How Much Does It Cost to Lay a Patio in the UK?

Most UK patios cost somewhere between £80 and £180 per square metre to lay, including the slabs, sub-base, mortar and labour. That puts a typical 20m² patio at roughly £1,600 to £3,600, with porcelain and natural stone towards the top of the range and concrete slabs towards the bottom. Access, the amount of digging, steps and drainage can move the final figure a long way in either direction.

These are typical UK market ranges, not our prices. We don't quote a figure until we've seen the garden, because the ground and access change the job more than the slab does.

What does a patio cost per square metre?

The material is only part of the bill. A rough guide to installed costs across the UK:

• Concrete slabs: usually at the lower end, often around £60 to £110 per m² laid.

• Indian sandstone: commonly around £100 to £150 per m² laid.

• Porcelain: commonly around £110 to £180 per m² laid, because the slabs cost more and need priming and more careful cutting.

• Block paving: commonly around £80 to £150 per m² laid for a patio; driveways cost more because they need a deeper base.

• Premium natural stone (limestone, granite, slate): can exceed £180 per m².

Smaller patios cost more per square metre, because the fixed costs (skip, plant hire, setting out) are spread over fewer metres.

What drives the cost of a patio?

Six things account for most of the difference between two quotes.

Excavation and waste. A patio needs digging out to allow for the sub-base and bedding, often 150-200mm below the finished level. Every cubic metre of soil has to go somewhere, and skips or grab lorries are a significant line on the quote.

Sub-base. A compacted layer of crushed stone, typically around 100mm for a garden patio, is what stops slabs sinking and rocking. It's also the first thing cut from a cheap quote.

Material. Slab choice can swing the materials bill by a factor of two or more, as the ranges above show.

Access. If everything has to go through the house or down a narrow side passage in wheelbarrows, labour goes up. Rear access for a digger or a dumper saves days.

Levels and steps. A flat garden is the cheapest case. Slopes mean retaining walls, steps and more digging, and each step is a small construction job of its own.

Drainage. Where water can't simply run off to a lawn or border, the patio may need a channel drain or a soakaway. We explain how that's decided in our post on patio drainage.

How much does a 20m² patio cost?

Using typical UK ranges, a 20m² patio (about 5m by 4m) usually costs:

• Concrete slabs: around £1,200 to £2,200.

• Sandstone: around £2,000 to £3,000.

• Porcelain: around £2,200 to £3,600.

Add more for steps, walls, lighting, awkward access or drainage. Take off a little if an old patio is being lifted and the existing base is sound enough to reuse, which is uncommon.

Why is one patio quote so much cheaper than another?

When two quotes are far apart, it's almost always because the cheaper one is building a different patio. The things we see left out most often:

• A thin or missing sub-base. Slabs laid on a few centimetres of sand over soil.

• Spot-bedding. Dabs of mortar under each slab instead of a full bed, which saves mortar and time and leaves voids that crack.

• No primer on porcelain. Slabs that later lift off clean.

• No fall. A patio that ponds, or runs water back towards the house.

• Waste removal not included. A cheap figure that grows once the skips arrive.

When you compare quotes, ask each contractor the depth of the sub-base, the bedding method, the fall and whether waste removal is included. A good contractor will answer without hesitation. For patios in Kettering we put all of those on the quote line by line, so you can see exactly what you're paying for.

What should a patio quote include?

A quote you can compare properly lists each part of the job rather than a single figure. On a typical patio that means:

• Site preparation: lifting any old paving or turf, excavation to the required depth, and removal of spoil

• Sub-base: the material and the compacted depth

• Bedding: the mortar mix and whether slabs are fully bedded

• Slabs: the product, size, thickness and quantity, including an allowance for cuts and breakages

• Jointing: the method and product

• Edging: how the edge will be finished against the lawn or borders

• Drainage: any channel drain, gully or soakaway

• Extras: steps, walls, lighting cables or planters

• Making good: reinstating the lawn edge and clearing the site

If a quote is one line with a total at the bottom, ask for the breakdown. Without it, you can't tell whether a lower price is a genuine saving or a thinner specification.

Patio costs by size

Because some costs are fixed, the price per square metre falls as the patio gets bigger. As a rough UK guide:

• Small patio (around 10m²): often £1,000 to £2,000, with a higher rate per square metre.

• Medium patio (around 20m²): often £1,600 to £3,600.

• Large patio (around 40m²): often £3,200 to £7,000 or more, depending heavily on material.

Every figure above assumes reasonable access and a fairly level garden. A sloping site, a patio that has to be carried through the house, or a design with steps and walls can add a significant amount.

Does a patio need planning permission?

A patio at the back of the house doesn't normally need planning permission. The front is different: paving more than 5 square metres of a front garden needs a permeable surface, or drainage to a lawn or border within the property, otherwise planning permission is required. The government's guidance on permeable front gardens sets out the options. If you're redoing the front at the same time, our driveways team plans both together.

How much does block paving cost?

For a patio, block paving is commonly around £80 to £150 per m² laid across the UK. For a driveway it's usually higher, because a drive needs a deeper sub-base to take a car, and edge restraints and drainage add to the job. Block paving is quick to repair (a single block can be lifted and relaid), which makes it a sensible choice where there are services or drains under the surface.

Patio cost questions, answered

Is it cheaper to lay a patio in winter?

Sometimes slightly, because it's a quieter time for landscapers. But mortar can't be laid in frost, so winter jobs can stretch out. The saving is rarely large enough to plan around.

Does removing an old patio add much to the cost?

Breaking out and disposing of an old patio adds labour and waste, often a noticeable share of the total on a larger area. The upside is that the ground is usually already reduced, which saves some digging.

How long does a patio take to lay?

A straightforward 20m² patio with good access usually takes a small team several days. Steps, walls, drainage and awkward access extend that.

If you'd like a clear, itemised price for your own garden, we're happy to come and look at the space, the access and the levels. Get in touch to arrange a visit.