Why is my patio sinking or going uneven?

Sinking or uneven slabs are almost always caused by a failed sub-base beneath the surface. If the ground was not excavated and compacted properly, or if water has washed away the bedding layer over time, the slabs lose support and drop. Clay-heavy soils make this worse, as they shrink and swell with moisture changes.

Why is water pooling on my patio after rain?

Pooling water means the patio either has no fall built in, or the fall runs the wrong way. A correctly laid patio slopes away from the house at roughly 1:80 gradient so water drains off the surface. Settled slabs, blocked joints, or a flat site with no outlet channel all cause standing water to collect.

Will a new patio be laid with proper drainage?

Yes. A new patio should include a calculated fall away from the house and, where the site is flat or low-lying, a channel drain or soakaway to carry water away. The drainage plan is agreed before laying starts, not added as an afterthought. See Patio Drainage & Levelling for more detail.

Does the work include ground preparation as well as the slabs?

Yes. Ground preparation is the foundation of the job. That means excavating to the right depth, laying and compacting a sub-base of MOT Type 1 or similar, then bedding the slabs on a mortar or sand mix. Skipping any of those stages is what causes slabs to sink or shift within a few years.

Do I need a full new patio or can part of it be repaired?

A partial repair works when only a few slabs have lifted and the sub-base underneath is still sound. If the base has failed across a wider area, or if the drainage gradient is wrong throughout, a full relay is the more cost-effective fix because patching over a failed base just delays the same problem recurring.

Can you tell if my patio needs repair or full replacement?

Yes, a site assessment makes this clear. Lifting a couple of slabs reveals whether the bedding layer and sub-base are intact. If the base is solid and only isolated slabs have cracked or lifted, repair is viable. Widespread soft spots, poor drainage across the whole area, or a crumbling base point to full replacement.

Will my patio suit the size of my garden and the house?

A well-planned patio is sized to the space and use, not just laid to fill an area. The layout should account for furniture, circulation routes, and how the patio connects to the house and garden. Getting the proportions right at the design stage avoids a finished result that feels either cramped or out of scale.

How much disruption and mess will patio work create?

Expect excavated soil, rubble, and aggregate to be on site during the job. Access to the garden will be restricted while work is under way. A good crew removes spoil progressively and leaves the site tidy at the end of each day. The finished area is usually accessible for light use within 24-48 hours of the final mortar setting.

Surveyed First, Written Quote

Patios in Peterborough

A level, well-drained patio with an itemised quote before any work starts, ground conditions included.

What We Arrange

The full scope of patio work, from bare turf to finished surface

New installations, repairs, drainage fixes and material upgrades, each quoted with excavation, sub-base, bedding, paving and drainage as separate lines.

New or replacement patio laid on a compacted Type 1 sub-base with correct drainage falls.

Porcelain slabs laid on a compacted sub-base and screed bed with anti-slip finish grading.

Calibrated Indian sandstone slabs laid on a full mortar bed with primer slurry and pointed joints.

Limestone flags laid on a compacted sub-base and full mortar bed with jointing compound and drainage fall.

Block paving laid in herringbone or basketweave on a compacted sub-base with jointing sand and edging.

Worn or undersized patios extended or resurfaced after a base and drainage check confirms the right fix.

Steps and raised terraces built on a compacted sub-base with mortar bed, correct riser height and drainage fall.

Garden paths laid on a compacted sub-base in paving slabs, block paving or natural stone with edging and drainage.

Standing water and sunken slabs diagnosed and corrected, lift and relay, regrade or ACO channel drain installation.

Edging blocks, kerbs and retaining walls set on a compacted hardcore base with rear drainage where needed.

LED fittings, concealed wiring and joint finishing added to an existing sound patio without structural work.

Pressure washing, mortar repointing and loose slab re-bedding carried out as a single visit.

Bare new build plots levelled, sub-based and paved with a geotextile membrane and compacted hardcore base.

On-Site Level & Falls Survey

Falls and damp-proof course clearance checked before any price is confirmed.

Itemised Quote

Excavation, sub-base, bedding, paving and drainage listed as separate lines.

Material Advice

Porcelain, sandstone, limestone or block paving matched to the ground and garden.

Drainage Specification

ACO channel drains, correct falls and soakaways specified as part of the job.

Sub-Base Assessment

Ground conditions, fen soil, made ground, checked before the dig depth is set.

Repair or Replace Guidance

The on-site survey determines whether a relay or a surface fix is the right call.

Done Right vs. Done Cheap

Where patio work goes wrong, and how the right approach avoids it

Peterborough’s fen ground and made-ground townships make sub-base depth and drainage the deciding factors between a patio that lasts and one that needs lifting again.

Shallow Sand Bed

A patio laid on a shallow sand bed in fen ground will sink and puddle within a season, the soil compresses under load.

Compacted Type 1 Sub-Base

A compacted Type 1 sub-base, sized to the ground conditions, distributes load and prevents settlement through wet winters.

Falls Toward the House

A surface that slopes toward the building lets water track back to the damp-proof course, risking damp ingress over time.

Graded Falls & ACO Drains

Falls are set away from the house during the survey; an ACO channel drain at the threshold intercepts any residual run-off.

Surface-Only Slab Swap

Replacing top slabs without fixing the base underneath means the same movement, pooling and joint failure returns within months.

