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–£1,200 including VAT. These are South West guide figures; the survey or your photos confirm the real price before you commit.
| Item | Guide 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
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.
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:
- Sunken paving in Weymouth
- Sunken paving in Poole
- Sunken paving in Ferndown
- Sunken paving in Bournemouth

