Patio Installation In Middleton
Want a patio that does not hold puddles and does not sink?
Indian sandstone, porcelain, block and printed concrete patios with steps, walls and drainage designed in, across Middleton and north Manchester
Most Middleton back gardens slope towards the house, because the houses were built on the flat bit and the garden was whatever was left. So most patios we replace have the same problems: the old flags were laid on five spots of mortar with no fall, water runs to the back door, and the whole thing has sunk in the middle where the clay moved. A patio is a small piece of civil engineering. We build it on a full bed, with the falls going the right way and the water going somewhere, and it stays flat.
No obligation
Free Patio Installation Quote
Scott usually rings back the same working day.
Why patio installation
What a properly built patio gives you
01
Falls that go away from the house
We set a fall of about 1 in 60 to 1 in 80 away from the wall, into a channel or a border, so water never sits at the door or against the damp course.
02
A full mortar bed, not dabs
Every flag sits on a full bed of mortar, which is why they do not rock, do not crack and do not let water under to freeze in winter.
03
Steps, walls and levels sorted
Sloping gardens get a level terrace with retaining walls and steps built into the design, in matching stone or brick to suit the house.
04
Four surfaces to choose from
Indian sandstone for a natural look, porcelain for something that stays clean, block for a match with the drive, or printed concrete for one continuous slab.
05
Drainage designed, not hoped for
Channels along the house wall, gullies in the low corner, soakaways where the ground will take them - built in on day one, not added when the puddle appears.
06
Done alongside the drive
A lot of our patio work is done in the same week as a front drive. One crew, one skip hire, one price, and the whole plot matches.
20+
Years Laying Drives
Middleton and North Manchester
7
Surface Types
Resin to porcelain, one crew
Free
Site Visits & Quotes
Written, itemised, fixed
10 yr
Guarantee
In writing, terms and conditions apply
How we work
Seven steps to a patio in Middleton that stays flat
Most of what goes wrong with a drive goes wrong in steps three to five, which is why they are the ones we spend the longest on.
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Site visit and levels
Scott measures the garden, checks where it falls, where the drains and the damp course are, and talks through how you want to use the space - dining, a hot tub, a route to the shed.
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Written quote and a sketch
Stone type, size mix, bed spec, steps and walls, drainage and a fixed price, with a simple plan so you can see the shape before anything is dug.
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Excavation and sub-base
Old flags and soil out to around 200mm, membrane on the clay, then 100 to 150mm of MOT Type 1 compacted in layers - a patio base is smaller than a drive base but no less important.
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Walls, steps and edges
Retaining walls built on concrete footings, steps formed in block or stone, edge restraints haunched in concrete wherever the patio meets lawn or gravel.
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Drainage and falls
Linear channels fixed along the house, gullies in the low corner, connected to a soakaway or the surface water drain. The base is screeded to the falls the flags will follow.
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Laying on a full bed
Flags primed on the back and laid on a full 30 to 40mm bed of sharp sand and cement, tapped level with the fall, joints set to an even width. Porcelain gets a slurry primer and a wet bed.
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Pointing and handover
Joints pointed with a brush-in resin compound or a cement mortar, the surface cleaned, and a walk-round with you before we hand over the written guarantee.
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Want to see the steps on a real job? The projects page has every one of them photographed on the day we finished.
The guarantee
Every drive we lay in Middleton is put in writing
A driveway is a structure. The part you see - the block, the resin, the tarmac - is 50 to 60mm of the 250mm we build, and it is the 200mm underneath that decides whether it is still flat in ten years. So our guarantee is written around the bit that matters: the excavation depth, the compacted MOT Type 1 base, the edge restraints haunched in concrete and the falls that move water off the surface. If any of that lets you down inside the ten years, we come back and put it right at our cost. Terms and conditions apply, and you get them on paper before we start, not after.
- Sub-base depth and compaction stated on the quote, not left to chance
- Edging set in concrete so the surface cannot spread or rock
- Settlement, sinking or lifting caused by our work put right free
- Materials backed by the manufacturer on top of our own cover
20+
Years in the trade
The same name, the same phone number, the same man on site
10 yr
10-year guarantee on every job
Terms and conditions apply. Handed over in writing at the final walk-round, kept on file at our end too
Before you choose anyone
What to look for in a patio installer
Ask how the flags are bedded. There are two ways: a full bed of mortar under every flag, or five dabs of mortar at the corners and the middle. Dabs are faster and cheaper, and they are the reason flags rock, crack in the middle when you stand on them, and let water underneath to freeze and lift them. Every patio we lay is on a full bed, and it is on the quote.
Ask which way the water goes. A patio laid dead level, or worse, falling towards the house, will hold puddles and drive water against the damp course. The fall should be away from the wall, at about 1 in 60 to 1 in 80, into a channel or a border that can take it. Ask the installer to show you where the low point is on the plan; if there is no plan and no low point, there is no drainage.
Look at the joints and the cuts on a job they did a couple of years ago. Joints should be even, full and not cracked; cuts around drain covers, steps and the house wall should be tight and clean. Resin jointing compounds are excellent when brushed into a properly wetted joint and terrible when the joint was dry, so check the pointing is still in one piece.
