Dorset · Sunken paving

Sunken and rutted block paving in Dorchester

From the DT postcodes to Dorset, we put tired block paving right without breaking out the whole drive.

  • Postcodes DT1, DT2
  • £300–£1,200 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 Dorchester

In and around Dorchester, village-style frontages sit alongside newer cul-de-sacs, so the right block often depends on the age of the house.

Sloping plots are common in the South West, which affects edging, steps and where the water runs.

How much does a sunken area repair cost in Dorchester?

Guide price in Dorchester£300–£1,200Including VAT at 20%

Guide price in Dorchester: £300–£1,200 including VAT. These are South West guide figures; the survey or your photos confirm the real price before you commit.

ItemGuide price inc VAT
Sunken or rutted patch repaired£300–£1,200
Small repair (a few blocks or a short trench)£200–£650
Lift and re-lay on a sound base£35–£80 per m²
Lift and re-lay with sub-base rebuilt£60–£110 per m²

Guide figures for the South West, 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.

  • Sub-base dug out and rebuilt where it has failed
  • Blocks lifted, cleaned and stacked for re-use
  • Investigation of the cause (drain, sub-base, laying course, edging)
  • Same blocks relaid, re-jointed and compacted
  • New laying course screeded to the correct level and falls

What we look at first in Dorchester

  • What caused the dip or movement: base, laying course, edging or drains
  • Falls, so water does not collect again
  • How much of the area needs lifting to blend the repair
  • Replacement blocks or hidden blocks to swap in
  • Whether the edging has moved or was never set in concrete

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.

Why choose Block Paving Contractors

The dig and sub-base in writing

Your quote states the depth of dig, the sub-base thickness and how it is compacted.

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.

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.

Sunken paving in Dorchester: questions

Do you cover Weymouth, Poole and Ferndown?

Yes. We cover Dorchester and the places around it, including Weymouth, Poole and Ferndown, and the rest of Dorset.

Can you repair block paving in Dorchester 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.

How much does a sunken area repair cost in Dorchester?

Our guide is £300–£1,200 including VAT. Small repairs are often priced from photos.

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 Dorchester

Nearby towns we cover for sunken paving, and sunken paving across Dorset:

Other block paving services in Dorchester

Or see all block paving services in Dorchester.

Next step

Get a guide price in two minutes

Want a number before a visit? Try the guide price tool, then book a survey to fix it.

Hands laying charcoal paving blocks in herringbone on a sand bed
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