Block paving cost calculator
Block paving costs £60 to £120 per m², so 50m² works out at £3,000 to £6,000. Enter your own size below.
Work out what block paving costs for a driveway or patio. Enter the size, say whether the ground needs rebuilding first, and this calculator gives you a price range for your region. Guide prices from our own research rather than quotes.
Block paving cost calculator
Set it up to match your job. Everything updates as you change it, and nothing is sent anywhere.
Built from the same figures as our block paving guide: £60 to £120 per square metre supplied and laid, plus £25 to £45 per square metre where the ground needs a new sub-base. The guide breaks the range down by block type, from standard concrete at the bottom to clay pavers and permeable systems at the top, so check that table if you know which you want. Regional figures use the same multipliers as every other page here. Not priced here: a dropped kerb, edging and kerb runs on an unusual shape, and drainage beyond normal falls.
Block paving cost by region
| Size | UK average | London | North / Scotland / Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 m² | £1,800 to £3,600 | £2,300 to £4,700 | £1,650 to £3,300 |
| 50 m² | £3,000 to £6,000 | £3,900 to £7,800 | £2,800 to £5,500 |
| 75 m² | £4,500 to £9,000 | £5,900 to £11,500 | £4,100 to £8,300 |
| 100 m² | £6,000 to £12,000 | £7,800 to £15,500 | £5,500 to £11,000 |
Worked totals at £60 to £120 per m², before any extras. UK guide prices reviewed June 2026, not quotes. Set the calculator above to your own job to add the extras.
Why block paving costs more, and what you get for it
Block paving is the most expensive of the common driveway surfaces at £60 to £120 per square metre, against £40 to £65 for tarmac and £40 to £70 for resin. The cost is labour: every block is laid by hand, cut around edges and manholes, then the whole area is compacted and jointed.
What you get is the one surface you can take apart and put back. A trench for a cable, a settled patch, an oil stain, all of it can be lifted and relaid with the same blocks. On tarmac or resin the equivalent repair is a visible patch forever.
Block type moves the price more than size does
Standard concrete blocks sit at the bottom of the range and are what most driveways use. Clay pavers cost considerably more and hold their colour far longer, because the colour is the material rather than a pigment that fades. Permeable systems cost more again and solve the drainage rule without a soakaway.
Because the range is wide, the size of the driveway is a weaker predictor of the bill than the block you pick. Our block paving guide has the breakdown by type, which is the table worth reading before you get quotes.
Edges, falls and the details that fail first
Block paving fails at the edges. Without a properly haunched edge course set in concrete, the blocks at the perimeter creep outwards, the joints open, and the whole field loosens. It is the single most common defect and it is entirely a workmanship issue.
The other one is sand. Joints need filling with kiln-dried sand and topping up in the first year or two as it settles. Skipping that is how weeds get in. Neither of these costs much to do right and both are expensive to put back later.
Common questions
How much does block paving cost in the UK?
About £60 to £120 per square metre supplied and laid, typically around £85, so a 50 square metre driveway is roughly £3,000 to £6,000. Add £25 to £45 per square metre if the ground needs a new sub-base. Standard concrete blocks sit at the bottom of the range and clay or permeable pavers at the top. London runs about 30% above the UK average.
How much is a block paved driveway for two cars?
A 50 square metre driveway holding two cars costs roughly £3,000 to £6,000 laid over a sound base, or £4,250 to £8,250 if the ground has to be excavated and a new sub-base built. The spread is wide because the block you choose matters as much as the area: standard concrete against clay pavers can be most of the difference.
Is block paving worth the extra over tarmac?
It depends how long you plan to be there and how the front of the house matters to you. Block paving costs roughly double tarmac per square metre, but it can be lifted and relaid, so trenching for a cable or fixing a settled patch leaves no permanent mark. It also holds its appearance longer. For a short stay on a big driveway, tarmac is the sensible economy; for a front drive you look at every day, block usually wins.
Does block paving need planning permission?
Not usually, but the surface-water rule applies: a new or replacement driveway over five square metres in England and Wales must drain to a permeable surface or soakaway on your own land, or you need permission. Standard block paving on a sand bed is not permeable, so it needs falls to a border or a soakaway. A permeable block system solves it at source, which is one reason those cost more.
How long does block paving last, and what maintenance does it need?
Twenty years or more, often much longer, because individual blocks can be replaced. What it needs is joint sand topped up in the first couple of years, weeds kept out of the joints, and edges checked for movement. A pressure wash every few years lifts algae. The failure to watch for is edge creep, where the perimeter blocks move outwards and loosen everything inside them.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing. These are independent Costwise guide prices, reviewed June 2026, not quotes and not a survey of real quotes. A real price depends on access, condition and what the job actually involves, so use this to sanity-check what you are told and always get three written quotes.