What we do
The difference is under the slabs
Anyone can lay stone. What decides how it looks in five years is what got dug, compacted and drained underneath it first.
Moe's Landscaping
Patios, paths, groundworks and garden makeovers, laid on the right base so they stay flat and level.
Moe's Mowing
Regular lawn care on a schedule that suits you, or a one-off cut to bring a garden back under control.
Get a quote for thisMoe's Arborists
Tree reductions, removals and hedge work, done safely and cleared away the same day.
Get a quote for thisGarden maintenance
The ongoing care in between: beds, borders and hedges kept looking after themselves.
Get a quote for thisGroundworks
The digging, levelling and drainage that every lasting garden stands on.
Get a quote for thisKnow what you are buying
What is under a patio that stays flat
Two patios can look identical on handover day. Five years later, one has sunk and one has not. The difference was never the slabs.
The dig-out
Topsoil and soft ground come out first. Laying onto soft ground is why cheap patios sink in patches.
100 to 150mm of compacted stone
MOT Type 1, compacted in layers. This is the foundation, and it is the corner most often cut because you cannot see it in photos.
A full mortar bed
Each slab bedded on solid mortar, not dabs. Slabs on dabs rock loose and crack at the corners.
The fall
A slope of a few millimetres per metre, away from the house, decided before the first slab. It is why rain never pools by your wall.
Questions
The things people ask first
How much does a patio cost?
As a UK-wide guide, patios land between £80 and £180 per square metre including the base, drainage and jointing, so a typical 20 square metre patio is £1,400 to £2,500 depending on the stone. That is the market, not your quote. Your number comes as an itemised written price after a proper look at the space, so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
How long does a patio take?
Around 2 to 3 days for a typical 20 square metres: dig out, base, then laying. Steps, walls or tight access add time, and you hear that at quote stage, not on day two.
Why do some patios sink and rock after a year or two?
Because of what is not underneath them. A patio needs 100 to 150mm of compacted MOT Type 1 stone before a single slab goes down. Cheap quotes skip the base because you cannot see it. It is the most important part of the job.
Do I need planning permission?
A back garden patio almost never needs it. Front driveways have drainage rules: if rain cannot soak into the ground, regulations kick in. Everything gets built so water drains where it falls, which keeps you clear of all of it.
Where does the rainwater go?
Every patio is laid with a slight fall away from the house, so water runs to a lawn, border or channel drain instead of pooling against your wall. Drainage is designed in from the start, not patched on after.
Can you work to a budget?
Usually. Name the number and you will get an honest answer about what it buys. Often the same design works with a different stone, or the garden gets built in two stages.
Who clears up afterwards?
The team that made the mess. Spoil, offcuts and packaging all leave with us. What stays behind is the garden.
Free quote
Tell us what you need doing
Send a message and we will get back to you. If it is easier, call us on 07877 042941.
- A fixed written price before any work starts
- No obligation, and no pushy follow-up calls
- A rough idea of the job is all we need to start