Cost of Laying a Patio

Trying to find out how much it costs to lay a patio?

Well, the average cost of patio installation will typically be between £550-£4,600 for a patio to be installed.

But that's a large price range...

...So, in this ultimate cost guide, we provide a breakdown of the prices for different patio materials and the cost of hiring a patio installer to carry out the work.

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We can connect you to local pavers throughout the UK, who can give you a quote to break down the cost of laying a patio.

Want to find out more about patio prices?

Take a look below!

How Much to Lay a Patio?

To lay a patio in a standard 20 square metre area...

...is typically around £900 to £2,500, on average. This price includes the cost to excavate the area, lay the foundations, buying the patio slabs and laying them.

What factors do these prices depend on?

These prices will vary depending on the type of materials used, for example, budget options such as concrete and brick patio slabs tend to start at £15 per square metre, while premium patios are usually made up of slate which ranges from £900 to £3,800 for installation, while a stone patio can cost up to £4,600.

New Patio Prices

Below are some estimated costs of hiring a landscape gardener to build a small (10M²), medium (20M²) or large (40M²) patio:

Supply Only Costs

If you plan on installing a garden patio yourself, take a look at the following supply only cost of laying a patio per square metre:

Additional Costs

There are various other costs you need to consider when having your patio installed.

The below table sets out the additional cost of laying patio that you may want to consider in your budget:

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Labour Costs and Time Scales

How much will the labour cost to lay a patio?

The cost to hire a landscape gardener to install your patio is normally around £100 per day, although they will usually work with a general labourer bringing the daily cost up to around £200.

How long does a patio take to install?

A typical installation for a small patio measuring 10 square metres would take around 2 days to complete and would cost around £400 for labour.

While a 20 square metre patio would take around three days and would cost about £600 for two tradesmen to complete the job.

What about a larger patio?

If you have a larger patio of 40 square metres or more, this could take about four days to complete, and should be priced at around £800 for labour.

But...

...These prices may vary depending on the material used, and the tradesmen may also increase their prices for extensive excavation.

What's Involved in Laying a Patio?

So, exactly how much work is even involved in laying a patio?

Well, it's one of the bigger landscape gardening jobs, even for a relatively small patio area of 25 square metres.

• To start, the area will first need to be prepped. If upgrading your existing patio, then the existing pavement will need to be lifted.
• The tradesmen will then dig a hole of at least 150mm in-depth, followed by laying a hard-core base of 100mm and top off with 30mm of sand or grit.
• The next step involves creating the concrete, which consists of one-part cement and three parts sand. This will be used to bed slabs into the base while making sure there is an even layer of 40mm.
• Once the foundations are in place, the patio material can then be installed. This involves dampening the slabs or blocks to prevent the concrete from drying out. The first piece will be secured in place by tapping it with a rubber mallet.
• The rest of the patio will then be installed, making sure every slab has a 10-15mm gap between each one. The patio will then be sprayed with water and then left to set for around 24 hours.
• Once 24 hours is up, the slabs or blocks will be grouted and jointed using a trowel to fill the gaps between the paving. The surface will then be wiped down to remove any residue.

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Cost Affecting Factors of Laying a Patio

When planning a patio installation, there are a number of cost factors you need to consider.

First up...

Is the size of your patio, as the larger the area is, the more expensive it will be.

For example...

A small patio of around 10 square metres can range from £800 to £1,100, while a large 40 square metre patio can cost up to £4,600.

With regard to the paving slabs you buy for patios, you get what you pay for.

The cost of laying a concrete patio starts at around £15 per square metre for budget garden paving, but generally, the quality is usually very poor.

Poor quality slabs usually have lots of air bubbles in them, and when water gets into these air pockets and freezes, the ice expands and forms tiny little cracks, which in turn fill with water and this process continues until the paving stone literally falls to pieces!

In general, higher-quality slabs such as stone are more expensive and cost up to £95 per square metre. They will have fewer air bubbles in them and will last a lot longer while looking a lot better.

Labour costs will also vary, depending on your location and whether you choose a company or one or two tradesmen.

For instance...

In London and southern areas, you can expect to pay around £2,400 to £2,600 for a large company, while larger businesses in the north tend to charge about £2,000 to £2,200. Most people tend to choose sole traders who have an average rate of £2,000 in London or £1,750 in the outer regions.

