West Midlands · Sunken paving

Sunken and rutted block paving in Birmingham

Before you replace a block drive in Birmingham, ask whether it can be repaired: re-levelling and re-laying often cost far less than new paving.

  • Postcodes B3, B2, B4
  • £300–£1,200 inc VAT
  • Free survey for new paving
Older block paved driveway with a sunken dip and a puddle in the wheel track

Sunken and rutted block paving in Birmingham: the local picture

Across Birmingham, front gardens range from narrow terrace plots to broad modern drives, and the best block, pattern and drainage choice changes with them.

Clay ground is widespread in the West Midlands, so the sub-base depth and drainage are checked on every survey.

How much does a sunken area repair cost in Birmingham?

Guide price in Birmingham£300–£1,200Including VAT at 20%

Guide price in Birmingham: £300–£1,200 including VAT. These are West Midlands guide figures; the survey or your photos confirm the real price before you commit.

ItemGuide 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 West Midlands, 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.

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

Before we price your sunken area repair

  • What caused the dip or movement: base, laying course, edging or drains
  • Whether the edging has moved or was never set in concrete
  • Whether a drain or gully is leaking under the paving
  • Trees, roots and past trenches
  • 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.

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.

Edges set in concrete

Every edge restraint is bedded and haunched, so the paving cannot creep.

Itemised quotes

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

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.

Sunken paving in Birmingham: questions

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.

How much does a sunken area repair cost in Birmingham?

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.

Do you cover Aston, Smethwick and Washwood Heath?

Yes. We cover Birmingham and the places around it, including Aston, Smethwick and Washwood Heath, and the rest of the West Midlands.

Sunken paving near Birmingham

Nearby towns we cover for sunken paving, and sunken paving across West Midlands:

Other block paving services in Birmingham

Or see all block paving services in Birmingham.

Next step

Get a guide price in two minutes

Want a number before a visit? Try the guide price tool, then book a survey to fix it.

Hands laying charcoal paving blocks in herringbone on a sand bed
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