Most people start by looking at slabs. We'd start somewhere else: how you'll use the space. A patio you eat on every summer evening, a path you walk twice a day and a drive that takes two cars each want different things. Work that out first, and the choice of material gets much easier.
Start with how you'll use it
- Where will people sit, cook and gather? That's where you want the best surface, and enough of it.
- What will drive on it? Anything a car or van goes over needs a deeper base and a surface built for weight.
- How much looking after will you do? Be honest. Some finishes need an annual clean; others need almost nothing.
- Where does the water go now? A surface that doesn't drain properly will be a problem whatever it's made of.
The main options
Porcelain. Hard-wearing, colour-stable and very easy to keep clean. Crisp and modern, and it suits patios by the house. It takes skill to cut and lay well.
Natural stone (Indian sandstone, limestone, granite). Every slab is different, which gives a warm, natural look. It needs a little more care than porcelain. We've written a full comparison of sandstone and porcelain.
Block paving. Small concrete or clay blocks, laid in patterns. Very durable, good for drives and paths, and easy to lift and relay if you ever need to get to a pipe or cable underneath.
Resin-bound. Small stones bound together into a smooth surface that lets water through. Popular on front drives because it looks clean and meets the drainage rules. It needs a sound base underneath it.
Gravel. Usually the most budget-friendly, and naturally permeable. Loose gravel moves, ruts and ends up on the lawn, so on a drive or a busy path we'd hold it in a stabilising grid.
Mixing materials
Some of the best gardens use two materials: a main patio in one, with paths or edging in another. Keep it to two or three at most, and repeat them, so the garden reads as one design rather than a collection of offcuts.
What matters more than the material
Whatever you choose, the part that decides whether it lasts is the one you'll never see. Every surface needs the ground dug out, a compacted sub-base laid in layers, and the water planned for. Get that right and an ordinary slab will last for decades. Get it wrong and the best porcelain in the world will rock and sink. For a drive, we go through each layer in what makes a block paving driveway last.
When you're comparing quotes, ask each firm the same thing: what goes under it, how deep, and what's guaranteed in writing?
Questions people ask
What's the most low-maintenance paving?
Porcelain, for a patio. It barely absorbs water, so it resists stains and algae, and a brush and hose keeps it clean. For a drive, resin-bound and block paving are both low-maintenance when they're laid on a proper base.
Do I need planning permission for new paving?
Usually not in a back garden at ground level. A front garden over five square metres needs a permeable surface, or to drain onto your own lawn or borders, to avoid needing permission. We've covered this in our guide to planning permission.
Can you lay new paving over the old?
Sometimes, over a sound concrete base, but rarely over old slabs. If the old patio has moved, whatever caused it is still there. We check what's underneath at the consultation and tell you honestly.