Another massive factor that could affect your patio laying cost is the amount of excavation required, along with the need for a new sub-base.

If you require flagging, this can cost around £15 to £60 per square metre for the flagging material, along with an extra £75 to £100 per square metre for labour.

A hard-core bed is not usually required for a patio unless the ground is very damp and boggy, or the patio will also be used for vehicle parking. Patios are built with a slight fall that lets any surface water drain away.

But sometimes, it might not be enough simply to let the water drain onto a lawn, especially if you have a large paved surface.

In these cases, you may need to build a drainage channel to direct the surface water to an existing surface water drain or into a soakaway. The average cost of installing a soakaway typically ranges from £700 to £1,000.

If removing an existing patio then you may have to pay for waste disposal costs, which normally adds on around £100 to the final price.

If you are preparing the area yourself, then you may have to pay for skip hire which can range from £60 to £400, depending on the size skip you need.

How to Lay a Patio

If you have a small budget in mind, you may want to install a patio yourself. However, this is usually only advised for experienced DIYers, as it's a labour-intensive task. So, if you have the experience and know-how to lay a patio, you should be fine.

If you have no experience, then it may be best to hire a professional, as this will actually help you save money in the long run, as a high-quality and professional installation will mean your patio will last a lot longer.

You will also prevent any expensive issues, such as cracking and sinking, which may occur if the foundations are not installed properly.

If you do decide to install a patio yourself, then you will need to consider the material costs, as well as any tools and safety equipment you need.

The below table sets out the costs of buying or hiring tools for a patio installation:

Here is a cost breakdown of the different safety equipment:

Types of Patio Available

The type of patio you choose will really depend on your own personal preferences as well as your budget.

Here is a breakdown of the different patio types, which includes pros and cons, along with the average costs:

Patio Repair Costs

The average cost of repairing a patio tends to be significantly lower than the cost of replacing one.

However, this will depend greatly on the scale of repair work required. Patio repairs are usually completed within one day, so you should expect to pay around £100 for professional repairs or up to £200 per day if a general labourer is working alongside them.

Sinking

If you notice that some of your patio slabs appear sunken, they'll need to be removed using a screwdriver (£1 to £20).

A screed pipe will then need to be constructed using a screed board (£20 to £30 per m²). This should be long enough to rest on the level pavers while making sure there is a notch at one end that is 1/8 of an inch less than the depth of the slabs.

Once the screed pipe is in place, the area should be filled in with sand and screed (£12 to £30 per bag) using a trowel to level it out and remove any excess material.

The area should then be cleared before putting the pavers back in place, making sure they are flush with the rest of the patio.

To finish off, dry sand will be added on top of the pavers, before sweeping and tamping until all joints are filled.

Cracking

If you've had your patio for a long time, you may start to notice small cracks appearing on the surface.

These can be repaired by applying cement and sand to the area to fill in the gaps and covering up the cracks.

If you have a concrete patio with a hairline crack, then the damage can be chipped away using a chisel (£4 to £25) and a club hammer (£6 to £30). The removal should reach a depth of at least 15mm.

Once this is complete, the area should be cleaned of all dust and debris, then PVA adhesive (£4 to £20) should be diluted and applied to the hole.

After the glue becomes tacky, repair filler (£6 to £30 per bag) should then be added to the area. To ensure everything is level, a float should be used. Then, the final step is to cover the hole with a polythene sheet (£6 to £20), which should be left for three days to allow it to harden.

Re-jointing

If your garden paving or blocks start to become loose, this may be because the jointing mortar has failed and will need to be replaced.

So, how do you do this?

To do this, the existing mortar will need to be removed with a hooked tool (£2 to £10) or weeding knife (£1 to £30).

In some cases, the mortar may be quite hard to remove, so a diamond blade (£6 to £60) will be required which should be attached to a cut-off saw (£100 to £800).

You can choose to buy a saw or hire it for around £15 to £20 per day. They will be used to rake out the mortar and open up the joint.

Once all the old mortar has been removed, the area will need to be cleaned thoroughly, making sure that any dust or debris is removed using a brush or a pressure washer, which costs around £70 to £2000 to buy or £20 to £160 per day to hire.

After the area has been cleaned, new mortar can be applied to the gaps. The right sand and cement will be applied to each gap, with the ratio of materials depending on the size of the gaps.

