Patio Installation in Surrey

Name: Wild By Design
Price range: $$

Porcelain, sandstone and natural stone patios, designed and laid as part of the whole garden. Based in Dorking, working across Surrey and Sussex.

Our patio installation Surrey projects are priced as fixed quotes after a site visit — no day-rate surprises, no material uplifts mid-job, and no cutting corners on the sub-base depth that causes slabs to rock and joints to crack within a year.

A porcelain patio Surrey clients consistently choose for high-use areas — it’s frost-resistant, virtually non-porous, and holds its colour without sealing, making it the most practical surface for a Surrey garden that gets heavy use across all four seasons.

For a sandstone patio surrey homeowners wanting a warmer, more natural look often prefer Indian or Mint sandstone — the variation in tone and texture works beautifully in traditional and wildlife gardens, and beds in well over the first couple of seasons.

As patio contractors Surrey-wide, we work to a minimum 100mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base on all projects — the unsexy part of the job that nobody sees but that determines whether the surface is still level in five years’ time.

Our patio laying surrey projects always begin with a drainage assessment — the clay-heavy soils across much of the county need more sub-base preparation than elsewhere, and getting that right is what prevents slabs from rocking and joints from cracking within a year or two.

Most patios in Surrey get bolted onto the back of the house without much thought for levels, drainage, planting or the rest of the garden. The result is a flat slab with weeds in the joints and a step nobody likes. We do things differently.

Proper sub-base, no movement

Hand-dug Surrey clay, geo-membrane, hardcore and grit, laid to fall. Patios that stay flat for two decades, not two summers.

Designed into the garden

Patio shape, planting, lighting and steps detailed together. The patio sits inside a proper plan for the whole garden.

Materials that age well

Porcelain, Indian sandstone, Yorkstone and reclaimed brick. Real materials chosen for the property, not catalogue picks.

Why most patios go wrong

Hire a paving contractor from a directory and you usually get a fast install on a thin sub-base. A year or two later:

slabs lift, sink or rock as the sub-base shifts
joints crack and let weeds through
the patio sits too high or too low against the house
water pools because the falls were wrong
steps look bolted on, not integrated
no planting around the edge, just a hard line into the lawn

On clay soils across Surrey (Mole Valley, Wey Valley, North Downs), a thin sub-base is the single biggest reason patios fail. Get that wrong and no slab choice on top will save it.

What Wild by Design does differently

Because we are garden designers first, the patio sits inside a proper plan for the whole garden. That means:

full sub-base build-up specified to the soil and load
falls set correctly so water moves away from the house
planting pockets, herb borders and step-overs designed in
boundary details (walls, fences, hedges) detailed at the same time
lighting wired in before the slabs are laid (see garden lighting ideas)
materials matched to the architecture of the property

The patio becomes a part of the garden, not a flat shape stuck in front of it. Built right, it should still look right in 25 years.

What’s included in our patio installs:

Groundwork, paving, edges, steps, drainage, planting and finish, the whole patio, not just the slabs

Patio designed with planting pockets and soft border in a Surrey garden by Wild by Design

Porcelain, Sandstone or Natural Stone

Three material families cover most Surrey gardens.

Porcelain is dense, frost-proof, near zero maintenance. Modern crisp lines, no fading. Best on contemporary properties and shaded gardens where algae would dull natural stone.

Indian sandstone is warm, varied in tone, well priced. Best on cottage and period properties where the patio should look like it has always been there.

Natural Yorkstone and reclaimed materials cost more but age beautifully. The right answer for listed properties, sensitive sites or where the rest of the garden uses old materials.

We pick the material with you on the site visit, not from a catalogue.

Sub-Base and Drainage on Surrey Clay

This is where most Surrey patios fail.

The default sub-base on a quick install is 100mm of MOT Type 1 hardcore on undisturbed subsoil. On the heavy clay soils that cover most of Surrey (from Dorking to Reigate to Cobham), that’s not enough. Clay shrinks in summer and swells in winter. A thin sub-base moves with the clay and the patio cracks.

We dig deeper. A geo-membrane separation layer over the prepared sub-grade, 150 to 200mm of MOT Type 1 compacted in layers, then a 50mm grit screed bed for the slabs. Falls set so water moves to a permeable drainage edge, never to the house.

Costs more upfront, costs nothing in the next 20 years.

Patio sub-base preparation on Surrey clay soil, showing geo-membrane, compacted MOT Type 1 and grit screed bed

Designed With the Garden, Not Just the House

Most patios get drawn against the back of the house and stop there. We draw them as a shape inside the whole garden.

