Block Paving In Middleton
Want a block paved driveway that is still dead straight in twenty years?
Herringbone, basketweave and stretcher bond driveways in clay and concrete block across Middleton and north Manchester
Block paving is the drive we lay most, and it is the one where the difference between a good job and a bad one is easiest to see. Walk down any street in Alkrington or Langley and you can spot the drives where the edging was set loose, the joints were never sanded, or the base was 80mm of whatever was in the skip. The blocks have spread, the lines wander, and there is a dip where the car sits. Ours do not do that, because the blocks are the last thing we think about.
No obligation
Free Block Paving Quote
Scott usually rings back the same working day.
Why block paving
Why block paving suits Middleton houses
01
Looks right on a brick house
Brindle, charcoal, red multi or buff - block comes in colours that sit naturally next to the Accrington and Ruabon brick most of Middleton is built from.
02
Lifts and relays
If a water main or a cable ever needs digging up, individual blocks come out and go back without a scar. Try that with tarmac or concrete.
03
Drains through the joints
Standard block on a sand bed lets a good amount of water through the joints, and permeable block lets all of it through - either keeps you clear of a planning application.
04
Strong enough for a van
80mm blocks on a proper base will take a works van or a motorhome without rutting. We spec the block thickness to what you park.
05
Patterns that add value
A 45-degree herringbone with a contrasting soldier course is the pattern that holds its shape best under turning wheels and looks the most finished.
06
Clay for the long haul
Clay pavers cost more but keep their colour for life, where concrete block fades a little over the years. On a Victorian or Edwardian house it is worth the difference.
20+
Years Laying Drives
Middleton and North Manchester
7
Surface Types
Resin to porcelain, one crew
Free
Site Visits & Quotes
Written, itemised, fixed
10 yr
Guarantee
In writing, terms and conditions apply
How we work
Seven steps to a block in Middleton that stays flat
Most of what goes wrong with a drive goes wrong in steps three to five, which is why they are the ones we spend the longest on.
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Site visit
Scott measures, checks the fall of the plot, looks at what is under the existing surface and where the water goes now. Samples of the block colours come with him.
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Written quote
Block type and thickness, pattern, edging, sub-base depth, drainage and price, all on paper. The quote is fixed.
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Dig out and sub-base
The old drive is broken out and taken away. We dig to 200 to 250mm on Middleton clay, lay a membrane where it is soft, and compact MOT Type 1 in two layers with a plate compactor.
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Edge restraints
Kerbs and edging blocks bedded on concrete and haunched behind before any paving is laid. This is the step that decides whether the drive spreads.
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Drainage and falls
Linear channels at the garage and the gate, gullies where the plot needs them, and the base screeded to the falls the surface will follow.
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Screeding and laying
Sharp sand screeded to 40mm, blocks laid from the bottom of the fall up, cuts made with a block splitter or a saw so they sit tight to the edge. No slivers under 50mm.
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Compaction, sanding and handover
The whole drive is compacted with a rubber-matted plate, kiln-dried sand brushed into every joint, compacted again and topped up. Then the walk-round and the written guarantee.
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Want to see the steps on a real job? The projects page has every one of them photographed on the day we finished.
The guarantee
Every drive we lay in Middleton is put in writing
A driveway is a structure. The part you see - the block, the resin, the tarmac - is 50 to 60mm of the 250mm we build, and it is the 200mm underneath that decides whether it is still flat in ten years. So our guarantee is written around the bit that matters: the excavation depth, the compacted MOT Type 1 base, the edge restraints haunched in concrete and the falls that move water off the surface. If any of that lets you down inside the ten years, we come back and put it right at our cost. Terms and conditions apply, and you get them on paper before we start, not after.
- Sub-base depth and compaction stated on the quote, not left to chance
- Edging set in concrete so the surface cannot spread or rock
- Settlement, sinking or lifting caused by our work put right free
- Materials backed by the manufacturer on top of our own cover
20+
Years in the trade
The same name, the same phone number, the same man on site
10 yr
10-year guarantee on every job
Terms and conditions apply. Handed over in writing at the final walk-round, kept on file at our end too
Before you choose anyone
What to look for in a block paving installer
Ask them to put the sub-base depth on the quote. It is the single biggest predictor of how a block paved drive will look in ten years. The British Standard minimum for a domestic drive is 150mm of compacted Type 1, and on clay ground like ours you want more. A quote that says 'hardcore base' without a figure is a quote that lets the installer put down 75mm and pocket the difference - and nobody can see it once the blocks are on.
Look at how they do edges. Every edge of a block paved drive - along the house, the boundary, the path, the road - needs a restraint that is bedded on concrete and haunched with concrete behind it, done before the paving goes down. Edging blocks laid on sand at the end of the job are the reason so many drives in Middleton have a wavy edge and a gap opening up along the wall. Go and look at a drive they did three years ago; the edges will tell you everything.
Check the joints and the cuts. Joints should be full of kiln-dried sand, brushed in and compacted, not left half-empty. Cut blocks along edges should be decent-sized pieces cut with a saw, not thin slivers that will crack under a tyre. And look for the pattern: a herringbone laid at 45 degrees to the direction of travel is the strongest bond and the mark of someone who has done it properly.
