Patios & Paving
Patio installation in Surrey and South West London
Porcelain and Indian sandstone terraces, excavated and built properly from the sub-base up by our own crews.
9.86/10Porcelain patios and Indian sandstone, laid properly
Almost every patio we build is a porcelain patio or Indian sandstone. The material is the part homeowners think about; the part that decides whether the patio is still flat and dry in ten years is everything underneath it. We are landscape gardeners rather than a paving gang, so the terrace is designed to sit in the garden it belongs to.
We dig out to full depth rather than laying over the old surface, cart the spoil away, and compact an MOT Type 1 sub-base in layers. Slabs go down on a full mortar bed, never on five dabs, with falls set away from the house so water runs to a channel or soakaway instead of sitting against your brickwork. Joints are slurry grouted or brushed in depending on the material, and the whole area is jet washed before we hand it over.
Your options
Porcelain, sandstone or block paving
Porcelain
20mm vitrified slabs, calibrated to the millimetre. Frost proof, non-porous, and the colour does not shift over the years.
Indian sandstone
Natural riven or sawn stone in greys, buffs and greens. Warmer and more textured than porcelain, and kinder on the budget.
Block paving
Concrete or clay blocks laid in herringbone or stretcher bond, strong enough to take vehicle loads.
Choosing between them
Match the house first, then the maintenance you will actually do. We bring samples and lay them out on your ground in daylight before anyone signs anything.
Most requested
Porcelain patios, and why most of ours are porcelain now
A porcelain patio is a 20mm vitrified slab, calibrated to the millimetre and effectively non-porous. It does not take up moss the way a porous stone does, the colour holds, and joints stay tight because every slab is the same thickness. That is why most of the patios we are asked for now are porcelain.
It is less forgiving to lay. Porcelain needs a slurry primer on the back of each slab, a full mortar bed, accurate falls and a clean slurry grout, because there is nowhere for a mistake to hide on a flat, uniform surface. Cutting is slower and the waste is expensive. We price that in rather than laying it like sandstone and hoping.
Where a house suits a warmer, more textured stone we will say so, and Indian sandstone is often the better answer on a Victorian or Edwardian property. Both get the same build-up underneath.
What's included
Every quote covers
- Site survey and levels taken before we quote
- Design and setting-out plan, including the paving layout
- Excavation and removal of the old patio and spoil
- Compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base to the correct depth
- Laying on a full mortar bed, then brush-in or slurry jointing
- Edging, steps and drainage, channel or soakaway as needed
- Full clear-up, jet wash and the site left as we found it
Recent work
Projects we finished nearby
300 sqm porcelain patio, Oxshott
Over 300 sqm of porcelain paving wrapped around a large Oxshott house, with a bullnosed curved step and built in planters.
Read the full case study
Victorian tiled path and new front wall, Twickenham
A failing front wall rebuilt with bespoke railings and a Victorian style tiled path with anthracite pavers run up the alleyway, giving a Twickenham terrace its entrance back.
Read the full case studyReviews
Patios clients on the work
9.86/10“Cato and his team did a great job removing old decking, fixing fences and relaying new stoneworks at our property. He kept us up to date throughout the project. We would highly recommend Cato and his team.”
Katie · a week ago
Google · 5/5
“The team from HD Landscape Gardeners have done a great job; new pergola fencing, terrace and edging. They were engaged and considerate and always discussed ideas and issues to ensure the best outcome. Recommend.”
Philippa · 2 months ago
Google · 5/5
“We had our patio laid a couple of weeks ago and couldn't be happier with the result. The team did a fantastic job from start to finish.”
Mariliz · 3 months ago
Google · 5/5
“Hayden did a fab job of tidying / shaping up our garden and patio ready for spring. He had great attention to detail and it looks so much better now! Deffo recommend”
Erin · 4 months ago
Google · 5/5
FAQs
Patios questions we get asked
How long does a patio take to build?
A straightforward 30 to 40m2 patio is usually five to eight working days: two days to excavate and cart the spoil away, a day or two for the sub-base, then laying, jointing and clear-up. Add a week if there are steps, a retaining wall or drainage to reroute, and a couple of days if access is by barrow only.
Do I need planning permission for a patio?
For a normal ground level patio in a back garden, no. It becomes a consideration if you raise the level significantly next to a boundary, build a raised terrace that overlooks a neighbour, or you are in a conservation area or a listed property. We will tell you at the site visit if your job is one of the rare ones that needs consent.
What is the difference between porcelain and Indian sandstone?
Porcelain is a fired, near zero porosity slab: colour stable, very low maintenance and calibrated so joints stay tight. Indian sandstone is a natural quarried stone, warmer, more varied, cheaper per square metre, but it will need sealing and an occasional wash. Porcelain suits contemporary schemes; sandstone suits period houses.
Do you remove the old patio?
Yes. Breaking out and carting away the old slabs, concrete and spoil is part of the quote, along with skip or grab-away costs and any permit needed to stand a skip on the road.
How much does a new patio cost?
Most of the patios we build land between £5,000 and £10,000, depending on size, material and how easily we can get machinery and materials in. Smaller courtyards can come in under that, and large terraces with steps, walls and level changes run from £20,000 to £40,000. Every price is fixed in writing after a site visit.
Do you offer a guarantee?
Yes, our workmanship is guaranteed and materials carry their manufacturer's warranty on top. Because our own crews build the job rather than subcontractors, there is one company to come back if anything needs attention.
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Free site visit
Get a fixed price for your patios
We'll come out, look at the space and give you a proper fixed price, not a ballpark over the phone.