Base-First Diagnosis

The survey inspects sub-base condition and drainage fall before any slabs are lifted, so the quote covers the cause, not just the symptom.

Quote That Grows On Site

A single lump-sum price hides groundwork costs; once the digger is on site, extras are hard to challenge or refuse.

Line-by-Line Itemised Quote

Every quote separates excavation, sub-base, bedding, paving and drainage, so each cost is visible before work begins.

Why Peterborough Patios

Why choose Peterborough Patios?

We take your enquiry and schedule a survey that accounts for Peterborough’s ground conditions, with every stage quoted in writing.

Ground Conditions Noted at Enquiry

Made ground, fen soil and drainage are recorded when you enquire, so the right installer is arranged from the start.

Site Survey Before Any Price

The installer checks falls, levels and damp-proof course clearance on site, no price is confirmed from a photo or a description.

Itemised Quote, Every Time

Excavation, sub-base, bedding, paving and drainage appear as separate lines, nothing is bundled or hidden in a single figure.

Drainage Included, Not Added Later

ACO channels, falls and outlets are specified as part of the original quote, not presented as extras once work has started.

Surveys That Account for the Area

Every survey we schedule covers Peterborough’s townships and the ground beneath them.

How It Works

Three steps from enquiry to a quoted, surveyed patio

Request a Survey

01
Tell Us About the Garden
Describe the size, what is down there now and how it currently drains, ground conditions included.
02
We Arrange a Site Survey
A site visit checks falls, levels, sub-base condition and damp-proof course clearance in person.
03
Receive an Itemised Quote
Excavation, sub-base, bedding, paving and drainage are quoted as separate lines before any work begins.

The Full Picture

Repair, material choice & drainage: the three decisions that determine how long a patio lasts

Understanding each decision before work starts is the difference between a patio that stays level and one that needs lifting again within a season.

Request a Survey

The first question is whether to repair or replace. Loose or cracked slabs in a small area can often be re-bedded and repointed in a single visit. Widespread movement, pooling water across the whole surface, or joints that keep washing out usually point to a sub-base failure, and replacing slabs on top of a failing base brings the same problem back. The on-site survey checks sub-base condition and drainage fall before any recommendation is made, so the quote covers the work that will actually hold.

Material choice depends on the ground and how the space will be used. Porcelain, typically 20mm on a full mortar bed with a primer slurry, needs a flat, rigid sub-base and suits gardens where a low-maintenance, stain-resistant surface matters. Calibrated Indian sandstone in finishes such as Raj Green suits both period and new-build Peterborough gardens and is laid on a full mortar bed with pointed joints. Limestone flags need a compacted sub-base and full mortar bedding to stay level on clay-heavy ground. Block paving in herringbone or basketweave on a compacted sub-base suits traditional and contemporary colour ranges alike. Each material is matched to the ground conditions and the garden layout during the survey.

Drainage is not an optional extra on Peterborough’s low fen ground. A patio that sheds water correctly has falls set away from the house, typically a minimum gradient across the surface, and, where the garden has no natural outlet, an ACO channel drain at the threshold or a soakaway at the low point. Building Regulations require that surface water from a new patio does not discharge onto the public highway, so drainage is specified as part of the job from the outset. Gardens in Hampton, Stanground and Yaxley, where flat plots and made ground are common, need this designed in before a single slab is ordered.

Who We Help

Patio work arranged for every type of Peterborough property

Whether the garden is a compact terraced plot or a large new-build space, the survey starts with what is under the surface.

Homeowners
Homeowners across Peterborough dealing with sunken slabs, pooling water or a garden that has never had a proper patio laid. We schedule a ground survey, advice on the right material and a quote for every stage: excavation, sub-base, paving and drainage, as separate lines before work begins.
Property Developers
Developers finishing residential plots who need patio and garden paving specified and installed to a clear scope. We schedule surveys that quote itemised costs and cover ground conditions on site, so the paving stage does not hold up handover or carry hidden groundwork surprises.
Landlords
Landlords with rental properties where an ageing or poorly drained patio is a maintenance liability. We arrange a survey to determine whether a repair, a relay or a drainage fix is the right call, and quote each option clearly so the decision is straightforward.
Commercial Properties
Commercial property owners needing external paved areas specified to handle foot traffic and surface water correctly. We schedule surveys that assess ground conditions and drainage requirements on site and quote the full scope, including sub-base and drainage, before any work is committed to.

Pricing Estimates

Typical Patios Prices

Job	Typical cost
Small patio installation	£1,400-£1,800
Mid-sized patio installation	£1,800-£2,400
Larger patio installation	£2,400-£3,600
Premium patio installation	£3,000-£4,800

See all prices

About Us

Why Ground Conditions Come First

Peterborough’s low fen soil and the made ground under its newer townships mean a patio laid on a shallow bed sinks and puddles fast. We take enquiries, note what is under the garden, and schedule a survey of the falls, with every stage quoted in writing.

About us

Our Mission

We exist to take the guesswork out of patio work for Peterborough property owners, with the ground surveyed, the falls designed, and every stage quoted in writing.

Transparency
Every quote lists excavation, sub-base, bedding, paving and drainage as separate lines.
Specificity
Ground conditions, falls and damp-proof course clearance are checked on site before any price is set.
Accountability
The same visit covers the survey, the quote and the scope of work.
Practicality
Drainage and sub-base depth are specified for the actual ground, not a generic standard.

Areas We Cover