Compared
Block paving against the alternatives
Where block sits against the other surfaces we lay, from twenty years of doing all of them across north Manchester.
| Block Paving | Resin Bound | Tarmac | Printed Concrete | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expected lifespan | 25 years plus, clay for life | 15 to 25 years | 15 to 20 years | 20 years plus |
| Drainage | Through the joints, fully with permeable block | Porous, drains through | Falls to a channel | Falls to a channel |
| Weeds and moss | Some in joints, sand and a brush keeps them down | None | Rare | None |
| Repairs | Lift and relay single blocks | Patch shows | Patch shows | Difficult, patch shows |
| Cost per m² installed | £60 to £90 | £70 to £100 | £45 to £65 | £65 to £90 |
| Planning permission | Not needed with drainage or permeable block | Not needed | Not needed with drainage | Not needed with drainage |
Design and finish
Patterns, borders and block choices
The pattern is structural as well as visual. Herringbone locks together under turning wheels and is what we recommend for anywhere a car moves; basketweave and stretcher bond are for paths and patios. A soldier course border in a darker block frames the drive, hides the edge restraint and makes the cutting cleaner. Clay pavers suit the older houses around Rhodes and Alkrington; concrete block in brindle or charcoal suits the interwar and postwar semis.
- Concrete block in 50, 60 and 80mm, clay pavers in 50 and 65mm
- Herringbone at 45 or 90 degrees, basketweave, stretcher bond
- Single or double soldier course borders in a contrast colour
- Permeable block for plots with nowhere for water to go
“Nearly every block paved drive we are asked to relay in Middleton has the same two faults: edging laid loose on sand and a base under 100mm.”
Based on enquiries and jobs handled by S P Groundworks & Driveways.
Cost
What block paving costs in Middleton
Concrete block starts from around £60 per square metre including excavation, the sub-base, edging and laying, and clay pavers from around £75. A standard two-car front of 45m² usually comes to between £3,000 and £4,500 in concrete block. What moves it:
- +Clay pavers rather than concrete block
- +80mm block for vans and heavy vehicles
- +A lot of cutting - curves, circles, awkward angles
- +Contrast borders and inset patterns
- +Drainage channels, gullies and a soakaway
- +Retaining walls or steps where the plot slopes
Starting from
£60/m²
Including excavation, sub-base, edging and the finished surface. Fixed on a free site visit.
Get A Fixed QuoteFAQ
Block Paving questions
How long does block paving last?
A properly built block paved drive - full-depth base, concrete-haunched edges, sanded joints - will do 25 years without trouble, and clay pavers will outlast the house. The ones that fail early fail from the base and the edges, never from the blocks themselves.
Will weeds grow between the blocks?
A few will try, mostly in the first year or two before the sand settles. A brush and an occasional treatment keeps them off, and re-sanding the joints every few years is a morning's work. If you want none at all, we can point the joints with a resin jointing compound instead of sand at a small extra cost.
Can I drive on it straight away?
Once the joints are sanded and the drive is compacted, you can walk on it immediately and park on it the same day. There is no curing time with block, which is one of its advantages over resin, concrete and imprint.
Clay or concrete block - which should I choose?
Concrete block is cheaper, comes in more colours and is fine for most Middleton semis. Clay costs about a quarter more but holds its colour for life and looks right on Victorian and Edwardian houses. Both are laid the same way on the same base.
Do I need planning permission for block paving in Middleton?
Not in the normal run of things. Rochdale Borough Council follows the national rule, and block paving qualifies if the water drains through the joints or a permeable block into the base, or runs to a channel that feeds a soakaway on your land. Listed houses and conservation areas are the exception.
Can you lay block paving around Rochdale, Oldham and Bury too?
Yes. Block paving is the most common job we do across all three boroughs and the north of the city. Every area has its own page on this site, and the per-metre price does not change with the postcode.
Our work
Block Paving and other recent work
Filter the full set by surface on the projects page.
Reviews
What customers around Middleton say
“Scott and his lads did my driveway this week and did a brilliant job. They turned up when they said they would and finished the job on time. No messing and no BS. The lads liked their tea and were friendly. Great job, great price and great team.”
Michael I.
New driveway · Google review
“Scott gave us good honest advice from the first visit. The completed job was exactly what we wanted with a high quality finish and lots of comments from friends and family. Definitely went above and beyond, and for a very reasonable price.”
Sarah
Middleton · Block paved driveway
“Brilliant work done by the team. Completed the work in a timely manner, very neat and professional. Would highly recommend.”
Sajida R.
Manchester · New driveway · Google review
“Scott has amazing team and so quick really excellent work.”
Jacqueline O.
Google review
“Scott and his team arrived early, worked through and finished the whole drive by Sunday. Excellent workmanship at a competitive price - we could not be happier.”
Lesley
Heywood · Resin driveway
“Ian at SP created a driveway for us that surpassed our expectations. A fantastic, clean, exact job. He is a credit to the company.”
Laurie
Chadderton · Tarmac and block driveway
Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 4 reviews on Google. Read more on our reviews page or the Facebook page.
Other surfaces
Not sure block paving is the one?
Where we lay it
Block Paving across north Manchester
Block paving done from the base up
Free site visit, samples on the day, and a written quote that puts the sub-base depth in black and white.