Do you do the drop kerb?

The crossover itself is applied for through the council and carried out under their rules. We tell you what is involved and work in with it.

Driveways, Patios & Groundworks in SE London

Q: Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?

If your driveway is over five square metres and the water runs off onto the road, you need planning permission. If it is permeable, or the water drains to a soakaway or a border on your own land, you do not. We build them to drain properly, so the question does not come up.

Q: How long does a driveway take?

A typical front driveway is usually around a week from dig-out to finished, depending on size, access and how much muck has to come out. You get the expected dates with the written quote.

Q: Why is one quote so much cheaper than another?

Almost always the sub-base. Digging out properly, membrane and 150mm or more of compacted MOT Type 1 costs money and takes days. Laying blocks straight onto sand over old soil is quicker and cheaper, and it sinks within a couple of winters.

Q: Can you take the old driveway away?

Yes. Breaking out and removing the old surface, and taking the spoil away, is part of the job and is priced in the quote.

What we do on the ground

Front garden to back fence. If it involves digging, draining, levelling or laying, it is ours.

Driveways
Block paving, permeable paving and resin. Dug out, drained and edged so it does not sink or spread.
Patios & pathways
Indian sandstone, porcelain and block. Laid to fall away from the house, on a full bed, not on five dabs.
Landscaping
Levels, borders, sleeper beds, turf and planting. The whole garden, finished as one job.
Fencing
Closeboard, panels and posts set in concrete, on a line that follows the boundary.
Retaining walls
Brick and block walls built to hold ground back, with drainage behind so pressure cannot build.
Drainage solutions
Channel drains, soakaways, gullies and land drains. Water sent somewhere sensible instead of the back door.
Concrete works
Bases for garages, workshops and sheds. Membrane, mesh, formwork, poured and finished level.
Artificial grass
Laid on a compacted, free-draining base with proper edges, so it stays flat and drains after rain.

Why one driveway quote is half the price of another

It is almost never the blocks. It is what goes underneath them, and how many days it takes to do it properly. Here is our sequence, photographed on real jobs.

Dig out to firm ground

The old surface and any soft ground comes out, down to a subgrade that will actually carry a car, and away in a grab lorry.

Geotextile membrane

A membrane between subgrade and stone, so the two never mix and the base cannot slowly disappear into the clay.

MOT Type 1, in layers

Stone brought up in 75 to 100mm layers, each one compacted before the next goes on. This is the part cowboys skip.

Falls and drainage

Levels set so water runs to a channel drain, soakaway or border, and never towards the house or out onto the road.

Haunched edge restraints

Edges bedded and haunched in concrete. Without them, the whole drive creeps outwards every time you turn the wheel.

Lay, cut, sand, compact

Blocks laid to the pattern, cuts made against the edges, kiln-dried sand brushed in, then compacted and topped up.

5m²

Any new driveway over five square metres that drains onto the road needs planning permission. Permeable, or drained to your own land, and it does not. We build them so it does not.

100mm

The maximum layer of MOT Type 1 we compact at a time. Tip it all in at once and only the top few inches ever get compacted.

Ground dug out with timber formwork, damp proof membrane and steel mesh ready for concrete — Step 1 and 2Dug out, formwork set, membrane down

Concrete base being prepared with timber formwork, membrane and steel reinforcement mesh — Step 3Base built up and levelled

Freshly poured concrete slab with a wet finish — Concrete worksPoured, levelled and finished

Southridge team laying block paving on a sweeping driveway — Step 6Blocks laid to the pattern

Plate compactor and kiln dried sand being worked into a new block paved driveway — Step 6Kiln-dried sand, then compacted

01 / 05

Which surface should you actually pick?

Straight answers, including the ones that talk you out of the expensive option. Price bands are relative to each other, not quotes.

A comparison of driveway and patio surfaces: what each one looks like, whether it is permeable, upkeep, relative price and what it suits best.
Surface	What it looks like	Permeable?	Upkeep	Price	Best for
Block paving	Concrete blocks in herringbone or stretcher bond, usually with a contrasting border.	Yes, with permeable blocks and the right sub-base	Brush sand into the joints now and again, wash it occasionally.	££	Driveways that get parked on daily. Repairable block by block.
Indian sandstone	Riven natural stone with real colour variation, warm and traditional.	No, needs falls to a drain or soakaway	Seal it, wash off algae, repoint the odd joint.	££	Patios and garden paths on period houses.
Porcelain	Flat, sharp and colour stable. Barely stains, barely fades.	No, needs falls to a drain or soakaway	Rinse it. That is genuinely it.	£££	Modern patios, especially outside bifold doors.
Resin bound	One continuous gravel surface with no loose stones to kick about.	Yes, on a permeable base	Sweep it, wash it once or twice a year.	£££	Smart frontages, and anywhere a pram or wheelchair has to run.
Concrete	Poured slab, brushed or power floated flat.	No	Almost none, but cracks are hard to hide.	£	Bases for garages, workshops, sheds and hardstanding.