For example, if gaps are less than 13mm, silver sand (£3 to £5 per bag) should be used, while sharp sand (£3 to £40 per bag) should be used for gaps larger than 13mm.

This should be mixed first before spreading it on the patio, making sure that all the joints are filled.

Once the joints are completely full, a brush should be used to remove any excess sand off the patio surface. The jointing material will then harden, and your patio will look brand new again.

Alternatives to Patio

If you already have a patio and are looking for an alternative pathway, you could consider one of the following options:

Gravel

A gravel path is made up of any loose stone or rock that is smaller than cobble but larger than sand with a diameter of around 1/10 inch to 2.5 inches. This type of pathway tends to cost around £20 to £50 per square metre, although the price will vary depending on the condition and size of your current path.

Gravel is one of the most versatile materials due to the different designs and colours available. They are also one of the easiest pathways to install, as it simply involves laying a sub-base material, then scattering gravel across the area then levelling out. It's also one of the most durable options and can last up to 100 years if looked after properly.

Are they any downsides to gravel?

One of the downsides of a gravel path is that it requires regular cleaning to maintain its aesthetic. It's also much harder to clean in freezing temperature when there is snowfall, as unlike a patio, you cannot scrape the surface, as this will dislodge the gravel.

Bark Mulch

Looking for a simple path solution?

Then bark mulch is ideal, as it simply involves laying down wood chippings on your path. You can either use spare wood that you have lying around or purchase a bulk bag which will cost around £90 to £180 per bag.

What are the benefits?

The main benefit of a bark mulch path is that it prevents weed growth and also improves soil fertilisation. It's also very easy to repair, as it simply just needs a top-up of wood chippings if you find any gaps.

So, any negatives you need to know about?

This is not an ideal material for high footfall areas, as bark mulch shifts easily, so you will end up with a significant amount of mess.

You will also need to avoid using a leaf blower or any other pressurised garden equipment which could cause the mulch to move.

Timber Decking

Timber decking is one of the most popular additions to garden furnishings and tends to cost around £15 to £90 per square metre. This type of flooring is available in a number of materials, including softwoods such as spruce and pine, as well as hardwood options like IPE and oak.

What are the advantages of timber decking?

One of the main advantages of decking is that it offers a natural look that is popular with many homeowners.

It also helps to create a sense of warmth in the garden, which is enhanced when adding garden furnishings such as patio sets.

Timber decking is also a flexible material that allows for versatile designs that suit both small and large gardens. It is also a great investment, especially If you choose hardwood decking, as this can last up to 40 years or more.

What disadvantages will you need to consider?

When choosing decking, you need to be careful with cheaper decking alternatives, as they tend to last just 10 to 15 years. It can, of course, last longer if it is maintained properly, although this requires a significant amount of effort in order to avoid rot and other types of damage. This can be time-consuming and expensive, especially if you require replacement panels.

Resin

A resin-bound path is made up of a mixture of resin and various aggregate materials which are combined together to create robust outdoor flooring. This tends to cost around £60 to £90 per square metre.

Another benefit of installing a resin-bound path is its flood-prevention qualities, as the material is able to absorb water and filter it through the ground.

While a high level of absorption can be a good thing, it can also increase weed growth, which means a resin bound driveway will need to be maintained regularly to prevent slippery surfaces.

Another option is a resin bonded surface which consists of aggregate material which is laid on top of a resin layer, which offers the same appearance of a gravel path without the level of maintenance. In comparison to a resin bound surface, this type of pathway is not permeable and does not absorb liquid well, which can lead to water pooling.

Patio Maintenance and Cleaning

To ensure your patio lasts, you should conduct regular cleaning and maintenance. There are different methods for each material, including:

Stone Patio Maintenance and Cleaning

Stone is sometimes susceptible to mildew and algae growth. To remove dirt, you can simply use dish soap and water, which can be applied using a brush, although avoid a wire brush as this can scratch the surface.

You can also use vinegar or oxygenated bleach for stubborn dirt. For stains, you can use a deck cleaner or a degreaser which should be rubbed onto the stone with a nylon brush then rinsed with water.

To maintain your stone patio, you should brush it to remove any debris and pull out any weeds at least once a week. You can also pour sand in between your stones to prevent weed growth.

Professionals will also advise you to cover your patio with a surface protector in the winter to prevent moss and dirt build-up.