Compared
Patio surfaces compared
The four surfaces we lay for patios, and where each one wins.
| Indian Sandstone | Porcelain | Block Paving | Printed Concrete | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expected lifespan | 25 years plus | 30 years plus | 25 years plus | 20 years plus |
| Keeping it clean | Pressure wash and seal every few years | Wipes clean, no sealing | Brush, occasional weed in joints | Reseal every 3 to 5 years |
| Moss and algae | Some in shade, treatable | Almost none | Some in joints | Little on a sealed slab |
| Look | Natural, varied, warm | Crisp, modern, uniform | Matches a block drive | Stone effect, no joints |
| Cost per m² installed | £80 to £110 | £95 to £130 | £70 to £95 | £65 to £90 |
| Best for | Traditional gardens, older houses | Contemporary, low upkeep, shaded plots | Continuity with the drive | Awkward shapes, one continuous slab |
Design and finish
Shapes, steps and how you will use it
The best patios are designed around what will happen on them. A dining table for six needs about 3.5m by 3.5m clear; a hot tub needs a level, reinforced pad and a route for the water; a sunken seating area needs a wall to sit on. We work all of that out on the visit and draw it before quoting. Levels matter more than anything in a Middleton garden - a terrace with a low retaining wall and two wide steps down to the lawn turns a slope into two usable spaces.
- Rectangular, curved and split-level designs
- Steps, retaining walls and raised beds in matching materials
- Paths to the side gate and the shed laid in the same visit
- Lighting ducts and a hot tub pad built in while the base is open
“Around seven in ten of the patios we replace across Middleton were laid on mortar dabs with no fall at all - which is why they rocked and held water.”
Based on enquiries and jobs handled by S P Groundworks & Driveways.
Cost
What a patio costs in Middleton
Patios start from around £70 per square metre in block paving, £80 in Indian sandstone and £95 in porcelain, all including excavation, the sub-base, the full mortar bed, laying and pointing. A typical 25m² rear patio in sandstone comes to around £2,000 to £2,750. Things that add to it:
- +Retaining walls and steps on a sloping garden
- +Poor access - everything carried through the house or over a fence
- +Drainage channels and a soakaway
- +Large-format porcelain, which needs more cutting and a wet bed
- +Removing a lot of old concrete or a raised bed
- +Lighting, a hot tub pad or a base for a garden room
Starting from
£75/m²
Including excavation, sub-base, edging and the finished surface. Fixed on a free site visit.
Get A Fixed QuoteFAQ
Patio Installation questions
How long does a patio take to build?
A straightforward 20 to 30m² patio takes three to four days from digging out to pointing. Add a day or two for retaining walls and steps, and another if the garden has no side access and everything comes through the house. We tell you the days on the quote.
Which patio surface needs the least looking after?
Porcelain, without question. It does not absorb water, so it does not stain, does not green over in shade and does not need sealing. Indian sandstone looks warmer and more natural but wants a wash and a seal every few years, especially in a north-facing Middleton garden.
Can you build a patio on a sloping garden?
Yes - most Middleton gardens slope, usually towards the house. Depending on the fall we either cut into the slope and build a retaining wall at the back, or build the patio up on a wall at the front with steps down to the lawn. Either way the patio itself ends up level with a slight fall away from the house.
Do I need planning permission for a patio?
Almost never for a patio at ground level in a back garden. Rochdale Borough Council only takes an interest if the patio is raised more than 300mm, if it covers a very large area with no drainage, or if the house is listed. We check before quoting.
Can the patio match the driveway?
Yes. Block paving runs from the drive round to the patio in the same colour, printed concrete can be poured as one continuous surface, and porcelain and sandstone both come in colours that pick up the block on the front. We often do the two together.
Do you build patios outside Middleton?
Yes - across Rochdale, Heywood, Oldham, Chadderton, Royton, Bury, Prestwich, Whitefield, Radcliffe, Blackley, Failsworth and north Manchester. Each area has its own page here.
Our work
Patio Installation and other recent work
Filter the full set by surface on the projects page.
Reviews
What customers around Middleton say
“Scott and his lads did my driveway this week and did a brilliant job. They turned up when they said they would and finished the job on time. No messing and no BS. The lads liked their tea and were friendly. Great job, great price and great team.”
Michael I.
New driveway · Google review
“Scott gave us good honest advice from the first visit. The completed job was exactly what we wanted with a high quality finish and lots of comments from friends and family. Definitely went above and beyond, and for a very reasonable price.”
Sarah
Middleton · Block paved driveway
“Brilliant work done by the team. Completed the work in a timely manner, very neat and professional. Would highly recommend.”
Sajida R.
Manchester · New driveway · Google review
“Scott has amazing team and so quick really excellent work.”
Jacqueline O.
Google review
“Scott and his team arrived early, worked through and finished the whole drive by Sunday. Excellent workmanship at a competitive price - we could not be happier.”
Lesley
Heywood · Resin driveway
“Ian at SP created a driveway for us that surpassed our expectations. A fantastic, clean, exact job. He is a credit to the company.”
Laurie
Chadderton · Tarmac and block driveway
Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 4 reviews on Google. Read more on our reviews page or the Facebook page.
Other surfaces
Not sure patio installation is the one?
Where we lay it
Patio Installation across north Manchester
A patio that stays flat and dry
Free site visit, a sketch of the layout and a written fixed quote. Full bed, proper falls, drainage built in.