Sunken and rutted block paving in Portishead: the local picture
In Portishead, many front gardens have already been paved once, so new paving often starts with breaking out the old surface.
The South West is wetter than the east of England, so falls and drainage are planned before the pattern is chosen.
How much does a sunken area repair cost in Portishead?
In the South West, 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 the South West, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.
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.
- 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
- Sub-base dug out and rebuilt where it has failed
Before we price your sunken area repair
- Whether a drain or gully is leaking under the paving
- Condition and thickness of your existing blocks
- Whether the edging has moved or was never set in concrete
- Replacement blocks or hidden blocks to swap in
- How much of the area needs lifting to blend the repair
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.
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.
Edges set in concrete
Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.
Repair before replace
If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.
Sunken paving in Portishead: questions
Do you cover Nailsea, Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare?
Yes. We cover Portishead and the places around it, including Nailsea, Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare, and the rest of Somerset.
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.
Can you repair block paving in Portishead 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.
Sunken paving near Portishead
Nearby towns we cover for sunken paving, and sunken paving across Somerset:
- Sunken paving in Nailsea
- Sunken paving in Clevedon
- Sunken paving in Weston-super-Mare
- Sunken paving in Bath
- Sunken paving in Burnham-on-Sea
