How much does a sunken area repair cost in East Sussex?
Most sunken area repair quotes in the South East fall within £320–£1,300 including VAT, with any extras listed separately on your quote.
| Item | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Sunken or rutted patch repaired | £320–£1,300 |
| Small repair (a few blocks or a short trench) | £215–£700 |
| Lift and re-lay on a sound base | £40–£85 per m² |
| Lift and re-lay with sub-base rebuilt | £65–£120 per m² |
Guide figures for the South East, checked 9 November 2026.
Towns we cover in East Sussex
Choose a town for local prices and details for sunken paving:
What does a sunken area repair involve?
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.
Chalk, clay and sandy ground all occur across the South East, so the dig and sub-base depth are set on the survey rather than assumed.
- Blocks lifted, cleaned and stacked for re-use
- Investigation of the cause (drain, sub-base, laying course, edging)
- New laying course screeded to the correct level and falls
- Sub-base dug out and rebuilt where it has failed
- Same blocks relaid, re-jointed and compacted
How we find the cause
- Whether a drain or gully is leaking under the paving
- Replacement blocks or hidden blocks to swap in
- Trees, roots and past trenches
- What caused the dip or movement: base, laying course, edging or drains
- How much of the area needs lifting to blend the repair
How it works
Quick details
Your postcode and the job. It takes a minute.
On-site check
Measurements, levels against the damp-proof course, ground and drainage.
Itemised quote
Fixed once the specification is agreed, with no vague extras.
Laid and finished
Compacted, jointed and handed back clean.
Sunken paving in East Sussex: questions
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.
Do you cover Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings?
Yes. We cover all of East Sussex, including Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings.
Can you repair block paving in East Sussex 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.

