Driveway Paving Reviews UK 2024 – Top Picks

Do you need to source Driveway Paving in the coming days? Do you need to know which Driveway Paving works best in the UK? If so, then make sure to check out our Driveway Paving review which will also include 5 recommendations that come in at reasonable prices which you can check out further below.

Experience Level

There are many experts out there that can offer a complete service in designing, consultations, supply and installations but you need to make sure that they have an adequate level of experience in the sector and always look for customer testimonials. One company in the UK that we can recommend in particular to offer you the complete solution is Simply Paving who are already set up for ordering online and delivering to your home hassle free.

Read also: Our Indian Sandstone Paving Review here

Driveway Paving Supply Base

• Nominated Supplier: Simply Paving in Halifax UK (Established in 2005)
• Support: Call 0800 032 6306, 8am - 6pm 7 days a week
• Stocks and Pricing: View Stock Availability & Updated Prices here

Driveway Paving vs Driveway Gravel

If you have a young family, having a driveway paving is far superior than a gravel stone driveway especially when it comes to small bicycles and play toys such as toy tractors, gliders or sit in toy cars as children cannot navigate or play on the gravel as comfortably as they would on a solid paving driveway surface. Their playtime is much more enjoyable if they have a firm flat surface to play on even when it comes to playing a game of soccer, tennis or basketball. We ended up having to remove all the gravel stones because of this.

In addition, the gravel stone pebbles where ending up everywhere across the garden and it was a nightmare trying to keep them tidy – kids do love to pick up stones in buckets and scatter them everywhere! In addition to this, with gravel you will most likely end up with small weeds growing up on the driveway where the Driveway paving solution will be weed free.

Types of Driveway Paving

1. Cobblelock Drive Paving: One of the popular options when it comes to driveway paving is Cobblelock Paving which come in smaller sizes and in an array of different colours designs and sizes and the cost will depend on the amount of labour involved in the project. Costs associated to Cobblelock driveway paving varies from £50 to £70 per meter squared from start to finish while the Granite finish Cobblelock paving is generally slightly more expensive. The price is generally quite good and the labour involved is also a lot easier to manage.
2. Natural Stone Driveway Paving: these can be installed on a wet cement base with wet cement joints and they cost a good deal more to install due to the higher levels of labour involved. They are long lasting with low maintenance, they are eye catching and the prices from start to finish can cost anywhere from £60 to £100 per meter squared all in.
3. Granite Driveway Paving: This is one of the most durable and hard wearing of natural stone paving and its appearance will last for many years to come. Maintenance work required is also lower than other natural driveway stones and the cost from start to finish is generally around the £100 per meter squared all in.
4. Sandstone Driveway Paving Blocks: The range of colours on offer is superior and the slabs have unique tones and hues which give a better natural authentic look. You need to ensure they are thicker blocks rather than slabs and the Indian Sandstone paving varieties tend to be the most popular choices here.
5. Limestone Driveway Paving Blocks: You get a great finish with nice colour blends which can give off that authentic rustic appearance. Maintenance tends to be higher due to the porosity levels so you need to make sure you have a sealant plan in place or a reliable pressure washer to keep it properly cleaned.
6. Quartz driveway Paving Blocks: You will need to prepared to dig deeper into your pockets for Quartz driveway paving as they offer a superior appearance levels and it is more suited for people with higher levels of disposable income. You get a sophisticated and elegant finish that will be the envy of your neighbours near and far.
7. Porcelain Driveway Paving Blocks: One of our favourite options due to lower levels of maintenance required, you can source Porcelain paving driveway blocks also but the price is generally a lot more expensive than natural stone paving blocks. There is a wider range of colours to choose from and they keep their clean polished appearance for longer
8. Concrete Paving Slabs: These are a lower priced solution and certain suppliers will have them available in different colours such as rustic, charcoal, grey and buff. Installation is not all that bad as they are laid on a level bed of sand and then they can be jointed using silica
9. Clima-Pave Paving: This is a relatively new type of driving paving solution and they are designed to be water permeable to allow water to soak through which in turns is better for drainage and the eco system when you have heavy downpours of rain

Pricing Factors

When it comes to installing your driveway, several factors need to be taken into consideration such as labour levels, drainage requirements, existing levels and any ground material that needs to be removed. If the driveway is not level, then additional heavy machinery will be needed for digging and excavating which again will affect the overall price that you will be charged. For an average 3 bedroom town house or semi detached house, a driving paving plan will set you back a few thousand pounds – it could be anywhere from £2500 to £5000 and the project should be completed in a matter of a few days. This is also is subject to the level of preparation and excavation work that is needed.

Paving Patterns

Depending on the paving slabs you get, you can choose different layout patterns such as basket weave patterns, herringbone patterns, paving circles patterns, stretcher bond paving patterns and intertwined block dimension paving patterns – check out some of the Bradstone pattern examples here. Having a decorative driveway not only enhances the appearance of your home, but they will also increase the value of a home, enhances its overall appearance and gives you a clear footing from the roadside or your car to your front door.

