6 m × 3 m · 18 m²
Fits: 4-Seater Bistro Set + Steps
Small Bistro Patio
Approx. 18 m² — a table for 4 with room to walk round it.
About 6 m × 3 m · 3–4 days on site
~£3,330 all‑in in porcelain · ~£2,070 in sandstone
Porcelain & sandstone patios · 214mm dig · full mortar bed
Porcelain & sandstone patios in Stockport & East Cheshire.
Sleek porcelain level with your bifold doors, or warm Indian sandstone. David and Callum dig down 214mm, build a solid compacted stone base, and lay every slab on a full bed of mortar so nothing sinks or rocks.
Bramhall & Woodford (SK7) · 20mm R11 porcelain patio & flush ACO drain
214mm Total Dig
150mm MOT Type 1 + 40mm 4:1 mortar + 4mm SBR + 20mm slab
<0.05% Absorption
Vitrified R11 porcelain shrugs off moss, spills & frost
1:80 Laser Fall
Set by Leica rotary laser into flush ACO threshold channels
£0 Upfront Deposit
Materials paid on delivery · Labour paid on final sign-off
PATIO SIZES IN PLAIN ENGLISH
Three patio sizes, priced to the pound.
Square metres are hard to picture on paper, so here are our three most common Cheshire patio sizes with real dimensions, furniture scale, and all‑in prices including excavation, waste removal, stone sub-base, laying and pointing.
6 m × 3 m · 18 m²
Fits: 4-Seater Bistro Set + Steps
8 m × 4 m · 32 m²
Fits: 6-Seater Dining Table + Corner Sofa
Standard Family Patio
Approx. 32 m² — a 6-seater table plus a corner sofa.
About 8 m × 4 m · 5–6 days on site
~£5,920 all‑in in porcelain · ~£3,680 in sandstone
10 m × 5 m · 50 m²
Fits: Dining, Lounge & Pergola Kitchen
Large Entertaining Terrace
Approx. 50 m² — the full width of a 4-bed detached house.
About 10 m × 5 m · 7–8 days on site
~£9,250 all‑in in porcelain · ~£5,750 in sandstone
Steps, raised beds, a drain at the door or lighting are priced on top and listed line by line on your written quote. Nothing is hidden in a lump sum.
01 · WHY CHEAP PATIOS SINK
The difference is underneath, where you can’t see it.
Two patios can look the same on day one. Here is what decides whether yours is still flat after five Cheshire winters.
✗ The cheap patio
- ✗Dug 75–100mm deep, with loose rubble as the base.
- ✗Five dabs of mortar under each slab, leaving hollow gaps.
- ✗Porcelain laid without a bonding coat, so it never sticks.
- ✗Rain collects in the gaps, freezes and lifts the slabs.
✓ A Goyt Valley patio
- ✓Dug 214mm deep, with 150mm of crushed stone rolled solid.
- ✓A full bed of mortar under every inch of every slab.
- ✓Bonding slurry brushed onto the back of each slab.
- ✓A gentle slope into a drain, plus a 10-year written guarantee.
Our patio in five layers
- 20mmPorcelain or sandstone slabAnti-slip, and porcelain barely soaks up water.
- 4mmBonding slurryGlues each slab down so frost can’t prise it up.
- 40mmFull mortar bedSolid underneath, no gaps for water.
- 150mmCompacted crushed stoneThe firm base that stops sinking.
- BaseMembrane over the clayKeeps wet clay out of the stone.
BONDING SLURRY ON EVERY SLAB
Why porcelain needs a bonding coat
Porcelain is so dense it won’t stick to plain mortar. Callum brushes a bonding slurry over the whole back of every slab, not five dabs, then taps it down onto the full bed.
1:80 LASER FALL & ACO DRAIN
Laser-graded away from your house
Every course is checked against our Leica rotary laser level to a 1:80 fall into a flush ACO slot drain along your bifold or patio doors, protecting your damp-proof course.
