What we do
Paving, driveways and landscaping, done properly.
From a single patio or driveway to a full garden transformation — Dorking Paving and Landscapes handles the groundwork, the hard landscaping and the finishing across Dorking and Surrey, with Nick and his own team on site and every piece of hard landscaping backed by a six-year guarantee.
01Service
Patios & Paving
Patios are where cutting corners shows first: lay stone on a thin bed of sand and it rocks and lifts within a few years. We build on a properly excavated and consolidated sub-base, bed and lay Indian sandstone, natural stone or porcelain to correct falls so water drains away from the house, and joint it to stay put through the winters. One client wrote that Nick 'paved a large patio area' as part of a transformation of their garden. As Interlay members, we lay to the industry's own standards.
02Service
Driveways
A driveway takes the weight of a car every day, so the base is everything. We excavate to the right depth, lay and compact a structural sub-base, set kerbs and edgings to hold the paving, and build in drainage where the ground and regulations need it. Block paving, natural setts or resin-bound surfaces, laid true and jointed to stay level. One client described the 'fantastic job' Nick, Ben and the team did on their patio and driveway — 'so pleased with the finish'.
03Service
Retaining & Feature Walling
On the sloping plots common across the Mole Valley, retaining walls do real structural work — holding back ground, creating usable levels, and framing terraces and beds. We build on proper foundations, in brick, block or natural stone, so the wall holds for good. One client's garden was transformed when 'the team cleared a wild area of my garden and built retaining walls'; another praised our 'immaculate brickwork, delivered on time'.
04Service
Garden Transformations
When a garden needs more than a patio, we take it back to the bones and rebuild around how you want to use it — clearing, levels and drainage first, then paving, walling, steps and planting. One client's whole garden was transformed in under two weeks into 'a beautiful and robust outdoor space'; another had 'a wild area of my garden' cleared, walled and paved, calling the effect 'transformative'. One project, one team, start to finish.
05Service
Steps, Paths & Edgings
The details are where quality shows. We build steps square and to consistent risers, lay paths to drain and to line through with the paving, and set edgings and setts that keep driveways and patios from spreading at the margins. It's the joinery of hard landscaping — the part that makes the whole scheme read as one considered piece of work rather than a collection of jobs.
06Service
Fencing & Garden Structures
A finished garden needs its edges and its structure. We install fencing and gates set into concreted posts so they stand true, and build timber structures — pergolas, screens and raised beds — square and weathertight. Built as part of a wider landscaping scheme, they tie the boundaries and the levels together rather than sitting as an afterthought.
07Service
Turfing & Planting
Hard landscaping sets the frame; turf and planting bring it to life. We prepare the ground, lay quality turf so it roots and establishes, and set out borders and beds to suit the soil and aspect. On a full garden transformation the planting and lawn are laid as part of the same job, so the garden reads as one finished space from the day we hand it over.
08Service
Drainage & Groundwork
Most of the work on a good paving job happens before any stone is laid. We handle the excavation, set the levels, build the consolidated sub-base and install linear channel and soakaway drainage where the ground and the regulations require it. Get the groundwork right and the surface above stays true for decades; get it wrong and no amount of good stone will save it.
Materials & finishes
Chosen to last, not just to look good on day one.
Good paving is as much about the base you don't see as the surface you do. Here is what we tend to reach for, and why — laid to the Interlay standard we hold membership of.
Indian sandstone & natural stone
Riven and sawn sandstone for patios, paths and steps with a warm, natural finish — bedded and laid to falls so water runs off, not back toward the house.
Porcelain paving
Hard-wearing, low-maintenance porcelain for a crisper, contemporary look — near-zero staining and colour-stable through the seasons, ideal for a bright modern terrace.
Block paving, setts & resin
Block paving, natural setts and resin-bound surfaces for driveways — laid on a structural, compacted base with proper edgings so they carry weight and stay level.
Retaining & feature walling
Brick, block and stone walling built on proper foundations to hold ground on sloping plots and frame the garden — the immaculate brickwork clients single out in their reviews.
How it works
Site visit, groundwork, guaranteed hand-over.
01
Site visit & itemised quote
Nick comes out, walks the plot and works out what's actually needed — levels, drainage, access, the ground underneath. Then we put a clear, itemised quote to it, so you can see exactly what's going in under the surface and where the money goes. The visit and the quote are free, with no obligation.
02
Groundwork & installation
Our own team carries the whole job — excavation and levels first, then a properly consolidated sub-base, kerbs and edgings, and finally the paving or stone laid to falls and jointed to last. Clients consistently note how tidy the site is kept and how considerate the team is with neighbours. We explain each stage before it happens.
03
Sign-off & six-year guarantee
We walk the finished job with you, deal with any snags on the spot, and hand over. All our hard-landscaping workmanship is covered by a six-year guarantee — so if something we built isn't right, you have it in writing that we'll put it right.
Before you call
Questions we're asked most.
Do you charge for a site visit or quote?
No. The first site visit and the itemised quote that follows are free and come with no obligation. Nick comes out, walks the plot, works out what the ground and levels need, and puts a clear, priced breakdown to it — whether it's a single patio or a full garden transformation.
What certifications do you hold?
We're a registered member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen, a member of Interlay (the block-paving industry's standards body), and approved under Trading Standards Buy with Confidence. We're a VAT-registered limited company, number 8344413.
How do I know the paving is built to last?
We excavate to depth, build a properly consolidated sub-base, set edgings to hold the paving, and lay to correct falls that drain — not on a thin bed of sand that lets a patio rock and lift. As Interlay members we lay to the industry's own standard, and we show you the build-up in the quote.
What does the six-year guarantee cover?
All our hard-landscaping workmanship — patios, driveways, walls, steps and paths. If something we built isn't right because of how we installed it, you have it in writing that we'll put it right, for six years after the job.
Will you deal with me directly, or a salesperson?
Nick himself. He owns the company, quotes the work and is on site through the build with his team, Connor and Ben — which is why clients name them personally in nearly every review.
Do you do smaller jobs, or only full transformations?
Both. We take on full garden transformations, but we'll also lay a single patio, build a wall, put in a path or resurface a driveway.
Not sure what the job needs?
That's what the free site visit is for. Nick will walk the plot with you, tell you straight what the ground needs, and put a clear, itemised price to it.