What affects the price of a patio
Size and shape
Patios are priced largely by area, so the first question is how big. A simple rectangle is quicker to lay than a curved or multi-level design with lots of cuts. Measure the space you have in mind before you ask for a quote; it helps you compare like with like.
The slabs
Material is one of the biggest variables. Plain concrete slabs are the most affordable, textured and stone-effect concrete sit in the middle, and natural stone such as Indian sandstone and porcelain cost more, both to buy and to lay. Within each type, ranges vary widely in price.
Groundwork
This is the part you never see, and the part that decides whether the patio lasts:
- lifting and disposing of an old patio, concrete or turf,
- digging out to the right depth, which on Middlesbrough's clay is often deeper,
- the compacted sub-base and the mortar bed,
- skip hire or waste removal.
A quote that looks cheap often skimps here.
Levels and drainage
A garden that slopes may need steps, retaining walls or a raised section. If water has nowhere to go, a channel drain or soakaway adds cost but protects the house.
Access
If everything has to come through the house or down a narrow passage by barrow, the job takes longer. Terraced houses with no rear access are the usual example.
Extras
Steps, garden walls, paths, raised beds, lighting and sealing all add to the total. Pricing them in one go usually works out better than adding them later.
How to compare patio quotes
Ask every installer the same questions, and get the answers in writing:
- How deep will you dig, and what goes into the sub-base?
- Will every slab sit on a full mortar bed? And for porcelain and sandstone, will each slab be primed?
- What fall will the patio have, and where will the water go?
- How far below the damp-proof course will it finish?
- What is included: waste removal, jointing, cleaning down, making good the lawn edges?
If one quote is far cheaper than the others, the answers usually explain why.
Get a free quote
The only figure you can rely on is one for your own garden. Ask for a free, no-obligation quote and we'll come out, measure up and give you a written price.