravel strip, or into a channel drain and soakaway. On Birmingham clay, water drains slowly, so this needs thinking about on larger patios. See drainage and soakaways.
What the job involves
- Setting out the shape, levels and falls, and checking the DPC and air brick heights.
- Digging out turf, old slabs or concrete to allow for base and bedding.
- Sub-base. Crushed stone laid and compacted.
- Laying on a full mortar bed. Each slab laid on a full bed rather than five dabs, which leaves voids that crack slabs and let water sit underneath. Porcelain gets a bonding primer.
- Pointing. Joints filled with mortar or a brush-in jointing compound.
- Edges and steps. Edging, and steps to a lawn or doorway where levels change. See paths and steps.
A 20–30m² patio is typically a three- to five-day job.
What affects the price
- Material and size. Porcelain costs most; larger areas are cheaper per m².
- Levels. A sloping garden may need steps or a low retaining edge. One level change is reviewed from photos; more than one, or a retaining wall, needs a visit.
- What is there now. Old concrete takes longer to break out than turf.
- Access. Everything carried through the house adds about 15%; no room for a small digger adds about 20%.
- Cutting. Curves, circles and lots of cuts around manholes add labour.
Local specialists cover Sutton Coldfield, North Birmingham, Solihull, South Birmingham, Edgbaston and Harborne, Lichfield and Tamworth, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Dudley and Stourbridge and Coventry.
What to photograph for a quote
Good photos mean a closer price, and a shorter visit to measure up. How to measure.
- The whole fence line or area, end to end, standing back as far as you can
- From above if you can: an upstairs window shows the size and levels best
- The way in from the road: the drive, side gate, steps and where a lorry could park
Questions about patios
Do I need planning permission for a patio?
Not usually for a back-garden patio at ground level. Raised platforms and front-garden paving have different rules. A front-garden patio over 5m² must be permeable or drain to your own land; see the 5m² rule guide.
Is porcelain better than sandstone?
Porcelain is more uniform and easier to keep clean; sandstone is warmer and more natural-looking and costs less to lay. Both last well on a proper base.
Can a new patio be laid over my old one?
Rarely. The extra height usually takes the surface too close to the damp-proof course, and the old slabs may be loose. Most jobs lift the old patio first.
How long before I can use the patio?
You can walk on it once the pointing has set, usually a day or two. Wait a little longer before putting heavy furniture or a hot tub on it.
Can you lay turf around the new patio at the same time?
Yes. Many patio jobs include new turf or artificial grass to finish the edges. See turfing and groundworks.