How it works
Four stages. One team. No surprises.
A good paving job is mostly the groundwork you never see. Here is how a Dorking Paving and Landscapes project actually runs — from the free site visit to the six-year guarantee — and roughly how long each part takes.
01
Usually within a few days
Free site visit & itemised quote
Nick comes out, walks the plot with you and works out what the job actually needs — the levels, the slope, the drainage, the access, and what the ground underneath is doing. Then we put a clear, itemised, no-obligation quote to it, with the build-up under the paving spelled out so you can see exactly where the money goes. You get real options to decide between, not a single take-it-or-leave-it price. Clients single this stage out: "Excellent service from initial site visit by Nick to finished project."
- Free site visit & survey
- Itemised, no-obligation quote
- The build-up spelled out
02
The stage that decides everything
Groundwork & the sub-base
Most of the work on a good paving job happens before any stone is laid. We excavate to the right depth, remove the spoil, set the levels and build a properly consolidated sub-base — then set the kerbs and edgings that hold the paving in place, and install drainage where the ground and the regulations require it. Get this right and the surface above stays true for decades; get it wrong and no amount of good stone will save it.
- Excavated to depth
- Consolidated structural sub-base
- Edgings & drainage built in
03
A few days to a couple of weeks
Laying & finishing
With the base right, we lay the paving, setts or stone to correct falls so it drains away from the house, joint it to stay put, and build any walling, steps or planting the scheme needs. Our own team carries the lot — Nick, Connor and Ben — and keeps the site tidy and considerate throughout. A patio might take a few days; a full garden transformation, as Karolina Dobrzynska found, can be done "in less than two weeks".
- Laid to falls that drain
- Walling, steps & planting to finish
- Site kept tidy throughout
04
On completion, and for six years after
Sign-off & six-year guarantee
We walk the finished job with you, deal with any snags on the spot, and clear the site properly. Then it’s covered: all our hard-landscaping workmanship carries a six-year guarantee, so if something we built isn’t right because of how we installed it, you have it in writing that we’ll come back and put it right. It’s the reassurance a five-star review can’t give you on its own.
- Snags dealt with on the day
- Six-year workmanship guarantee
- In writing, not just goodwill
Why the base matters most
Paving is laid once and lives for decades. The difference between a patio that stays level and one that lifts is all in the base underneath — which is exactly why we're happy to guarantee ours for six years.
Read the guaranteeReady to start at stage one?
The first site visit is free and comes with no obligation. Tell us about the job and we'll take it from there.