Tyne and Wear · Sunken paving

Sunken and rutted block paving in Houghton-le-Spring

We repair block paving across Houghton-le-Spring (DH5, DH4). Send photos for a first view, and we will tell you whether it is a quick fix or a base problem.

  • Postcodes DH5, DH4
  • £270–£1,100 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 Houghton-le-Spring

In Houghton-le-Spring, many front gardens have already been paved once, so new paving often starts with breaking out the old surface.

Former colliery ground and clay soils occur across the North East, so the survey checks for soft spots before the sub-base depth is set.

How much does a sunken area repair cost in Houghton-le-Spring?

Guide price in Houghton-le-Spring£270–£1,100Including VAT at 20%

Guide price in Houghton-le-Spring: £270–£1,100 including VAT. These are North East guide figures; the survey or your photos confirm the real price before you commit.

ItemGuide price inc VAT
Sunken or rutted patch repaired£270–£1,100
Small repair (a few blocks or a short trench)£180–£590
Lift and re-lay on a sound base£30–£70 per m²
Lift and re-lay with sub-base rebuilt£55–£100 per m²

Guide figures for the North East, checked 9 November 2026. See all prices or use the guide price tool.

What is included?

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.

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

What we look at first in Houghton-le-Spring

  • Replacement blocks or hidden blocks to swap in
  • Whether the edging has moved or was never set in concrete
  • How much of the area needs lifting to blend the repair
  • Whether a drain or gully is leaking under the paving
  • Falls, so water does not collect again

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.

How we work

Repair before replace

If your drive can be fixed or re-laid, we will say so.

Itemised quotes

Break-out, waste, edging, drainage and covers are separate lines you can see.

Clean finish

The site is swept, the joints are filled and you are shown how to look after the paving.

Honest timescales

We tell you how long the job takes and what can delay it, such as approvals and weather.

Sunken paving in Houghton-le-Spring: questions

Do you cover Washington, Sunderland and Felling?

Yes. We cover Houghton-le-Spring and the places around it, including Washington, Sunderland and Felling, and the rest of Tyne and Wear.

How much does a sunken area repair cost in Houghton-le-Spring?

Our guide is £270–£1,100 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.

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.

Sunken paving near Houghton-le-Spring

Nearby towns we cover for sunken paving, and sunken paving across Tyne and Wear:

Other block paving services in Houghton-le-Spring

Or see all block paving services in Houghton-le-Spring.

Next step

Get a guide price in two minutes

Get a guide price in a couple of minutes with our quote tool, or book a survey in Houghton-le-Spring.

Hands laying charcoal paving blocks in herringbone on a sand bed
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