What makes a patio cost more or less
Size and shape
Patios are mostly priced on area, so size is the starting point. A plain rectangle is quicker than curves, angles or split levels with lots of cuts. Measure up roughly before you ask for quotes so everyone is pricing the same thing.
The slabs you choose
Material makes a big difference. Plain concrete is the cheapest, textured and stone-effect concrete sits in the middle, and Indian sandstone and porcelain cost more to buy and take longer to lay. Even within one type, ranges vary a lot.
Groundwork
The hidden part, and the part that decides how long the patio lasts:
- taking up and getting rid of an old patio, concrete or turf,
- digging out to the right depth, which on heavy clay often means deeper,
- the crushed-stone sub-base and the mortar bed,
- a skip or waste removal.
A quote that looks cheap is very often cheap here.
Levels and drainage
A sloping garden might need steps, a retaining wall or a raised area. If the water has nowhere to go, a channel drain or soakaway adds cost but protects the house.
Getting into the garden
If every bag and slab has to go through the house or down a narrow ginnel by barrow, the job takes longer. Mid-terrace houses with no back lane access are the usual example.
Extras
Steps, walls, paths, raised beds, lighting and sealing all add up. Pricing them together usually works out better than adding them later.
Comparing quotes like for like
Ask every installer the same things and get the answers in writing:
- How deep are you digging, and what's going into the sub-base?
- Is every slab going on a full bed of mortar? And for porcelain and sandstone, is each slab being primed?
- What fall will it have, and where does the water go?
- How far below the damp-proof course will it finish?
- What's included? Waste, jointing, cleaning down, making good the lawn edges.
If one price is miles below the rest, the answers will usually tell you why.
Get a free quote
The only number that counts is the one for your garden. Ask for a free, no-obligation quote and we'll measure up and give you a quote.