County Antrim · Sunken paving

Sunken and rutted block paving in Newtownabbey

Before you replace a block drive in Newtownabbey, ask whether it can be repaired: re-levelling and re-laying often cost far less than new paving.

  • Postcodes BT37, BT36
  • £285–£1,150 inc VAT
  • Free survey for new paving
Older block paved driveway with a sunken dip and a puddle in the wheel track

Planning a sunken area repair in Newtownabbey

In Newtownabbey, many front gardens have already been paved once, so new paving often starts with breaking out the old surface.

Wet winters in Northern Ireland make falls, edge restraints and full joints especially important.

How much does a sunken area repair cost in Newtownabbey?

Guide price in Newtownabbey£285–£1,150Including VAT at 20%

Most sunken area repair quotes in Northern Ireland fall within £285–£1,150 including VAT, with any extras listed separately on your quote.

ItemGuide price inc VAT
Sunken or rutted patch repaired£285–£1,150
Small repair (a few blocks or a short trench)£190–£620
Lift and re-lay on a sound base£35–£75 per m²
Lift and re-lay with sub-base rebuilt£55–£105 per m²

Guide figures for Northern Ireland, 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

How we find the cause

  • How much of the area needs lifting to blend the repair
  • Trees, roots and past trenches
  • Replacement blocks or hidden blocks to swap in
  • Whether a drain or gully is leaking under the paving
  • What caused the dip or movement: base, laying course, edging or drains

How it works

  1. Send the basics

    Postcode, what you need and a rough size. Photos help.

  2. Survey

    We measure, check levels, ground and drainage, and talk through blocks and patterns.

  3. Written quote

    An itemised quote with the specification, the price and the start date.

  4. The work

    Our paving team builds it to the agreed specification and leaves the site swept.

How we work

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.

Edges set in concrete

Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.

Clean finish

The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.

Sunken paving in Newtownabbey: questions

Can you repair block paving in Newtownabbey without replacing it?

Usually, yes. We lift the affected blocks, fix the bed or base, and re-lay the same blocks so the repair matches.

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.

Do you cover Belfast, Carrickfergus and Castlereagh?

Yes. We cover Newtownabbey and the places around it, including Belfast, Carrickfergus and Castlereagh, and the rest of County Antrim.

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 Newtownabbey

Nearby towns we cover for sunken paving, and sunken paving across County Antrim:

Other block paving services in Newtownabbey

Or see all block paving services in Newtownabbey.

Next step

Get a guide price in two minutes

Get a guide price in a couple of minutes with our quote tool, or book a survey in Newtownabbey.

Hands laying charcoal paving blocks in herringbone on a sand bed
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