What to know before a block paved patio in Holywood
Around Holywood, gardens are often larger, so falls, steps and where the water goes need planning.
Wet winters in Northern Ireland make falls, edge restraints and full joints especially important.
How much does a block paved patio cost in Holywood?
For Holywood, our guide is £75–£135 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² patio is likely to be £1,750–£3,050. Smaller jobs cost more per square metre because set-up and waste costs do not shrink with the area.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Block paved patio (concrete block) | £75–£135 per m² |
| Breaking out an old surface | £9.50–£40 per m² |
| Edging or kerb, bedded and haunched | £19–£50 per metre |
| Step with block or brick riser and paved tread | £170–£330 per step |
| Typical channel drain run | £330–£950 |
Guide figures for Northern Ireland, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What does a block paved patio involve?
A block paved patio is a garden seating or dining area paved with concrete or clay blocks on a compacted base. Because a patio carries people and furniture rather than cars, the sub-base is thinner than for a drive, but the falls, edging and drainage matter just as much.
- Jointing sand and compaction
- Blocks in your pattern, edges and cuts
- Optional sealer
- Layout marked out with you, including steps and doors
- Dig-out and compacted sub-base (around 100 mm for foot traffic)
What we check on a Holywood survey
- Block range, colour, pattern and border to suit the house
- Where rain will go: falls away from the house, onto lawn or borders, or into a channel
- Access for a mini-digger and how waste leaves the garden
- Steps, walls and changes of level
- Trees and roots near the paving
Do you need permission for a block paved patio in Holywood?
A patio or path behind the house does not usually need planning permission. Raised patios, listed buildings and flats can be different, so we check on the survey.
Paving in front of the house follows the front-garden rules: in Northern Ireland, front paving over 5 m² must be porous or drain within your boundary to be permitted development.
What happens next
Send the basics
Postcode, what you need and a rough size. Photos help.
Survey
We measure, check levels, ground and drainage, and talk through blocks and patterns.
Written quote
An itemised quote with the specification, the price and the start date.
The work
Our paving team builds it to the agreed specification and leaves the site swept.
How we work
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
One point of contact
You deal with one team from survey to sign-off, with work carried out by paving teams working under S&K.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Patios in Holywood: questions
Can the paving be level with the back door?
Paving normally sits at least 150 mm below the damp-proof course. A level step-out needs a drainage channel against the house and careful detailing, which we agree on the survey.
How much does a block paved patio cost in Holywood?
Our guide for Holywood is £75–£135 per m² including VAT, so a 20 m² patio is usually about £1,750–£3,050. Your fixed price follows the survey.
What happens to my old patio or lawn?
Old slabs, concrete or turf are dug out and taken away, listed as its own line on your quote.
How long does a block paved patio take?
Most patios and paths take two to five working days, depending on the size, any steps and the dig. Your quote gives the expected duration.
Patios near Holywood
Nearby towns we cover for patios, and patios across County Down:
- Patios in Dundonald
- Patios in Newtownards
- Patios in Bangor, County Down
- Patios in Comber
- Patios in Carryduff
- Patios in Donaghadee
