Block paving

Block paving driveways

We lay block paving driveways, forecourts and paths in brindle, charcoal, grey and natural tones, with borders and curves cut to the shape of your plot. Each one sits on a compacted sub-base with edging set in concrete, so the blocks stay tight and level.

Herringbone for strength under cars
Borders, curves and inlays
Permeable blocks available
Repairs and relays too

Get a free quote 03300 433699

Free site visitMeasured and quoted in writing
Fully insuredPublic liability cover on every job
Itemised quotesEvery stage priced separately
Bournemouth basedWorking across the south

Recent block paving

Block paving we have laid

Brindle with a charcoal border is the most popular mix. Plain grey suits newer houses and render.

A pale grey block paved driveway in front of a stone farmhouse — Block paving

Grey block paved driveway running along a brick wall — Block paving

Grey block paved parking space and edged artificial grass lawn in front of a brick semi-detached house — Block paving

Red block paved terrace with potted topiary and steps up to a balcony — Block paving

Grey block paved driveway with a curved charcoal edge in front of a brick and render house with columns — Block paving

Before: a worn front drive relaid as grey block paving with a curved charcoal edge

After: a worn front drive relaid as grey block paving with a curved charcoal edge

BeforeAfter

Before and after

From a worn old drive to new grey paving

The old surface on this bay-fronted house had broken up and sunk. We took it out, dug down to firm ground, built a new sub-base and laid grey blocks with a curved charcoal edge that follows the front path round to the door.

Drag the slider to see the difference.

How it is built

What goes under a block paved driveway

Block paving is a flexible surface. The blocks carry the weight together, held in by the edging and by the sand in the joints, and the sub-base spreads the load into the ground. If any one of those is skimped, the drive moves.

We follow the BS 7533 guidance for how the layers go together:

Dig out to firm ground, deeper where the soil is soft or clay, with a membrane laid where needed.
Sub-base laid in layers and compacted with a plate or roller after each one.
Edge restraint: kerbs or edging blocks set in concrete on every open edge. Without it, the paving spreads and the joints open.
Bedding layer of sharp sand screeded level, with falls built in so water runs away from the house.
Blocks laid in your pattern, cut to fit, then compacted and the joints filled with kiln-dried sand.

Permeable block paving

If water cannot run off into a lawn or border, we can lay permeable blocks. They have wider joints filled with grit and a sub-base that holds and releases rainwater into the ground, which keeps a large front drive within the planning rules. Read more in our planning permission guide.

Prefer a smooth finish with no joints? See resin bound driveways. Want block paving round a patio or path? We do those as part of our garden landscaping.

Design

Patterns, colours and borders

The same blocks can look plain or grand depending on how they're laid. These are the choices we talk through at the visit.

Strongest under cars

Herringbone and other patterns

Herringbone is our default for driveways: the blocks lock together in two directions, so turning tyres can't push them apart. Basketweave and stretcher bond look good on paths and patios but move more under cars, so we keep them off the parking area.

45° or 90° herringbone
Basketweave for paths
Stretcher bond for edges
Pattern changes at a border

Herringbone block paving in red and brown tones with a curved charcoal border

Wide brindle block paved driveway with a curved sandstone and charcoal border beside a flower bed

Brindle block paving with a sandstone and charcoal border running past a raised pond bed

Brindle, charcoal, grey

Colours and borders

Brindle mixes reds and browns and suits brick houses. Charcoal and grey suit render and newer builds, and tumbled tegula-style blocks give an aged look for cottages. A border in a contrasting colour frames the drive and hides the cut blocks along the edges.

Brindle, charcoal, grey, natural
Tumbled tegula-style blocks
Contrasting border
Matched to the house

Grey mixed-tone block paving driveway in front of a red-brick Victorian house

Shaped to the plot

Curves and inlays

Drives rarely need to be rectangles. We cut borders round flower beds, ponds and lawns, and set circles or bands of sandstone and charcoal into the paving. Every curve is cut block by block on site.

Curves round beds and lawns
Sandstone and charcoal circles
Bands across the entrance
Cut on site to fit

Brindle block paving with a sandstone border curving past a pond in front of a bungalow with a conservatory

Detail of a sandstone and charcoal block circular inlay

Long curving brindle block paved driveway with charcoal edging leading up to a bungalow across a lawn and low wall

Commercial forecourts

Forecourts and courtyards for businesses

We also lay block paving for guest houses, shops and small businesses, where the forecourt has to look smart and take daily traffic. See our commercial work.

Charcoal block paved forecourt in front of a white guest house with hanging baskets

On site

Relaying blocks

Lifting sunken blocks, putting the bedding right and laying them back. The van is ours.

Relaying block paving, with the Lenotre van on site

Block paving on different ground

The pattern does not change with the town. The base does. Sand around Bournemouth and Poole needs a solid haunch on the edging. Chalk around Salisbury, Winchester and Basingstoke is firm once you reach it, and slow to dig where there is flint. Clay along the coast needs deeper excavation and a way for water to leave the drive.

Herringbone is still the pattern we lay under cars, in every one of those towns.

Where we lay block paving

Dorset

Hampshire

South Wiltshire

Salisbury

West Sussex

FAQs

Block paving questions

How much does a block paving driveway cost?

National 2026 guides put block paving at about £50 to £120 per m² installed, which works out at roughly £5,000 to £6,500 for a typical 60 m² driveway. The block you choose, the laying pattern, borders and how much digging the ground needs make most of the difference. See our driveway cost guide.

Do I need planning permission for block paving?

Standard block paving is not permeable, so on a front garden over 5 m² it needs either planning permission or a way for water to run off into a lawn or border on your own land. Permeable blocks, which have wider joints filled with grit, avoid that. We will tell you which applies at the visit.

Which laying pattern is strongest for a driveway?

Herringbone at 45 or 90 degrees locks the blocks together best under turning car tyres, so it is the usual choice for driveways. Stretcher bond and basketweave look good on paths and patios with lighter loads.

Can you repair or relay old block paving?

Yes. Sunken areas, loose blocks and joints full of weeds can usually be fixed by lifting the blocks, putting the bedding right and relaying the same blocks. It costs far less than a new drive. If the sub-base underneath has failed, we will tell you honestly that a relay will not last.

How do I stop weeds in block paving?

Weeds grow in the sand joints, mostly from seeds that blow in rather than from below. Brushing kiln-dried sand back into the joints once a year and a light jet wash keep them down. A joint sealer can be applied after laying if you want less upkeep.

Get a block paving quote

We will measure up, bring block samples and send a written quote with the dig out, base, edging and paving priced separately.

Get a free quote 03300 433699