DOVER · EAST KENT
Build a seating area with room to relax and a clear connection to the house and garden. Our patio installation service in Dover covers layout, paving selection, groundwork, edges and drainage. Compare porcelain, sandstone and other suitable paving before requesting a free quotation.
BELOW THE SURFACE
A lasting patio needs more than a paving choice. We assess the existing ground, plan the finished levels and prepare a suitable base. Falls and drainage need to direct water away from the house and prevent avoidable pooling.
The patio can also be planned alongside paths, steps, lawn, planting or fencing so it works as part of the whole garden.
Measure the furniture you plan to use, including pulled-out chairs. Allow a comfortable route past it and check that doors and gates can open. A nominal 25m² patio can be arranged in several shapes, with very different amounts of usable seating space.
Where the garden changes level, decide whether the patio should connect directly to the house or sit elsewhere. Include steps and paths in the initial layout.
Porcelain offers a consistent finish, while natural stone brings variation in texture and colour. Concrete paving can be another practical option. Compare actual outdoor-rated samples and consider how their surface looks when wet.
There is no universally best patio material. Suitability depends on the use, installation requirements, budget and care you prefer. Discuss slip performance, joints and the appearance beside existing brickwork or decking.
Clear unsuitable material and establish the supporting construction for the site and chosen paving system. The specification should describe excavation, base preparation, bedding and jointing instead of only naming a slab.
Agree finished levels relative to the building, thresholds and drainage. Water needs a planned route; a new patio should not simply trap it at a doorway. Any drain covers or existing services need considering before the layout is fixed.
An edge can meet a lawn, planting bed or adjoining path. Decide how that junction will be maintained and whether it needs an upstand or flush finish. A small planting strip can soften a large paved area without interrupting the route across it.
Step proportions and changes in level should feel predictable. Discuss garden lighting or future features early where cables or foundations would otherwise require reopening finished paving.
Area alone does not set the total. Removing concrete, bringing materials through a passage, changing levels or adding steps can make two 25m² patios different jobs. Material price is only one part of the installed quotation.
Compare preparation, paving, joints, drainage, edges and waste removal on a like-for-like basis. A simple shape may reduce cutting and construction, but the supporting work still needs to suit the site.
A straightforward ground-level patio is a different proposal from a raised terrace or retaining structure. Check the relevant planning conditions where levels, listed status or property restrictions are involved. Agree the construction programme after the scope is known.
Allow the installed materials to become ready for use before placing furniture on the surface. Follow the actual handover for jointing and cleaning. Treat spills promptly and avoid unsuitable chemicals or aggressive washing.
Discuss decking installers in Dover, turfing and new lawns in Dover, garden walls and brickwork in Dover. Agree levels, access and the order of work together where the project includes several improvements.
Planning Portal: patios and driveways covers ground-level surfacing and exceptions that may need further checks.
Request a complete quotation for the materials, preparation, access, drainage and edges. A square-metre supply price does not cover all installation work.
A simple accessible layout can be easier to construct. Paving type alone does not remove the need for proper levels, support and drainage.
Compare outdoor-rated porcelain, stone and concrete against your use, maintenance preferences and budget.
Published averages describe different scopes. Use them cautiously and compare itemised quotations for your own garden.
We can discuss removal and replacement. Existing levels, drainage and underlying support need assessing.
Yes, include steps and adjoining levels in the initial design and quotation.
Ground-level garden surfacing is often permitted, but raised work and property restrictions can change the position. Check the linked official guidance.
Follow the handover for the installed bedding and jointing materials rather than assuming a fixed waiting time.
OUR WORK · KENT
Chislehurst
A brick boundary with pale stone coping and pier caps, finished with decorative railing panels.
View Chislehurst projectSt Margaret’s Bay
Grey composite decking, glass panels, powder-coated steel posts and matching steps.
View St Margaret’s Bay projectFolkestone
Timber-topped gabion benches, resin-bonded surfacing, shingle and a boat feature at the academy entrance.
View Folkestone projectCanterbury
The stones from a customer’s late husband’s rockery kept and reused in a new front wall.
View Canterbury projectCanterbury
Retaining walls, shingle infill and riven buff slab circles across connected garden levels.
View Canterbury projectAshford
Before, during and after a timber decking replacement, from the old deck to the finished terrace.
View Ashford projectBorough Green
1800mm closeboard fencing, softwood sleeper planters, a 450mm buff slab patio and new turf.
View Borough Green projectCanterbury
Porcelain paving, artificial grass and a custom steel-frame pergola with polycarbonate roof.
View Canterbury projectStrood
Grey porcelain paving framed by timber sleeper planters, white decorative stones and planting.
View Strood projectWest Malling
Block paving, porcelain patio, brick retaining walls and two styles of timber fencing.
View West Malling projectAshford
Sandstone paving across two levels, with timber sleeper retaining walls.
View Ashford projectDeal
A sandstone patio, ash-coloured composite decking, pitched-roof pergola and sleeper planters.
View Deal projectSevenoaks
75mm thick York stone paving, curved paths, brick walls and Kentish ragstone walls.
View Sevenoaks projectHerne Bay
Porcelain patio, raised bed, artificial grass and slatted fencing. See the garden before and after.
View Herne Bay projectSittingbourne
A broad decking terrace with defined board lines and steps connecting the house to the lawn.
View Sittingbourne projectDeal
Raised grey decking with black railings, inset steps and a matching handrail.
View Deal projectCOMPLETED PROJECT · CANTERBURY
Porcelain paving, artificial grass and a custom steel-frame pergola with polycarbonate roof.
This completed Canterbury project illustrates the work shown in the photographs. We can discuss the requirements of your own Dover property.
View this project →The format and pattern influence cuts, borders and the appearance of the finished terrace. Sketch the paving against doors and fixed features before ordering. Check where a narrow strip or awkward corner would occur and whether the proposed layout gives a sensible edge to planting or lawn.
A sample should be reviewed outdoors alongside retained materials. Discuss the surface texture, outdoor suitability, joint appearance and required care. Confirm the intended bedding and jointing system with the selected paving. A large format, natural variation or a curved border can change the installation work without changing the measured area.
Use the same agreed scope when comparing proposals. Confirm the materials and work below the visible finish, together with any retained construction. Ask how exclusions or provisional work will be handled and keep the written specification with the quotation.
Photographs, dimensions and access details help define the work. They can start the discussion, with a visit or further assessment where needed. A quoted total is useful when it is clear what the finished result includes.
Agree the programme after the scope and materials are confirmed. Include delivery arrangements, protection of retained features and any periods when the area cannot be used. At handover, confirm how the completed work should be used and cared for, and retain the relevant product details.
YOUR DOVER PROJECT
Include your postcode, approximate dimensions and access details for a free, no-obligation quotation.