If you would prefer to hire a professional to clean and maintain your stone patio, then you should expect to pay around £150 to £400 for jet washing, although the price will vary depending on the size of your patio.

Slate Patio Maintenance and Cleaning

If you have a slate patio, you will need to clear any dust or dirt regularly by using a brush and dish soap. You should try to avoid using harsh chemicals on a slate patio, as it's a natural material that is easily damaged by using certain detergents. You will also need to conduct thorough cleaning around two to three times a year.

What about stains on a slate patio?

If you have any stains on your patio, then you should apply a slate cleaner mixed with water and leave it on the area for ten minutes, then rinse it off with a hose. The stain can then be scrubbed with a stiff brush.

Regular polishing is also important with a slate surface, although make sure you remove any dust or debris first. You could use a commercial floor cleaner, which will cost around £500 to £700 to buy or hire one for £30 to £80 a day.

For a clean polish, you should also buff the slate by wetting the patio area, then use a wet abrasive to rub over scratches, then rinse the floor with water and repeat the buffing process.

Concrete Patio Maintenance and Cleaning

When cleaning and maintaining your concrete pathway, you need to be careful about harming the surrounding grass and plants. Some regular methods include brushing any leaves or debris off the pathway with a brush or leaf blower, which costs around £30 to £90.

To remove any dirt or grime, you should wash the path regularly with a garden hose that has a nozzle with concentrated water flow. You should direct the hose at the path rather than the grass to avoid water pooling.

For stubborn stains, you would hire someone to power wash your path, or you can do it yourself if you have the equipment. For any remaining stains, you should rub the area with a stiff scrub brush and use a tiny amount of detergent, then once removed you should rinse your patio with water.

Brick Patio Maintenance and Cleaning

For regular brick patio maintenance, you should sweep the area at least once a week, making sure you use a brush with stiff bristles. You should also hose it regularly, as this will remove any brick particles and grout which may have come loose.

Regular weeding is also important if you have a brick patio, as weeds that are left can eventually cover the brick completely, so you’re best removing them as soon as possible. This will involve removing the weed itself, as well as any leaves, branches and dirt.

For easy maintenance, you may want to add a sealant to your brickwork which costs around £3 to £6 per square metre for sealing, although this will vary depending on the size of your patio. You may also want to pay extra for power washing, which should be conducted two or three times a year.

Cost of Removing a Patio

If you want to remove an old patio first before laying a new patio, then you will need to consider the cost of the additional labour and waste disposal costs, which is normally around £100 to £200 per day.

The cost of having a tradesman remove your old patio will vary depending on the size of the patio and the type of material you've chosen. If it's a concrete patio, then it will take some serious labour to break it up and remove it all, whereas if it's paving slabs, then it's a much quicker job.

If removing the patio yourself, you will need to hire a skip which will range from £60 to £400, depending on the size you need as well as the cost of a skip.

Removing an old patio is a fairly simple job that can be done yourself, just remember to follow best practices when lifting heavy slabs. You will also need a chisel and hammer to remove the slabs or a diamond blade if the mortar is fairly new.

How to Find & Hire a Patio Installer

The cost to hire a patio installer Is normally around £100 per day, although this cost will increase to £200 a day if two tradesmen work on the job together.

• When hiring someone for the job, you should get several quotes, while also inquiring about their experience, as ideally, you should hire a tradesman with at least 5 years’ experience in installing patios.
• You could ask for images of previous jobs to see if the quality of their work.
• Before agreeing or signing a contract, you should check that the tradesmen you choose are fully insured in order to protect them, and you should any damage occur.

FAQs

Sources

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/44/patio_and_driveway/2
https://www.marshalls.co.uk/gardens-and-driveways/blog/how-to-lay-a-patio
https://www.barbourproductsearch.info/pros-and-cons-of-timber-decking-blog000470.html
https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/outdoor/walkways/wood-chip-path/
https://www.thespruce.com/pros-and-cons-of-gravel-driveway-1398078
https://www.mainlandaggregates.co.uk/gravel-driveway-construction-guide
https://www.pavingsuperstore.co.uk/blog/how-to-repair-your-paving/
https://www.diy.com/ideas-advice/how-to-repair-paving/CC_npci_100141.art
https://rflandscapeproducts.co.uk/news/is-paving-suitable-for-driveways/
https://www.qualitytilecare.co.uk/slate-floor-tiles-cleaning