Narrow side return path in block paving with a light border stripe between painted and brick walls

Side return path, block paved with a light border.

Jet washing, cleaning and full property care

Not every job needs replacing. A lot of driveways, patios and renders just need cleaning properly, and it costs a fraction of a new one. We will tell you which you are looking at.

Driveways & patios
Jet washed, then re-sanded so the joints are not left empty and open to weeds.
Roof moss removal
Moss cleared and gutters cleaned out, without blasting a fragile roof to pieces.
Render & wall cleaning
Algae and dirt taken off render, brick and painted walls at the right pressure for the surface.
Gutters & conservatories
Gutters cleared and rechecked for falls. Conservatory roofs and frames washed down.

Full property care: maintenance and repairs, exterior makeovers, insurance work, domestic and commercial. One number for the whole outside of the building.

Groundworks we have finished

Real jobs, photographed by us. More in the gallery.

Before: a rear garden stripped back to bare earth, cut greenery piled up and paving slabs stacked ready, beside a dark grey extension with sliding doors — Rear garden, before and afterCleared and levelled, large format paving laid off the back of the extension, then new turf run up to the edge.

After: the same garden with large format grey paving laid off the extension and new turf run right up to the edge — Rear garden, before and afterCleared and levelled, large format paving laid off the back of the extension, then new turf run up to the edge.

Before: the new brick boundary wall with its piers and shaped coping built, standing on bare dug-over ground with rubble still around it — Brick boundary wall, before and afterReclaimed brick, piers and shaped coping set first, then the iron railings fitted between them and the ground cleared off.

After: the same wall finished, with black iron railings set between the piers and the ground cleared off — Brick boundary wall, before and afterReclaimed brick, piers and shaped coping set first, then the iron railings fitted between them and the ground cleared off.

Herringbone block paved driveway with curved dark borders and a double garage

DrivewayCurved border, double frontage

Indian sandstone patio laid outside white bifold doors

PatioIndian sandstone, laid to fall

Artificial grass lawn with sleeper raised beds, bench and new fencing

LandscapingSleeper beds and artificial grass

Grey herringbone driveway with a new brick retaining wall onto the street

DrivewayWith brick retaining wall

See the full gallery

Groundworks questions we get asked

Do I need planning permission for a new driveway?

If the new driveway is over five square metres and the water runs off onto the road, yes. If it is permeable, or the water goes to a soakaway or a border on your own land, no. We build them to drain properly, so in almost every case the question never comes up. If yours is the exception, we will tell you before you commit to anything.

How long does a driveway take?

A typical front driveway is usually about a week from dig-out to finished, depending on the size, the access and how much muck has to come out. Bigger jobs with retaining walls or drainage take longer. The expected dates come with the written quote.

Why is one quote so much cheaper than another?

Almost always the sub-base. Digging out properly, laying membrane and compacting 150mm or more of MOT Type 1 in layers costs money and takes days. Laying blocks straight onto sand over old soil is quicker, cheaper and looks identical on day one. It is the one that sinks and ruts within a couple of winters.

Can you take the old driveway away?

Yes. Breaking out and removing the old surface and taking the spoil away is part of the job and is priced in the quote, not added afterwards.

Do you sort the dropped kerb?

The crossover itself is applied for through the council and carried out under their rules and their approved contractors. We tell you what is involved, and we plan the driveway around it so the two line up.

Which areas do you cover?

Beckenham, Chislehurst, Catford and Blackheath, plus Bromley, Bellingham, Hither Green, Lee, Lewisham, Sydenham, Penge, Mottingham and Petts Wood. If you are just outside that, ring and ask.

Get the ground sorted properly

Send a photo of the drive, the patio or the garden, tell us roughly the size, and we will come and measure it up. Free, and the price comes in writing.

Get a free quote Call 0800 292 2344 WhatsApp us

Driveways, patios and groundworks across South East London