How Much Does a New Patio Cost in the UK?

Installed patios typically cost roughly £70 to £180 per square metre in 2026 depending on the paving. A 20 square metre patio commonly falls between about £1,400 and £3,800 for concrete slabs, sandstone and porcelain, with the paving choice and the groundwork acting as the biggest price drivers. An installed price includes the excavation, a sub-base of compacted crushed stone known as MOT Type 1, bedding, laying and jointing. A proper installation also includes falls, which is the slight slope that sheds water away from your house.

What a new patio costs in the UK

The total amount you pay depends heavily on the materials you choose and the preparation required beneath the ground. Hard landscaping is the built part of a garden, which includes patios, paths, walls, steps, decking, fencing and drainage. Soft landscaping is the living part, covering soil, turf, planting and trees. A new patio is a major hard landscaping project that requires significant manual labour and heavy materials.

Prices vary by source and region, and landscapers in London and the South East cost more than in other parts of the country. Alternative published figures report a lower average of about £1,200 for a new patio across the UK, which works out at £60 to £120 per square metre all in. You will always need a site visit to get an accurate price for your specific garden.

Larger patios cost less per square metre than smaller ones. Some costs, such as access and excavation and waste removal, are quoted as lump sums that do not rise in step with the area, so they are spread over a larger patio. Your landscaper will price the job based on a site visit, taking into account the access to your garden and the condition of the soil.

Cost per square metre by paving material

The table below shows typical installed prices for the most common paving options. These figures include the ground preparation, the sub-base, a sand or mortar bed, the paving slabs and the jointing compound.

These are typical published prices for 2026 and local quotes will differ. You should always ask your landscaper to confirm whether their quote includes VAT.

Concrete slabs are the cheapest option and offer a functional surface for a tight budget. Sandstone and limestone are natural stones that sit in the middle of the price range in the table. Porcelain costs more than concrete slabs and sandstone in the table above.

Typical totals for 10, 20, 30 and 40 square metres

Knowing the size of your planned patio helps you set a realistic budget before you contact a landscaper. The table below shows how the total price scales for three popular materials across different garden sizes.

These are typical published prices for 2026 and local quotes will differ. The totals show the economy of scale, where doubling the size of the patio does not always double the top end of the price bracket.

What the groundwork adds

The groundwork nobody sees is where corners get cut by bad tradespeople. A proper foundation is essential for a patio that stays level and drains correctly. A good landscaper will dig out the ground to an excavation depth of roughly 150 to 200mm. This leaves enough room for a strong foundation and the paving itself.

Into this excavated area goes a sub-base of 100 to 150mm of compacted MOT Type 1 hardcore. Groundworks and this sub-base typically cost £25 to £45 per square metre. If your garden is uneven and requires levelling, this ground preparation adds £500 to £2,000 to the project.

Digging out a garden creates a massive amount of heavy soil and clay that must be taken away. Excavation and waste removal cost £200 to £600. A trader who carries waste must be a registered waste carrier, and this register is public so you can check their details online.

Access is a major factor in groundwork pricing. If you live in a terraced house with no rear gate, every ton of soil and every paving slab must be carried through your home. This slows the job down and requires floor protection. Poor access adds £150 to £600 to a typical quote.

Labour and how long the job takes

If you are buying the materials yourself, you will need to pay for labour separately. Labour-only costs are about £20 to £40 per square metre. The total time on site depends on the size of the area, the weather and how easily the team can get materials into the back garden.

A small patio of about 10 square metres takes about two days to build, with labour costing £200 to £400. A medium patio of about 20 square metres has labour costs of £400 to £800, and published timings for a patio this size run from about three to five days. A large patio of 40 square metres or more takes about four to five days, with labour reaching £800 to £1,600.

You might wonder if you need a designer, a landscaper or a gardener for this work. A garden designer produces the plan, a landscaper or landscape contractor builds it, and a gardener maintains it. Gardener day rates are £150 to £200 per person, but a gardener is normally hired to maintain a garden rather than to build a patio.

Extras that push a quote up

Most gardens are not perfectly flat, empty squares of grass. You will likely need additional work to make the space usable, and these extras must be factored into your budget.

• Removing an old patio costs £250 to £500 for a small area, £400 to £700 for a medium area, and £700 to £1,000 for a large one.
• Drainage or a soakaway costs £400 to £1,200, and some price lists put a soakaway at around £850.
• A retaining wall for a raised patio costs £200 to £450 per square metre of wall face.
• Adding garden steps costs around £800, while general steps, walls and features can range from £250 to £1,500 or more.
• Edging and restraints cost £15 to £40 per linear metre.
• Tree root removal adds £200 to £750 to the groundwork bill.
• Poor ground conditions cost £300 to £1,000 or more to rectify.
• Moving or working around utility pipes or cables costs £1,200 to £4,400 or more.

If you have a sloping garden, you might consider decking instead of a raised patio to handle the level changes. When comparing a garden decking cost to paving, you must distinguish between softwood, hardwood and composite boards and the timber frame beneath them. A raised patio needs a retaining wall, which costs £200 to £450 per square metre of wall face, so ask for quotes for both options.

Why patio quotes differ so much

When you ask three local firms for a price, the numbers that come back can vary wildly. The biggest difference is usually the specification of the groundwork. A cheap quote might mean the builder plans to use a thin or missing sub-base, which will cause the paving to sink and crack after a few wet winters.

The materials make a huge difference. A quote for standard concrete slabs will be much lower than one for premium porcelain or reclaimed Yorkstone. You should always check exactly what paving the contractor has priced for and ask for samples.