That means thinking about where the patio meets the lawn, where the planting comes up to the edge, where the steps lead the eye, how the boundary planting frames the seating area, and how it all reads from the kitchen window in winter.

It also means designing the patio to talk to the rest of the work, dry stone walls (see our piece on dry stone walling), gravel paths, planted beds, pergolas and any future driveway upgrade (we cover resin bound driveways too).

When the patio is part of a proper garden plan, the whole space lifts. When it’s an afterthought, the whole space drops.

Steps, Walls, Lighting and Aftercare

All the bits that get bolted on later by someone else, we build into the patio install from day one.

Steps cut to the same stone as the patio. Retaining walls in stone or render to match. Low-voltage lighting wired in before the slabs are laid, so no surface cables. Edges finished with a brick course, a soldier line of cobbles or a planted border, whichever suits the property.

After install, we offer annual maintenance: an inspection, joint top-up, sealant where needed, and clean-down. Bundled into our [garden maintenance schedule](/garden-maintenance/) for clients who want it taken care of.

Finished Indian sandstone patio installed by Wild by Design in a Surrey garden, with integrated planting and steps

How much does a patio cost in Surrey?

Patio costs in Surrey typically sit between £180 and £350 per square metre supplied and laid on a proper sub-base. The range is wide because the slab choice, the sub-base depth and the boundary detailing all change the figure.

A rough guide for full install:

Small back patio (15 to 25 m²) in sandstone: £4,000 to £7,500
Average Surrey patio (30 to 50 m²) in porcelain: £8,000 to £15,000
Larger entertaining patios (50 to 100 m²) with steps and lighting: £15,000 to £30,000
Full design-integrated rear garden (patio, planting, lighting, lawn): from £25,000

Every project gets a written quote after a site visit. No per-metre surprises once the groundwork starts.

Areas of Surrey and Sussex we cover

We design and build patios across Surrey from our Dorking base, with site visits anywhere within an hour’s drive.

Surrey: Woking, Guildford, Dorking, Reigate, Cobham, Weybridge, Leatherhead, Esher, Epsom, Ashtead and Farnham.

Sussex: Horsham, Crawley, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead and the surrounding villages.

See our full garden design and build service across Surrey for related work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a patio cost to install in Surrey?

Most Surrey patios come in at £180 to £350 per square metre supplied and laid. A small sandstone patio sits around £4,000 to £7,500. A typical 30 to 50 square metre porcelain patio comes in at £8,000 to £15,000. A larger entertaining patio with steps and integrated lighting can run from £15,000 to £30,000.

How long does a patio installation take?

Most domestic patios take seven to fourteen working days on site, depending on size, access and weather. The first three to four days are groundwork (dig out, sub-base, screed). The next two to three days are slab laying. The final days are pointing, edging, steps, planting and clean-up. We give you a clear day-by-day schedule before the team starts.

What is the best material for a patio in the UK?

It depends on the property. Porcelain is the most durable and the lowest maintenance, best on modern or shaded gardens. Indian sandstone is the most popular for traditional properties, warm in tone and well-priced. Natural Yorkstone is the most beautiful and the most expensive, best for listed properties or where the rest of the garden uses old materials.

Do I need planning permission for a patio?

Usually no. A patio at ground level does not require planning permission. Raised patios (over 300mm high) and patios in listed properties or conservation areas need to be checked. We do this as part of the site visit so you don’t end up having to argue with the council after the job is done.

How long should a patio last?

A properly installed patio, on a proper sub-base, lasts 20 to 30 years with no significant intervention. Most patios that fail early do so because the sub-base was rushed. The slab choice rarely fails first.

Is porcelain better than sandstone for a patio?

Porcelain is harder, frost-proof, near zero maintenance and does not stain. Indian sandstone is warmer in tone, varies in colour, ages with character and needs an annual clean. Porcelain wins on a modern property; sandstone wins on a period property. Neither is universally better.

Can I jet wash a porcelain or sandstone patio?

Yes, carefully. Use a low pressure setting and a wide fan nozzle held at least 30cm from the surface. Avoid the joints, jet washing too hard removes the pointing and lets weeds back in. An annual jet wash plus a re-point where needed keeps the patio looking new. We bundle this into our garden maintenance schedule.

Book a site visit

Every patio starts with a free site visit. We measure up, walk the garden with you, talk through material options and follow up with a written quote inside a week. No obligation, no high-pressure sell.

Get in touch

Or call the team direct, find the number on our contact page.