Hitchin

Block Paving in Hitchin

Block paving laid on a proper base, with the edges restrained so it stays put. Free survey, a fixed written price, and you only pay when you're happy with the work.

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Block Paving in Hitchin, explained

Most block paving that goes wrong did not go wrong at the top. It spread at an unrestrained edge, or it sank where the sub-base was never compacted properly, and the blocks themselves were never the problem. So that is where the money goes on our quotes, and it is what we look at first when somebody asks us to put a failed drive right.

The choice in front of you is bigger than it looks. Block range, colour, size, texture, laying pattern, border, and whether you want a permeable block so the drive drains through itself. We bring the ranges to the survey and lay a few options out on the ground, because a block looks different in a brochure to how it looks next to your brick in daylight.

We are based in Hatfield and this area is part of our normal round. The survey and the written price are free, there is no deposit, and you settle up when the drive is finished, swept and signed off.

We cover the SG4 and SG5 postcodes in Hitchin, and the rest of Hertfordshire.

What your quote covers

A free survey with block ranges and patterns to look at on the ground
One fixed price in writing, no deposit, nothing payable until the job is done
Excavation to the depth the ground and the traffic actually call for
A compacted sub-base, a screeded laying course, and edge restraints haunched in concrete
Blocks laid to your pattern, cut in around manholes, kerbs and the threshold
Kiln-dried sand brushed in, the drive vibrated, a second sanding pass, and the site swept clean

Choosing block paving in Hitchin

Two block paving quotations for the same drive can sit a long way apart, and the gap is almost always underneath. A drive excavated to the proper depth with a sub-base compacted in layers costs more than blocks bedded onto whatever was already there, and it is the one that is still flat in ten years.

So the question worth asking everyone pricing your drive in Hitchin is what depth they are digging to and what they are putting back. Ours says it, because the base is where the money goes and where the lifespan comes from.

Above that, blocks behave well. They lift and relay, so repairs are local rather than wholesale, and the laying pattern does real structural work, with herringbone where a car turns and brakes and simpler bonds on paths. The one ongoing job is keeping the joint sand topped up.

Thinking about block paving in Hitchin?

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From first visit to finished job

Step 1
Free Site Survey
We measure the area and go through block ranges, colours and laying patterns with you.
Step 2
Written Quotation
A fixed written price, with nothing to pay up front.
Step 3
Base Preparation
We dig out, remove the spoil and build a firm, well-drained sub-base.
Step 4
Laying
Blocks are laid to pattern, cut in neatly and locked with an edge restraint.
Step 5
Finishing
Joints are filled with kiln-dried sand, the drive is compacted and swept, and you sign it off.

What happens on site in Hitchin

We excavate to the depth the build-up actually needs, which is determined by what the drive has to carry rather than by what is quickest. The spoil is removed and the sub-base is laid and compacted in successive layers, each one compacted before the next goes on.

Edge restraints follow, haunched into concrete, and they go in before any block is laid. A block drive that is not restrained at its edges spreads outwards under use and loosens from the perimeter in. Then the screeded laying course, and the blocks to the agreed pattern worked off that fixed edge, with cuts made by splitter or saw.

Kiln-dried sand is brushed into every joint and a plate compactor is taken across the whole area, vibrating the blocks into the laying course and locking them together. The joints are then topped up a second time, because compaction always drops the level.

What affects the price in Hitchin

We do not publish a rate per square metre, because the number would be wrong for most properties. The survey is free and the price you get afterwards is fixed and in writing. These are the things that move it:

The block range you pick, which is the single biggest swing in most quotes
The laying pattern, because herringbone and the detailed patterns carry far more cutting
How much restraint the perimeter needs, and whether any of it is kerbed
The depth of sub-base the ground and the expected traffic call for
Cutting in around curves, manholes, gullies and the garage threshold
Clearing the old surface, and any drainage channel across the entrance

Looking after block paving

Keep sand in the joints. Brushing more in every couple of years is a short job and it is the thing that keeps the surface tight and weed-free for the longest.

Pressure washers want a light touch. A narrow jet close up will empty the joints, so use a wide fan from a distance and re-sand afterwards. Weeds that are caught early come out without effort.

Sealing is entirely optional. It deepens colour and helps with spills but needs redoing every few years. Given a properly built base the drive will last decades, and individual blocks can be swapped out if one gets damaged.

Ready to book a free survey in Hitchin?

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Around Hitchin

As well as Hitchin itself, we take on block paving work in Astwick, Barton-le-Clay, Hexton, Herring's Green and Steppingley, and across the rest of Hertfordshire. If you are just outside the towns listed here it is still worth a call, because we cover more ground than any list of names can sensibly show.

Block Paving in Hitchin: Common Questions

Do you work in Hitchin?

Yes, SG4 and SG5 are both within our normal area. We are based in Hatfield and the survey and written quote are free.

How deep do you dig?

To whatever the build-up requires for the loading the drive will take, which we establish at the survey. We do not bed blocks onto the existing surface, because that is what produces a drive that settles.

Is the quotation free?

Yes, along with the survey. There is no deposit and nothing to pay until the work is finished.

Why are some quotes so much cheaper?

Usually because of what is happening below the blocks: the excavation depth and the sub-base. Ask each quotation what it includes under the surface, as that is where the difference and the lifespan both sit.

How long does the work take?

The groundwork is the slow part. Laying and finishing move faster, and the drive is usable once it has been compacted and sanded. The quote states how many days to allow.