Block Paving
Block paving driveways, priced by the square metre
Traditional and contemporary block paved driveways on a properly built sub base, with edging that stays put.
The approach
A driveway is a structure, not a covering.
Block paving fails for predictable reasons: not enough excavation, a thin sub base, edge courses laid without haunching, and joints never topped up. Fix those four things and a block driveway will still look sharp in twenty years, which is why we build them the way we do.
We dig to the depth the ground and the traffic require, build and compact the sub base in layers, haunch every edge restraint in concrete, lay to a set pattern with consistent joints, then compact and joint with kiln dried sand.
Typical cost
Standard concrete block driveways £90 to £120 per square metre, premium and clay pavers £130 to £190, haunched kerbs £55 to £95 per linear metre. Guide figures only, because levels, access and drainage decide the final price. Every quotation we issue is fixed and itemised.
Excavation and sub base
Dug out to suit the subsoil and vehicle loading, geotextile membrane where needed, sub base built and compacted in layers.
Edge restraint
Kerbs and edge courses fully haunched in concrete so the driveway cannot spread at the margins over time.
Laying and detail
Herringbone, stretcher and circle features, contrasting borders, cut lines kept tight and falls set away from the house.
Drainage compliance
Permeable build ups, linear drainage and soakaways so surface water is dealt with on site and within regulations.
Who this suits
Large frontages, in and out drives, courtyards and turning circles where the finish and the setting out actually matter.
- Deep excavation
- Haunched edgings
- Kiln dried jointing
Read before you commit
- Block paving cost per square metre, explained properly
What a block paved driveway costs, broken down by the parts of the job most quotes leave vague.
- Resin or block paving? An installer's honest comparison
We fit both, so we have no reason to sell you one. Here is how they actually differ on the things that matter after year five.
- Do you need planning permission for a driveway?
The permeable surfacing rule, front garden hardstanding, and the cases where an application really is needed.
- Getting a dropped kerb in Essex: rules, costs and refusals
The vehicle crossing application, what the highway authority checks, and how to avoid the common refusals.
- Driveway drainage done properly: permeable bases, soakaways and SuDS
Where the water actually goes, and why it is the part of a driveway quote most worth interrogating.
Covering 30 miles of Colchester, including Colchester, Chelmsford, Ipswich, Braintree, Witham, Maldon, Sudbury, Clacton-on-Sea and Halstead.
Request a consultation
We take on new build contracts and substantial driveway and garden projects. Give us the detail and Matt will come back to you personally.
Questions we are asked
Block Paving: your questions
How much does block paving cost per square metre?+
Standard concrete blocks run £90 to £120 per square metre including excavation, sub base, laying and jointing. Premium concrete ranges and clay pavers sit between £130 and £190.
Do I need planning permission for a block paved driveway?+
Not where the surface is permeable or drains within your own boundary. Permission is needed only if more than five square metres of impermeable surfacing sheds water onto the road, or your property has restricted rights.
How long will a block driveway last?+
Twenty years or more where excavation, sub base and edge haunching are right, with jointing sand topped up occasionally. Rutting and edge spread almost always trace back to preparation.
Can a sunken block driveway be repaired rather than replaced?+
If the original sub base was adequate, a localised lift and relay is often the right answer and much cheaper. Where the base was never right, relaying the same blocks onto the same ground buys about two years.
Will you match blocks to my existing paving?+
Often close, though weathering makes an exact match unlikely. Where a match would look like a repair, we usually suggest a deliberate change of border or banding instead.
Also worth reading
Other things we build
Demolition and Site Clearance
Controlled demolition and full clearance that hands over a plot ready for setting out, not a mess for someone else to sort.
Foundations and Groundworks
Dig, drainage and concrete set out to the engineer's drawings and signed off by building control without argument.
Extensions and New Builds
Full build packages from footings to finished shell and beyond, backed by our ten year structural guarantee.
Breaking Ground. Building Trust.
Planning a project worth doing once?
Tell us about the plot, the property and what you want the finished result to be. We will visit, survey and quote properly.
Ten year guarantee / 30 miles of Colchester / New builds and substantial projects