Planning a sunken area repair in Ely
Ely is a smaller town, and many of its homes have more frontage to work with than city houses, which leaves room for borders and planting.
Flat ground across much of the East means falls have to be built in carefully so water does not sit on the drive.
How much does a sunken area repair cost in Ely?
In the East of England, a sunken area repair usually costs £320–£1,250 including VAT. Your exact price depends on what the survey or your photos show, and is fixed in writing before anything is booked.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Sunken or rutted patch repaired | £320–£1,250 |
| Small repair (a few blocks or a short trench) | £210–£680 |
| Lift and re-lay on a sound base | £35–£85 per m² |
| Lift and re-lay with sub-base rebuilt | £65–£115 per m² |
Guide figures for the East of England, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What you get with our sunken paving service
Common causes are a sub-base that was too thin or not compacted, a laying course that was too thick, water washing sand out through a broken drain, or a trench that was never properly filled. Re-levelling means lifting the blocks in and around the dip, finding and fixing the cause, rebuilding and compacting the layers, and relaying the same blocks so they match.
- Investigation of the cause (drain, sub-base, laying course, edging)
- Sub-base dug out and rebuilt where it has failed
- New laying course screeded to the correct level and falls
- Same blocks relaid, re-jointed and compacted
- Blocks lifted, cleaned and stacked for re-use
What we look at first in Ely
- Trees, roots and past trenches
- What caused the dip or movement: base, laying course, edging or drains
- Whether the edging has moved or was never set in concrete
- Condition and thickness of your existing blocks
- How much of the area needs lifting to blend the repair
From enquiry to finished paving
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.
What you can expect from us
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Clean finish
The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Sunken paving in Ely: questions
Do you cover Newmarket, March and Cambridge?
Yes. We cover Ely and the places around it, including Newmarket, March and Cambridge, and the rest of Cambridgeshire.
How much does a sunken area repair cost in Ely?
Our guide is £320–£1,250 including VAT. Small repairs are often priced from photos.
Why does block paving sink?
Most dips come from a thin or poorly compacted sub-base, too much sand under the blocks, failed edging, or water washing material out from a broken drain.
Can you send someone just to look?
For larger or unclear problems we visit; for small repairs, clear photos with a tape measure in shot are often enough to price it.
Sunken paving near Ely
Nearby towns we cover for sunken paving, and sunken paving across Cambridgeshire:
- Sunken paving in Newmarket
- Sunken paving in March
- Sunken paving in Cambridge
- Sunken paving in Wisbech
- Sunken paving in Huntingdon
- Sunken paving in Peterborough
Other block paving services in Ely
Or see all block paving services in Ely.

