What changes the cost of a patio? A Berkshire guide

Ask “how much is a patio?” online and you’ll get a hundred different numbers, none of which apply to your garden. A patio’s cost comes down to a handful of physical things. Once you know what they are, you’ll see why we come out and measure before we quote a figure.

1. Size, and shape

Square metres matter, but the shape matters just as much. A simple rectangle is quick to set out and cut. A curved patio, lots of angles, or a design that wraps around the house means far more cutting, waste and labour per square metre. Two patios of the same area can be quite different jobs.

2. The material you choose

This is usually the biggest single factor, and it’s your call. Broadly, from most economical upwards:

• Block paving: hard-wearing and cost-effective, and the same family of product we use for driveways and block paving.
• Natural sandstone or limestone: a warm stone that suits most Berkshire gardens.
• Porcelain: the premium modern choice. It’s dead flat, colour-stable, low-maintenance and barely stains, but the slabs and the fixing cost more.

There’s no “best”. It depends on your house, your budget and how you’ll use the space. We’ll send you to one or two of our suppliers so you can stand on the stone before you decide.

3. What’s underneath

A patio is only as good as its base. Digging out, disposing of the spoil, and laying a compacted sub-base and bedding is most of the work, and it’s where cheap jobs cut corners. It’s the difference between a patio that’s still flat in fifteen years and one that sinks and rocks in two. We’re a licensed waste carrier, so the spoil is removed legally, not left in a pile on your drive.

4. Access

Can a barrow get from the road to the garden, or does every bag of aggregate and every slab go through the house or a narrow side return? Restricted access is one of the biggest hidden costs on a job, because it slows everything down. You can’t judge it from a photo, which is one reason we visit.

5. Levels and drainage

A flat, well-drained plot is straightforward. A slope means retaining or stepping the levels. Heavy or clay ground means working out where the water goes. Ground conditions vary a lot across Berkshire, and getting the falls and drainage right stops you having a puddle outside the back door every winter.

6. The extras

Steps, a low wall, an edge course, lighting, a threshold to match the house. They’re optional, but they make a big difference to the finished patio.

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Why we don’t give a price over the phone

Any number we gave you without seeing the garden would be a guess. Everything above (the shape, the access, the ground, the levels) is specific to your plot, so we quote every job individually.

What you get instead is a free site visit, then a clear, itemised written estimate, amended as many times as it takes until you’re happy. No work starts until you’ve agreed it.

If you’re planning a patio or paving anywhere around Bracknell, Reading or the Berkshire–Surrey borders, that’s how to find out what yours will cost.