Guide to Patio Laying Costs

Laying a new patio is an exciting time, as a high quality patio will really transform the look and feel of your garden. The question at the front of everyone’s minds is ‘what is the cost of laying a patio’? In this quick guide, we’re going to delve into some cost examples, and give you a good idea of costs to expect when laying a new patio throughout the country.

Labour Costs

Labour costs are calculated by the amount of time and personnel needed to complete a project. For example, a job that requires 2 landscapers that will take 5 days will be priced at 10 ‘man days’. A man day is essentially the amount of work one landscaper can complete in a day. Keeping this in mind, all tradesmen use a simple method of working out how much a job will cost:

Cost of Total Tradesmen Man Days + Cost of Total Labourer Man Days + Cost of Materials = Price of Job

This gives us an inside look on how patio laying jobs are priced, and a good way of working out if a landscaper is charging too much. Let’s look at an example.

Patio Cost Example

2 Tradesman Man Days = £320

2 Labourer Man Days = £200

Materials = £200

Total = £720

These costs will of course vary depending on the company and where you are in the country, but this is a basic formula that you can use to determine the cost of laying a patio. Prices will also vary depending on skill, experience and demand, and the closer to London you get, the higher the price will be due to the expenses associated with living there. 

Without a doubt, there will be cowboys in the building and landscaping industry that charge extortionate prices for shoddy work. But for each one of these, there are many honest, hard working tradesmen doing their best to earn a living. 

From our experience, we recommend researching the best tradesmen in your area to ensure that you have peace of mind when someone is laying your patio. Freelance landscapers may charge less, and larger firms will charge more, but this is down to you to choose how to balance your needs and your budget. 

 

Cost of Materials

One misconception when it comes to the cost of laying patios is that the materials will be the most expensive part. This is not the case, as materials typically cost 20% of the total cost, as stated by Marshalls, one of the biggest garden material suppliers in this country. 

This means that spending a little extra on higher quality paving will not drastically increase the price of the process, especially when considering aftercare costs associated with buying lower quality stone. However, this is not an option for many of us, so cheaper paving is the best choice for many homeowners. Here at Landscaping Supplies Direct, we stock a range of both high quality stone and medium quality cheap paving that is guaranteed to last. 

 If you are aiming to save money on materials, one of the best options is Indian sandstone or chinese stone. We import these products ourselves straight from source, so you save money as they are not coming from a major retailer. 

 To find the best paving slabs to fit your needs and budget, Click Here to find our full selection of paving slabs filtered according to price.

 

Aftercare Costs

A question we get asked on a daily basis is ‘should I seal my patio?’. Unfortunately, this doesn't have a simple answer. Patios are designed to endure a bit of weathering, especially stone that is designed for European markets. However, this isn’t a complete solution as it will eventually fade and lose its colour with gradual wear. 

We advise sealing your patio, as this makes it easier to clean due to stains not being able to penetrate the sealant, and therefore will keep it looking new for far longer. This is another cost of laying a patio, and can me mediated by purchasing higher quality stone. The initial sealing process can be costly for the materials and labour, but will save you money in the long run as your patio will retain its new look for a lot longer.

Final Thoughts

The most important thing is to decide on a budget that suits you, taking into account a rough 80 / 20 split for labour and materials respectively. As with any large renovation project, we cannot stress the importance of research and getting information from those in the know. We can provide advice and information on patio costs, and can also supply you with the perfect materials to suit your budget and needs. Get in touch with us today for more information.