Paving we work with
Natural sandstone paving (Indian, Yorkstone-style), porcelain slabs, Cotswold-cut natural stone flags, riven and sawn finishes, block paving for patio-adjacent areas, and reclaimed flagstones where a period property calls for it.
Patios & Hard Landscaping · Swindon · Highworth · Cotswolds
Patio Installer &
Hard Landscaping
in Swindon, Highworth & the Cotswolds
Patios, garden walls, turfing, decking and fencing: hard landscaping built by a building firm, not a mow-and-blow gardener. Base prep done properly so the patio you have next year is the patio you have in ten.
40 years on the tools · In-house · Free site visits · Fully insured
40 yrs
on the tools since 1988
3
family team on every job
3–5 days
for a written estimate
£5m
public liability insured
Overview
Hard landscaping that doesn't sink, tilt or weed up in two summers.
Nine out of ten patio failures start in the base. If the sub-base isn't right, the finish never will be: slabs rock, joints crack, weeds come through, and the whole thing needs lifting inside a few winters. We're a building firm before we're a landscaper, and we treat a patio like the small piece of civil engineering it actually is.
What the service covers
Natural stone and porcelain patios, sandstone paving, block paving driveways (patio-side), garden walls in brick or Cotswold stone, turfing to a properly prepared soil bed, timber decking including composite systems, close-board and panel fencing, brick-piered fencing, garden steps and thresholds, and the drainage that makes all of the above work.
Who it's for
Homeowners wanting a patio done once and done right. New-build gardens that need lifting from a mud pit to a usable garden. Owners of tired concrete slabs that need lifting and replacing with natural stone. Landlords tidying gardens between tenancies. Neighbours with sagging fencing after storms.
When it's needed
Existing patio is sinking, cracking, weeded up or rocking underfoot. Garden hasn't been touched since the house was built. You're finishing an extension and the garden needs pulling together to match. Fencing has come down. Levels are wrong and water is running the wrong way.
Why the building-trade approach matters
A patio is a base, a bedding, a paving and a jointing system, and each layer has to be right. Cut corners on the sub-base and no amount of nice paving will save you. We build patios the way we build extensions: properly, with the boring bit at the bottom done right.
The cost of getting it wrong
How badly-built patios and landscaping go wrong.
Every landscape failure we've seen has one of a small number of root causes.
Sub-base too thin or wrong material
You get a firm-looking patio for a summer, then rocking slabs and tilted edges by spring.
No falls: water sits on the patio
Standing water freezes, jointing cracks, moss grows, edges lift. The patio needs re-laying instead of a quick clean.
Slabs bedded on 'dot mortar' instead of full bed
Voids under slabs are where water sits, where they crack under weight, and where the patio slowly sinks in patches.
Wrong jointing product
Sand joints in a wet garden wash out inside a season. Slurry joints on the wrong stone stain the paving. Getting the joint right is half the battle.
Common mistake, Common mistake: laying a beautiful stone patio on a base that was never right. We'd rather spend an extra day on the base than a week fixing a failed patio later.
Our process
Our patio & landscaping process.
Same four honest steps.
- 01
Site visit & levels check
We look at ground levels, drainage, existing surfaces and the routes water needs to take. That drives what the base needs to be.
- 02
Written estimate in 3–5 days
Itemised: excavation, waste removal, sub-base, bedding, paving, jointing, edges. Nothing hidden in a lump-sum.
- 03
Excavation & sub-base
Dig out to the right depth, correct compaction, hardcore and MOT type-1 sub-base laid and blinded before any paving goes near it.
- 04
Paving, jointing & clean-up
Slabs bedded full on mortar to the right falls. Joints filled with the right product for the stone. Site left tidy, all waste removed.
The benefits
Why our approach to patios & hard landscaping pays off.
Sub-base done right
The unseen work is the work that decides whether your patio still looks right in ten years.
Correct falls & drainage
Water runs off, not on. No standing puddles, no ice hazards, no green algae streaks.
