Planning a sunken area repair in Dalkeith
Around Dalkeith, plots are often larger and drives longer, so edging, falls and the route the water takes need planning.
In Scotland, front paving must be porous or drain within the property whatever its size, so drainage is part of every design.
In Scotland block paving is often called monoblock; it is the same thing, and the same rules for the base, edging and drainage apply.
How much does a sunken area repair cost in Dalkeith?
In Scotland, a sunken area repair usually costs £300–£1,200 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 | £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 Scotland, 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
- Investigation of the cause (drain, sub-base, laying course, edging)
- Blocks lifted, cleaned and stacked for re-use
- Same blocks relaid, re-jointed and compacted
- New laying course screeded to the correct level and falls
What we look at first in Dalkeith
- Whether a drain or gully is leaking under the paving
- Falls, so water does not collect again
- Trees, roots and past trenches
- How much of the area needs lifting to blend the repair
- Condition and thickness of your existing blocks
What happens next
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.
What you can expect from us
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.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Sunken paving in Dalkeith: questions
Can you repair block paving in Dalkeith 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.
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 Bonnyrigg, Musselburgh and Tranent?
Yes. We cover Dalkeith and the places around it, including Bonnyrigg, Musselburgh and Tranent, and the rest of Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Sunken paving near Dalkeith
Nearby towns we cover for sunken paving, and sunken paving across Edinburgh and the Lothians:
- Sunken paving in Bonnyrigg
- Sunken paving in Musselburgh
- Sunken paving in Tranent
- Sunken paving in Prestonpans
- Sunken paving in Penicuik
- Sunken paving in Haddington

