Patios and paths
Patios and paths in Dartford and around
Indian sandstone, porcelain and slab patios, side-return paths, and the steps and brick walls that go with them, laid by Steve and his team.
Sandstone, porcelain, slab
Patios we lay
We lay buff sandstone, grey porcelain and plain slab patios, from a raised patio with a step down to the lawn to a large grey patio running up to a pair of bi-fold doors. A customer in SE2 had a big patio turned around in just over a week.
Whatever the stone, a patio is only as good as the ground under it, and it needs to carry rain away from the house. Our guide to what decides the cost of a landscaping job covers the parts you never see once the slabs are down.
- Indian sandstone patios and paths
- Porcelain patios
- Slab patios with a contrasting border
- Side-return paths with drain channels
Paths and side returns
Paths that get used every day
A side return is the route for bins, bikes and muddy boots, so it needs a firm, even surface and somewhere for the water to go. The sandstone side return pictured runs a drain channel along its length. Porcelain paths with a charcoal block edge and a gravel strip are another finish.
Water is worth planning for on a bigger patio too. Kevin B in DA7 had a new patio built along with a soakaway, which is the usual answer when rain from a large paved area has nowhere else to go.
Walls and steps
Brick walls and front steps
A patio often comes with a change of level. One customer in BR6 had a garden renovation with a new patio, a retaining wall, and a new lawn with a path and borders, all finished in 6 days. The work also takes in new red brick front walls and sandstone-capped steps up to a front door.
Walls and steps are built jobs in their own right, so they are priced and planned with the patio rather than added on at the end.
Great professional job done by Steve and his team turned around in just over a week for a big patio and reasonable cost
Checkatrade review · Checkatrade · SE2 · August 2026
Ask before you book
Common questions
How long does a new patio take?
It depends on the size, the access and what has to come out first, so you get a timescale with the quote. As a guide from real reviews: a big patio in SE2 was turned around in just over a week, and a BR6 renovation with a patio, retaining wall and new lawn took 6 days.
Sandstone or porcelain?
Sandstone has natural colour variation and a textured face. Porcelain is uniform, dense and easy to wash down. Both need a properly prepared base. Steve lays both, so ask him about each when he comes to quote.
Can you stop water sitting on the patio?
Drainage is part of planning a patio: a fall away from the house, a channel drain along a wall, and a soakaway where the water needs somewhere to go. One DA7 review covers a patio and a soakaway built together.
Related
More for the same garden
A patio often comes with other work: a new lawn beside it, a new fence behind it or a clearance before it, all from the same team.
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