Driveway Paving Recommendations (5)

After reviewing several driving paving blocks, we have come up with a short recommended list of 5 different driving block paving solutions which we really liked that you should definitely check out if you are serious about getting a high quality driveway solution at a competitive price. Only guide prices can be published at the time of this review so please make sure to view the prices checkers provided below to ensure you have the most accurate up to date price information.

1, Bradstone Driveway Block Paving in Buff

Key Features to Note:

Attractive and eye catching finish in a Buff colour

488 units per pack with coverage of 9.76m2/pack

Block paving thickness is 50mm, UK Origin status

Dimensions are 200 by 100 by 50mm

Price Guide: Less than £20 per m2

2, Bradstone Woburn Rumbled Infilta Permeable Block Paving in Graphite

Key Features to Note:

Allows rainwater to filter through - permeable

3 different sets of dimensions to choose from

Patio packs offer coverage on average 8 - 8.5m2

Thickness are 60mm and the origin is the UK

Price Guide: Less than £33 per m2

3, Bradstone Driveway Block Paving in Autumn

Key Features to Note:

Includes a mix of Autumn type colours

Dimensions are 200 by 100 by 50mm

Country of origin is the UK and thickness 50mm

Patio packs 488 units with coverage 9.5 - 10m2

Price Guide: Less than £20 per m2

4, Bradstone Monksbridge Block Paving in Croft

Key Features to Note:

Offers a more rustic traditional appearance

Mixed dimension blocks – 4 different sizes

Patio packs have 360 units for areas of 9.6m2

50mm thickness and originates in the UK

Price Guide: Less than £28 per m2

5, Charcon Europa Block Paving in Red

Key Features to Note:

Available in a variety of 7 different colours
Offers a clean, traditional hard-wearing surface
Can be used for homes, shopping & pedestrian areas
Option of choosing mixed adjacent blocks also
Great gripping type with non-slip surface
Thickness of the blocks are 60mm or 80mm
Originates in the UK, Patio packs include 404 units
Dimensions are 200 x 100 x 60mm
Each patio pack offers coverage of approx. 8m2

Price Guide: Less than £35 per m2

Tools Needed

If you are looking at taking on the project yourself, there will be a wide range of tools that you will need starting with an Angle grinder or a Consaw for cutting the paving slabs or blocks and make sure you are using the correct type of paving cutting blades. You will need to make sure that the base level underneath is 100% level and compact so you will need to get your hands on a plate compactor for compacting the surface and also screeding bars to ensure the final laying surface is ready for the paving.

Other tools that will be needed are a pick, rake, builder’s marker, tape measure, sledge hammer, shovel, claw hammer, mallet, rubber hammer for tapping, string line markers, cement mixing tools, trowels and a level. There may be more or less tool needed for your own individual project, but this will give you a basic guide on what you will need but be prepared for mini diggers to get the initial preparation work done.

Additional Paving Material

In addition to all the tools, you will need to get the laying surface materials in place such as paving sand, hardcore stone, cement and Silica sand or Silica jointing. You also need to consider the water run off so you will need to plan for drainage, recessed manhole covers, gulley risers and recessed AJ covers. If you don’t have the expertise yourself, then please make sure to hire a reliable trustworthy paving contractor who already has trusted reviews in the locality.

Alternative Driveway Solutions

There are also other driveway types that you can install other than paving and these can range from Gravel pebble driveways, tarmac black driveways and a lower priced solution of a basic concrete driveway. These all have advantages and disadvantages but the best from these 3 in our opinion would be tarmac as you get a nice clean firm surface and it holds its appearance for many years into the future. Moss can set in overtime but that can be dealt with by sprinkling a powdered washing detergent across it which dies in a matter of a few days and then using a scrubber to remove the dead brown moss away.

Disadvantages of Tarmac

While the cost of tarmac will be a lot lower than driveway paving, you need to consider the overall environmental impact when it comes to the manufacturing of tarmacadam. Many of these materials used are detrimental to the environment such as bitumen and petrochemicals so you need to weigh up the pros and cons of sourcing a lower priced driveway solution such as tarmac.

Disadvantages of Gravel

Although gravel will be the cheapest and the easiest to lay, they are susceptible to water puddles being formed overtime and grass and weeds are likely to set in as the years go by. It is also not at steady as paving and you cannot walk in the outdoors in your bare feet which will annoy young toddlers no end. Animals such as cats may even use the gravel pebbles as a litter bed and they tend to scatter onto the grass when you need to speed off quickly which again needs to be tidied up and swept into place.

Read also: Our list for Cheap Paving Slabs in the UK here

Conclusion

If you want to avoid a bland concrete or tarmac driveway or an unsettled gravel surface, then the Driveway Paving is definitely the way to go. Sure, they will cost more than tarmac, gravel and concrete but they add so much more to a house entrance in terms of character, appearance, durability, cleanliness and sophistication. The range of colours being offered can fit into almost any house type and it will be an absolute must for “home proud” homeowners. Further information on further paving solutions are available below

Feedback for Others in the UK

What are your own Driveway Paving Preferences? Have you any solutions that you would like to recommend in particular?

If possible, please share and let us all know by leaving a comment in the comment box section provided below – so that others across the UK community can learn also!