Waste removal is another area where quotes diverge. A professional landscaper will include the cost of a skip or a grab lorry to remove the excavated soil legally. A rogue trader might leave the soil in a pile at the end of your garden or illegally fly-tip it to keep their quote artificially low.

Watch out for doorstep callers offering cheap paving or leftover materials from a job down the road. These are often cowboy pavers who demand cash deals with no written specification. They frequently lay slabs on dabs of mortar instead of a full bed, which leaves hollow voids under the patio where water gathers and freezes.

What a patio quote should list

A quote is a fixed price, whereas an estimate is a rough guess that can increase as the job progresses. You should always insist on a detailed written quote before any work begins. This document protects you if there is a dispute about what was agreed.

A good written quote should state the following details clearly.

• The total area of the patio in square metres.
• The excavation depth to show how much soil is being removed.
• The sub-base depth and the type of stone being used.
• The named paving material and its specific colour or brand.
• The type of bedding being used to lay the slabs.
• The falls to ensure water drains in the right direction.
• The jointing compound or mortar used between the slabs.
• The method and cost of waste removal.
• Whether VAT is included in the final figure.

Landscaping is not a licensed trade, so vetted membership and evidence of past work matter greatly. BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) says its Accredited members are vetted on workmanship, skill and health and safety. APL (Association of Professional Landscapers) says members are assessed, regularly inspected and TrustMark accredited.

TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme. If you are hiring someone to design the space first, the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers (SGLD, formerly the Society of Garden Designers) is the professional body for designers. Trade body membership is a good sign that a firm takes its work seriously, but it is not a guarantee of a flawless job.

Planning rules and protections

Patios in rear gardens are generally low-risk for planning, but you should not assume you can build whatever you like. If you are paving a front garden, different rules apply. In England, paving more than 5 square metres of a front garden with an impermeable surface that does not drain to a permeable area needs planning permission. Permeable surfacing does not need this permission.

These permitted development rights apply to houses, not flats or maisonettes. If you live in a listed building, you will need consent for significant work. If you are unsure about your specific property, you should check with your local council.

In England, fences and walls can generally be up to 1 metre high next to a road or its footpath and 2 metres elsewhere without needing planning permission. If your patio project includes new timber decking, then in England this is permitted development if it is no more than 30cm above the ground and, with extensions and outbuildings, covers no more than 50 per cent of the garden.

If your landscaper needs to clear trees to make way for the paving, check the legal status of those trees first. A Tree Preservation Order makes it an offence to cut down, lop, uproot or damage a protected tree without the council's consent. Furthermore, work on trees in a conservation area normally needs six weeks' notice to the council.

Checking the work before final payment

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, work must be done with reasonable care and skill. If it is not, the customer can ask for it to be put right or seek a partial or full refund. Knowing how a patio should be laid helps you spot bad practice before you hand over your final payment.

Check the surface after a heavy rain shower. A patio needs a fall, which is the slight slope that sheds water. If there is no fall, water will pool on the paving or run towards the house, which can cause damp problems in your brickwork. Puddles that stay on the paving after rain are worth raising with the landscaper before you pay the final bill.

Look at the edges of the patio where it meets the lawn. You should not be able to see the mortar bed crumbling away. The paving should be fully supported by the sub-base right to the edge, and the joints should be solid and fully filled with compound.

Citizens Advice points to several ways you can protect your money. They suggest getting three written quotes and a written contract before work starts. They advise paying deposits of no more than 25 per cent and paying by card for extra protection. Larger landscaping jobs are typically paid in stages as the work progresses. Citizens Advice also notes that you might be able to cancel within 14 days of agreeing a contract, and they are the best place to turn for guidance if a dispute arises.

Common questions

Can I lay a patio straight onto soil or grass?

No, paving slabs will sink and crack if they are laid on soil. They need a solid sub-base of compacted crushed stone and a full mortar bed. Artificial grass should also not be laid straight onto soil, as it requires a similar crushed stone foundation to drain properly and stay flat.

Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?

Front gardens have strict rules regarding water runoff. If you use an impermeable surface over more than 5 square metres that does not drain into a permeable area, you will need planning permission for a new driveway or front patio. Permeable surfaces like gravel or porous block paving bypass this rule.

Should I pay a landscaper in cash?

Cash deals with no written specification leave you with no proof of what was agreed and no paper trail if things go wrong. Citizens Advice recommends paying by card where possible and ensuring you have a written contract in place.

Does a patio quote include garden design?

Design fees are usually separate from the build cost. A landscaper will price the manual work and materials based on a plan you provide. If you want a full garden redesign, you will normally need to hire a garden designer first to produce the drawings.

Next steps before you hire a landscaper

A new patio needs careful planning to get right. Taking a methodical approach to hiring a tradesperson will help you avoid the pitfalls of cowboy builders and poor groundwork.

• Decide on your preferred paving material and the rough size of the patio.
• Invite three local landscaping companies to view the garden and price the job.
• Ask each firm to provide a detailed written quote that lists the excavation depth, the sub-base depth and the waste removal method.
• Check whether VAT is included in the final figure.
• Ask to see evidence of their past work and check if they hold vetted membership with BALI or the APL.
• Agree a written contract with a deposit of no more than 25 per cent before any digging begins.

Taking the time to check these details helps your budget go towards solid groundwork. When you are ready to start getting quotes and comparing local firms, you can find a landscaper near you to arrange a site visit and discuss your plans.