A patio is a paved outdoor area next to the house or in the garden, laid in porcelain, natural stone or concrete slabs on a compacted sub-base and mortar bed, with falls that direct rainwater away from the house.
We arrange a new patio for homeowners in Hitchin and the wider Hertfordshire. The job is planned, priced and managed by us and carried out by tradespeople engaged under our contract, so there is one agreement and one contact. On a typical home the work takes 3–7 days on site, and guide pricing in the East of England is £2,600–£5,800, VAT included.
- Guide price
- £2,600–£5,800 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 3–7 days on site
- Postcodes
- SG6
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Hertfordshire
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a new patio in Hitchin?
Below is a breakdown of typical costs for a new patio in Hitchin. Because rates in the East of England are about 5% above the national guide, the overall guide comes to £2,600–£5,800, including VAT. Size, materials and access move the figure, and a free-of-charge survey settles it.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Hitchin |
|---|---|---|
| Small patio or path | Around 10m² of concrete slabs or a garden path. | £1,050–£2,600 |
| Typical 20m² patio | Sandstone or porcelain on a full sub-base with jointing and edging. | £2,600–£5,800 |
| Large or multi-level patio | Bigger areas, steps, retaining walls or premium stone. | £5,800–£12,500 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Slab material, size and laying pattern
- Ground levels, slopes, steps and retaining walls
- Drainage needed to keep water away from the house
- Access for materials and removing spoil
What’s included?
- Survey of levels, damp-proof course, drainage and access
- Excavation and removal of turf, soil or old paving
- Compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base
- Primer on porcelain slabs for a strong bond
- Edging and neat cuts around drains and walls
- Site cleared, waste removed and paving cleaned
Local housing and a new patio
Hertfordshire is home to the first garden cities, Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City, and the post-war new towns of Stevenage, Hatfield and Hemel Hempstead. Watford and St Albans have Victorian terraces and Georgian streets, interwar semis line the commuter suburbs, and brick-and-flint cottages appear in Chiltern villages to the west.
New-town and garden-city homes often suit extensions, window replacement and roofline renewal, though some garden-city estates have their own design guidance. Victorian terraces commonly take loft rooms and side-return extensions.
So when we survey a Hitchin property for a new patio, the first step is working out how it was built and what has been changed since.
Do you need permission in Hitchin?
Which rules apply depends on where you live. For Hitchin, the answer is England, and the points below reflect that; we verify them with the council before quoting.
A ground-level patio in a back garden does not usually need planning permission in England. Raised decks or platforms more than 30 cm high do.
Building Regulations do not normally apply to patios, but levels must stay below the damp-proof course and drain away from the house.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
The four stages
Free site survey
We arrange a free site survey on a date convenient to you. We measure up, look at the existing structure and access, and discuss your plans for a new patio so the price reflects your home.
Your fixed price
The quote arrives in writing, not over the phone. It covers the full scope, the finishes you've chosen, any exclusions and the payment schedule, with a fixed price tied to that specification.
Booking the work
Once you accept, we agree start dates, order materials and deal with any planning, building control or neighbour notices the job needs. You'll know who is coming and when before work begins.
Build and hand over
During the work we protect the areas around it and tidy up at the end of each day. Once complete, we check the finish, remove our materials and hand over paperwork such as building control sign-off where it applies.
Working with SK Home Improvements
Common questions
How do you make sure water drains away from the house?
A patio needs a gentle fall, usually a little over 1 in 80, so rainwater runs away from the house towards the garden, a drain or a soakaway. The surface should also sit well below the damp-proof course. If the patio meets a door threshold, a channel drain may be needed. We set levels with string lines and check falls as we lay each section.
How much does a new patio cost?
A typical 20m² patio in sandstone or porcelain costs £2,600–£5,800, including excavation, sub-base, laying and jointing. As a guide, allow roughly £100–£220 per square metre plus fixed costs for set-up and waste. Concrete slabs cost less, while slate, granite and large-format porcelain cost more. Steps, walls and drainage add to the total. We confirm a fixed price after the survey.
Does a patio need planning permission?
Most patios do not need planning permission, but it depends on the size, height and location, your home's position, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and which UK nation you are in. Raised patios or decking more than a small height above the ground may need permission because of overlooking. We check the position for your garden before quoting.
Which postcodes in Hitchin do you cover?
We cover SG6, along with the rest of Hertfordshire. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
Do I need planning permission in Hitchin?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Hitchin is in England, so England's rules apply. Many smaller jobs need no planning application, but some still need building control approval. We check what applies to your address before quoting.
Also covering areas around Hitchin
We welcome enquiries from all SG6 postcodes in Hitchin, plus Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage and Luton. Each one gets the same survey at no charge and a written price fixed for the work described.