Patios and garden paving in Oxford

The patio as a second room

Oxford gardens work hard: family dining, entertaining, somewhere to sit at the end of the day. A well-built patio is the floor of all of it, and the difference between a patio that still looks good in ten years and one that wobbles, stains and grows weeds is almost entirely below the surface: excavation, sub-base, full mortar beds, and falls that shed water away from the house.

What it costs in Oxford

£60 to £115/m² supplied and laid. Indian sandstone sits at the value end (£60 to £80/m²), porcelain runs £80 to £115/m² with its harder installation requirements, and premium natural stones such as granite and limestone sit in between. A typical 20 to 30m² patio totals £1,400 to £3,200.

Material choices

• Porcelain: the current favourite. Non-porous, stain-proof, algae-resistant, consistent colour, and superb for the damp UK climate. Needs a full mortar bed and correct priming slurry, which is why installation costs more.
• Indian sandstone: warm, natural, characterful and the best value. Raj green and autumn brown suit brick-built gardens. Sealing keeps it looking its best.
• Limestone and granite: smarter and harder-wearing than sandstone, at a higher material cost. Granite setts also make excellent patio borders and path edging.

Design details that matter

Falls of roughly 1:60 away from the house so surface water never ponds against brickwork; a damp-proof course line kept clear by at least 150mm; steps and level changes built rather than improvised; and drainage planned where the garden is heavy clay, as much of Oxford is. On clay gardens a soakaway or channel drain is cheap insurance against a waterlogged lawn edge.

Combining with a driveway

The excavation, sub-base and waste-disposal costs overlap heavily between a drive and a patio, so quoting both together typically saves 10 to 15% against doing them separately. If both are on your list, say so in the quote form.