Full bed, not dot mortar
Every slab bedded solid: no hollow slabs, no rocking, no cracking under a chair leg.
Joints matched to stone
Right slurry or sand jointing product for the paving so joints stay put through wet winters.
Walls, steps and fences tied in
Because we're bricklayers first, the walls and steps around the patio are built the same standard as the extension we might build a decade later.
Left tidy, waste taken away
Excavated spoil and waste removed at completion: you don't inherit a builder's-yard garden.
In detail
Patios & hard landscaping, in detail.
Materials, methods and honest limits.
Sub-base and bedding
Excavation to correct depth (typically 150–200mm below finished level depending on use), MOT type-1 hardcore sub-base compacted in layers, sharp-sand blinding, and full-bed mortar under every slab. Falls set at 1:60 to 1:80 away from the building.
Walls, steps & edges
Brick or Cotswold stone garden walls to complement the patio. Rendered blockwork planters. Natural stone steps with correct nosings. Brick-piered fencing where a soft fence panel needs a stronger boundary.
Fencing, decking & turf
Close-board and panel fencing on properly set posts (concrete-set or steel-supported). Composite and timber decking on treated joists to the right ventilation and support spacings. Turfing to a rotovated and levelled soil bed with a light dressing after laying.
What we don't offer
Soft landscaping: plant selection, planting borders, ongoing garden maintenance and lawn care, isn't our trade. We build the hard structure; a good local gardener plants and maintains the soft side.
Recent works
Recent patios & hard landscaping and other jobs from around the patch.
Where we work
Patios & Hard Landscaping across our patch.
Patios & Hard Landscaping in SwindonPatios & Hard Landscaping in HighworthPatios & Hard Landscaping in LechladePatios & Hard Landscaping in FairfordPatios & Hard Landscaping in CirencesterPatios & Hard Landscaping in FaringdonPatios & Hard Landscaping in WitneyPatios & Hard Landscaping in BurfordPatios & Hard Landscaping in Shrivenham
FAQs
Questions we're asked about patios & hard landscaping.
Can't see yours? Ring Dale on 07926 334368.
How much does a patio cost per square metre?
Per-square-metre pricing is misleading: sub-base depth, drainage, edges and paving choice all move the number. We give you a written itemised estimate after a free site visit.
How long does a patio take?
A typical 25–40 square metre patio is usually five to ten working days depending on excavation, drainage and paving choice.
Can you take away the old patio and waste?
Yes: grab-lorry removal and skip hire arranged as part of the job, priced in the estimate.
Will the patio need planning permission?
Most domestic patios don't. Front-garden hard-standing over 5m² and above certain permeability thresholds may need permission. We'll flag it at the site visit.
Do you build brick or stone garden walls around the patio?
Yes, that's our core trade. Piers, boundary walls, retaining walls, planter walls all included in the same job.
Do you lay turf?
Yes, we prep the ground properly and lay turf. We don't do the ongoing lawn care afterwards.
Do you install fencing?
Yes: close-board, panel and brick-piered fencing. Posts set properly, panels aligned, tops trimmed level.
Do you cover Faringdon, Witney and Burford?
Yes: regular working patch alongside Swindon, Highworth, Lechlade, Fairford, Cirencester and Shrivenham.
Related trades
Other work handled by the same family team.
Fencing
Domestic fencing supplied and installed: posts set properly, panels aligned, no fuss.
Read moreBricklaying
Fair-faced brickwork, garden walls, arches and repairs: built by the family that's been doing it since 1988.
Read moreStone Laying
Natural Cotswold stone walling and cladding, laid with the eye and hand of a specialist.
Read moreReady when you are
Get a free estimate for patios & hard landscaping.
Free site visit at a time that suits. Written, itemised estimate in 3–5 working days. Staged payments, nothing due before we start.
Family-run since 1988
£5m public liability
Free site visits
Bank transfer or cash