Full BS 7533 specification details
214mm total dig · 150gsm woven geotextile over trimmed boulder clay · 150mm MOT Type 1 (0–31.5mm limestone) compacted in two 75mm lifts with a 90kg plate · 40mm 4:1 washed sharp sand & cement full wet bed · SBR polymer slurry on 100% of each slab underside · 20mm R11 rectified porcelain (<0.05% absorption) or 22mm calibrated sandstone · 5mm resin joints · 1:80 laser-set fall into flush ACO channels · finished level 150mm below the damp-proof course, or flush with a slot drain at bifolds.
02 · SURFACE & RETAINING SYSTEMS
Compare our four core garden & terrace systems — with published per-m² pricing.
David brings physical sample slabs of all four systems to your survey so you can see the exact texture and colour against your brickwork in natural daylight.
SYSTEM 01 · ZERO ALGAE & MOSS
20mm R11 Italian Vitrified Porcelain
£185 / m² all‑inKiln-fired for very low porosity (<0.05% water absorption). Available in Quartz Light Grey, Cotswold Warm Buff, Anthracite Basalt, and Belgian Bluestone (600×900mm or 900×900mm). Ideal for shaded Cheshire gardens and flush bi-fold thresholds.
Family patio 32 m²: ~£5,920
R11 Wet Grip
5mm Resin Joints
SYSTEM 02 · HERITAGE NATURAL STONE
22mm Calibrated Natural Indian Sandstone
£115 / m² all‑inEthically quarried, diamond-calibrated 22mm natural riven or sawn-and-honed sandstone in Kandla Grey, Raj Green, or Rippon Buff. Back-sealed with SBR slurry so iron and mortar salts never stain the stone face.
Family patio 32 m²: ~£3,680
4-Size Patio Pack
Granite Sett Edging
SYSTEM 03 · SLOPING GARDENS
200×100mm Green-Oak Sleeper Tiers & Steps
From £210 / lin.mTurn steep Marple, Mellor and Disley clay banks into level dining and lawn terraces, on concrete footings with a drain behind every wall. Retaining walls & steps →
250mm TimberLok
100mm French Drain
12V IP67 Step LEDs
SYSTEM 04 · ARCHITECTURAL SCREENING
Western Red Cedar & DuraPost Boundary Runs
From £130 / lin.mFinish your terrace with storm-rated steel or concrete-post fencing, horizontal cedar privacy slats and fresh Rolawn turf (from £24/m²). Fencing, gates & turf →
600mm Concreted Posts
Steel or Concrete Posts
Rolawn Turf £24/m²
03 · FIXED-SCOPE PATIO PACKAGES
Three clear turnkey packages — every tonne of digging & waste removal included.
Essential Indian Sandstone Patio (25 m²)
£2,875 all‑in
- ✓ 214mm micro-digger excavation & licensed clay disposal
- ✓ 150gsm geotextile + 150mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base
- ✓ 22mm calibrated Indian Sandstone on 40mm full wet mortar bed
- ✓ 4mm SBR polymer slurry primer & all-weather resin jointing
- ✓ 10-Year Written Sub-Base Guarantee
Most Chosen · Save £420
R11 Porcelain Terrace, ACO Drain & Oak Sleepers (30 m²)
£7,080 all‑in
- ★ Everything in Essential Patio, plus:
- + 20mm R11 Italian Vitrified Porcelain (600×900mm) with mitred step bullnoses
- + Flush ACO HexDrain threshold channel beneath patio/bi-fold doors
- + 6 linear metres of 200×100mm green-oak sleeper planter bed + French drain
- + 4× recessed 12V IP67 warm LED step & sleeper riser lights
Complete Multi-Level Sloping Garden Redesign (55 m²+)
From £17,250
- ★ Everything in Porcelain Terrace Package, plus:
- + Structural multi-tier retaining walls on poured ST2 concrete strip footings
- + Wide bullnose porcelain steps with recessed 12V warm LED lighting
- + 100mm perforated land-drain network & Rolawn Medallion lawn
- + Western Red Cedar Venetian screening or DuraPost boundary fencing
FREE SITE SURVEY
See the slabs in your own garden light, then get a fixed price.
- £0 upfront depositMaterials on delivery, labour on sign-off
- 10-year written guaranteeOn the sub-base, drainage and frost heave
- Itemised quote in 48 hoursEvery m², tonne and layer listed