Planning a sunken area repair in Durham
Durham is a sizeable town with a mix of semis, terraces and newer estates, and many drives here were first laid decades ago.
Wind-driven rain on the North East coast makes falls and a well-filled joint more important.
How much does a sunken area repair cost in Durham?
In the North East, a sunken area repair usually costs £270–£1,100 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 | £270–£1,100 |
| Small repair (a few blocks or a short trench) | £180–£590 |
| Lift and re-lay on a sound base | £30–£70 per m² |
| Lift and re-lay with sub-base rebuilt | £55–£100 per m² |
Guide figures for the North East, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
What is included?
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.
- Sub-base dug out and rebuilt where it has failed
- Same blocks relaid, re-jointed and compacted
- New laying course screeded to the correct level and falls
- Investigation of the cause (drain, sub-base, laying course, edging)
- Blocks lifted, cleaned and stacked for re-use
What we look at first in Durham
- Falls, so water does not collect again
- What caused the dip or movement: base, laying course, edging or drains
- How much of the area needs lifting to blend the repair
- Trees, roots and past trenches
- Condition and thickness of your existing blocks
What happens next
Tell us about the job
Use the form, the quote tool, WhatsApp or a call.
We take a look
A survey visit, or photos for smaller repair and cleaning jobs.
Price in writing
Every line itemised, including the dig, edging and drainage.
Booked and built
Agreed start date, then the work, the final clean-down and the joint top-up.
What you can expect from us
The dig and sub-base in writing
Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.
Honest timescales
We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.
Itemised quotes
Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Sunken paving in Durham: questions
Can you repair block paving in Durham 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.
Do you cover Chester-le-Street, Stanley and Bishop Auckland?
Yes. We cover Durham and the places around it, including Chester-le-Street, Stanley and Bishop Auckland, and the rest of County Durham.
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.
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.
Sunken paving near Durham
Nearby towns we cover for sunken paving, and sunken paving across County Durham:
- Sunken paving in Chester-le-Street
- Sunken paving in Stanley
- Sunken paving in Bishop Auckland
- Sunken paving in Peterlee
- Sunken paving in Seaham
- Sunken paving in Newton Aycliffe
