The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Fri Dec 30, 2005 5:10 pm**

I've spent most of the afternoon on this brilliant website, greedily gobbling up information and advice. I've downloaded the spreadsheet for working out costings for block paving - which I think is probably one of the most useful things I've ever found on the web!

I've now got to the Stupid Question stage, though. I followed all the links to suppliers of materials, but of course none of them (except B&Q) give prices on their blocks. B&Q give prices, but don't tell you what any of their blocks are actually made of. The one figure on the spreadsheet that's worrying me slightly is the nett cost of the actual blocks - I wondered if anyone knew from experience, what the range of prices is likely to be? I know an example rate is given, but it's hard to get a sense how far apart the top and bottom lines are. I won't be be able to afford anything hand-made or very top-end, but would like something of decent quality. I'm paving a 60m2 garden area.

Thanks!

Kit.

PS: Sorry if this question has been repeated endlessly, but I couldn't find another example using the search facility.

Posted: **Tue Jan 03, 2006 8:41 am**

Theres such a massive range of products on the market nowadays. However for standard rectangular concrete block paving your looking about Â£10.00 - Â£11.00 per m2 (choice of colours)
You then have a choice of what we call decorative concrete block paving (different sizes, tumbled etc etc) which jumps up to around Â£17.00 - Â£21.00 per m2
For a clay product again there are many ranges available. For a basic rectangular your looking around Â£18.00 - Â£21.00 per m2 - then Â£upwards for anything tumbled, cobbles etc etc
If its a back garden i always prefer to see a nice flag as opposed to blocks but thats a personal thing!

Posted: **Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:50 am**

Thanks, Dan, that's really really helpful. I'm constrained by having part of the area already paved with Victorian Staffordshire blue brick, which I absolutley hate, but which I can't afford to replace (although it will be re-laid). That was the reason for pairing it with something made of similar materials, of broadly similar size, and with similar care requirements. Just not flippin black!!

I haven't looked at anything 'in the flesh' yet - I'm disabled (which is why I need paving instead of my horrible scrubby lawn), find driving difficult, and get around most easily and comfortably in a heavy electric wheelchair that will only go on the trams and buses, it's too big for a car or taxi. I may be able to get out to suppliers in a push-along wheelchair with the person who'll eventually do the design, but I'm actually fairly clear what I want in terms of colour-schemes, so I might just ask them to call in whilst they're working on someone else's project, and buy a few single blocks for me to look at. We'll see - it's a few months away yet, I need to get the finance sorted and the kitchen done first!

Thanks again for your helpful reply, which will enable me to construct a rough budget.

Cheers!

Kit.

The Brew Cabin

Clay brick pricing question - Advice on current price-range?