HOW TO HIRE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR

How to hire a block paving contractor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register covers block paving. Check the drainage rule for front gardens, the dropped kerb, the sub-base depth and where the spoil goes.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a block paving contractor in five steps

  1. Measure and photograph the driveArea, falls, drains, manhole covers and the kerb.
  2. Ask how it will drainPermeable blocks, or falls to a soakaway or bed — the planning rule depends on it in England.
  3. Get the build-up in writingDig depth, sub-base depth, laying course, block type and edging.
  4. Check the kerbA new crossing needs the council's dropped-kerb approval.
  5. Ask where the spoil goesTonnes leave a drive dig. A registered waste carrier, or a skip from one.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Anyone may trade as one of the block paving contractors in any UK nation; no statutory register exists, and TrustMark registration is voluntary. The rules sit on the job instead: how the drive drains, the crossing over the pavement and the waste dug out.

Look at two or three jobs they finished a year ago, and check any TrustMark claim on its website. trustmark.org.uk →

Front-garden drainage rule (England)

In England, Class F of the General Permitted Development (England) Order 2015 lets a block paving contractor pave more than 5 square metres between the house and the road without planning permission only if the surface is porous, or the water runs to a permeable area within your boundary.

Ask the block paving contractor how the surface drains, in writing. legislation.gov.uk →

Dropped kerb from the council

A dropped kerb, so a car can cross the pavement onto a new drive, is applied for through your council in England and Wales; driving over a full kerb is not the answer.

Ask the block paving contractor whether the council's approval is in place before they quote for the crossing. gov.uk →

Waste carrier registration

Taking the excavated soil and old surface off your property makes the block paving contractor a waste carrier, and every nation requires carriers to register — the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or the NIEA, depending on where you live.

Get the registration number in writing and look it up by number, name or postcode. environment.data.gov.uk →

VAT

A new block-paved drive or path is standard-rated, with VAT at 20%. A paving contractor whose turnover passes £90,000 a year must register, charge it and set it out as its own line on the written quote.

Ask for the paving contractor's VAT number and confirm the 20% is listed apart from the price per square metre. gov.uk →

“How deep is the sub-base under the block paving, and what is it?”

A good answer: A depth in millimetres of compacted crushed stone suited to cars, not "plenty".

“How will the block paving drain?”

A good answer: Permeable blocks with an open sub-base, or falls to a channel and soakaway or a bed — not onto the road.

“Which blocks, and what edging?”

A good answer: Block type, colour and thickness named; edge restraints concreted in.

“Is a dropped kerb needed, and who applies?”

A good answer: A clear answer; the council approves it in England and Wales.

“Where will the spoil go, and what is your waste carrier number?”

A good answer: A carrier number or a named skip firm.

“What guarantee do you give on the block paving?”

A good answer: A written workmanship guarantee against sinking and movement, with a period.

“How long will the drive be out of use?”

A good answer: Days for the dig, the base and laying, plus time before cars drive on it.

Getting the quote right

  • Area in square metres and the block named
  • Dig depth, sub-base depth and material, and laying course
  • Drainage: permeable design or channel and soakaway
  • Edging, kerbs and any manhole cover adjustments
  • Spoil removal and the carrier number
  • The guarantee, in writing, with its length
  • Who actually attends to dig out and lay the blocks, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown separately from the block and labour prices

Walk away if

  • A door-knock price for a new drive "today"
  • No sub-base depth on the quote
  • Water directed onto the road
  • A large cash deposit before materials arrive
  • No waste carrier number for tonnes of spoil
LOW
£50
TYPICAL
£100
HIGH
£134

What a block paving contractor costs: £50–£134 per m²

Block paving is priced per square metre laid; the depth of the dig, the sub-base, the block chosen and drainage work make most of the difference. Block Paving price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Block paving contractors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Mark out and digLevels set, old surface and soil dug out to depth, spoil loaded for a registered carrier.
  2. Sub-baseCrushed stone laid and compacted in layers to falls.
  3. EdgingEdge restraints set in concrete.
  4. LaySharp sand screeded, blocks laid to pattern and cut neatly.
  5. Joint and compactKiln-dried sand brushed in and the surface vibrated, then swept.

Sub-base
Compacted crushed stone that carries the paving.
Laying course
The screeded sand bed the blocks sit on.
Edge restraint
Kerbs or edging set in concrete that stop blocks spreading.
Permeable paving
Blocks with gaps and an open base that let water soak through.
Soakaway
A buried pit that lets water drain into the ground.
Dropped kerb
A lowered kerb that lets cars cross the pavement.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the quote, invoice and guaranteeThe build-up you were promised is what a sinking claim relies on.
Hose it downWater should drain away through or off the surface, not pond.
Check the edges and cutsStraight edges, tight cuts round covers, no rocking blocks.
Leave the reviewReviews of the block paving contractor on Locufy come only from booked jobs. If something was left wrong, the make-it-right step comes first.

STEP 1Tell the block paving contractor, in writingSay what is wrong with the paving and what you want done. A trader owes you reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; if that was missing, ask for the work to be redone at their cost or for money off.
STEP 2The make-it-right stepA review under four stars for the block paving contractor goes to them first if you say so, and we chase the reply. Then you review.
STEP 3Planning or building control problemsWork that needed planning permission and did not get it can bring an enforcement notice from the council ordering it undone, and the notice falls on the owner. If the block paving contractor cut that corner, tell the council early. The consumer helplines pass complaints to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) for England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060), Consumerline (0300 123 6262) for Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeA claim against the block paving contractor can go to court without a solicitor: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a block paving contractor: questions people ask

In England, not if the surface is permeable or drains to a permeable area within your boundary, or if the front-garden area is 5 square metres or less. Otherwise, yes.

No permit, licence or register applies to block paving contractors. TrustMark is voluntary; check any membership on its site.

£50–£134 a square metre, typically around £100. The block paving price guide explains what pushes it up or down; type your town above to compare block paving contractors near you.

If a car will cross the pavement, yes — apply through the council in England and Wales.

Usually as soon as the joints are sanded and compacted; ask the contractor.

Some in the joints over time; re-sanding and a good base keep them down.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in garden & outdoor

How to hire: Driveway PavingHow to hire: Resin DrivewayHow to hire: Tarmac & Asphalt DrivewayHow to hire: Patio LayingHow to hire: LandscapingHow to hire: Garden Wall BuildingHow to hire: Gate InstallationHow to hire: Fencing InstallerAll 701 hiring guides →

Block paving contractors near you

Block paving contractors in LondonBlock paving contractors in ManchesterBlock paving contractors in BirminghamBlock paving contractors in GlasgowBlock paving contractors in BelfastAll block paving contractors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 1 — outbuildings and hard surfaces
  2. gov.uk — permeable surfacing of front gardens: guidance
  3. gov.uk — apply for a dropped kerb (England and Wales)
  4. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  5. Environment Agency — public register of waste carriers
  6. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  8. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track (England and Wales)
  9. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money (simple procedure)
  10. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  11. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  12. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  13. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register