Rutland Driveways & Landscaping 01572 344119 Site visit
Silver-grey block paving driveway with a charcoal border at a large stone house
Rutland · Stamford · Oakham

Block paving driveways

Block paved driveways on a full sub-base, with restrained edges, proper falls and drainage to your own ground.

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8 yearsTrading in Rutland

A block paved driveway typically costs £120–£170 per m² all in, so a two-car drive of 40–50m² is usually £5,500–£8,500. Premium or tumbled blocks add £15–£35 per m², and permeable block paving adds £20–£40 per m².

Per m²
£120–£170
Two-car drive (40–50m²)
£5,500–£8,500
Permeable blocks
+£20–£40 per m²
Time on site
Four to seven days

Our 2026 guide prices, all in. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit.

Block paving driveways

How a block drive should be built

Block paving has earned its reputation the hard way: laid properly it takes decades of turning cars without complaint, and individual blocks can be lifted and relaid if services ever need access. The catch is that "laid properly" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.

Why block paving fails, and how we make sure yours doesn't

Almost every sunken, rutted block drive you have ever seen failed below the surface: too little sub-base, poor compaction, or no thought given to where water goes. The blocks get the blame; the base did the damage.

  • Excavation to the right depth for your ground and vehicles, typically 200mm-plus below finished level for a domestic drive
  • MOT Type 1 sub-base compacted in layers, not dumped and whacked once
  • Screeded sharp sand laying course, blocks cut tight around recessed covers and edges
  • Edge restraints set in concrete so the field of blocks cannot creep
  • Kiln-dried sand jointing, with sealing as an option once the drive has weathered in

Style-wise, most of our work falls into two camps: traditional tumbled (tegula) blocks in autumn and buff tones that suit period stone homes, and clean linear formats for newer properties. Borders, headers and aprons make more difference to the finished look than people expect, and we design them in from the start.

Permeable block paving

Where front-garden drainage rules apply, permeable block systems on an open-grade base keep you SuDS-compliant without losing the block-paved look. We will tell you at the site visit whether your project needs it.

Choosing blocks near stone

  • Against limestone: buff, bracken and autumn blends sit comfortably; bright reds rarely do
  • Against red brick: charcoal and grey borders frame the drive without competing
  • Large frontages: a mixed-size laying pattern stops the surface looking like a car park

Replacing a tired driveway?

We will assess the existing base honestly — sometimes it can be reused, often it cannot — and quote for the job that will actually last.

Our standard

What you get

  • Full-depth sub-base and a screeded laying course, not blocks on soil
  • Restrained edges and a soldier course so the paving cannot creep
  • Drainage designed in: falls, channels or soakaways to your own ground
  • Permeable block available where the drainage needs it

The specification

  • Old surface out, ground checked, geotextile where the ground needs it
  • 150mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base
  • Screeded sharp sand laying course
  • Blocks laid to falls with a bedded soldier course edge
  • Kiln-dried sand jointing, compacted in
  • Five year workmanship guarantee in writing
Buff block paving finished with a charcoal soldier course border
Prices by town

What a block paving driveway costs near you

Typical sizes we price in each town, at our 2026 guide rates.

TownTypical sizeTypical cost
Oakham35–60m²£4,250–£10,250
Uppingham30–55m²£3,500–£9,250
Stamford30–55m²£3,500–£9,250
Market Harborough30–55m²£3,500–£9,250
Corby30–50m²£3,500–£8,500
Kettering30–50m²£3,500–£8,500

More detail in our price guide.

Recent finishes

The kind of finish we build

Buff block paving driveway with a charcoal border at a stone house
Buff block paving driveway with a charcoal border at a stone house
Block paved driveway between brick piers at a Victorian villa on Casterton Road
Block paved driveway between brick piers at a Victorian villa on Casterton Road
Permeable block paving driveway at a red-brick Stamford house
Permeable block paving driveway at a red-brick Stamford house
Buff block paving finished with a charcoal soldier course border
Buff block paving finished with a charcoal soldier course border
By council

Planning and dropped kerbs by council

A front driveway needs no planning permission if it is permeable or drains to your own lawn or border; more than 5m² of impermeable surface draining to the road does (Planning Portal guidance). In the Stamford conservation area the Article 4 direction brings any new road-facing hard surface under planning control. A new or wider entrance also needs a dropped kerb, and the rules depend on the highway authority.

Highway authorityTownsDropped kerb feeWho builds it
Rutland County CouncilOakham, Uppingham, Ketton, Empingham, Cottesmore, Greetham, Langham, Whissendine, Ryhall, Edith Weston£194 for the vehicle access permitan accredited contractor under the council's permit (we can do it)
Lincolnshire County CouncilStamford£300 for the council to build it, or £470 for a contractorthe county council, or an accredited contractor (we can do it)
Leicestershire County CouncilMarket Harborough, Great Bowden£300 to apply (plus £240 if a contractor builds it)the county council, or an accredited contractor (we can do it)
North Northamptonshire CouncilCorby, Kettering, Weldon£333 for the licence and inspectionan approved contractor (we can do it)

Fees from each council's website, checked October 2026. See dropped kerbs for the process in each town.

Completed jobs

Recent jobs like this

Finished brindle block paved driveway with a charcoal double border in front of a brick house in Ryhall

Block paved driveway and dropped kerb, Ryhall

Slabs and an old crossing replaced with a three-car block drive, channel drain and wider dropped kerb.

Full-width charcoal block paved driveway in front of a brick semi-detached house in Oakham

Charcoal block paved driveway, Oakham

A full-width charcoal herringbone drive with channel drains, built after a garage conversion at the same house.

Buff herringbone block paving with a charcoal double border leading to a red front door in Oakham

Buff herringbone driveway, Oakham

An extra space beside a townhouse drive, in buff herringbone with a charcoal double border.

Red brindle herringbone block parking bay beside a tarmac drive in front of a house in Oakham

Block paved parking bay, Oakham

A tarmac drive widened with a herringbone block bay and a curved soldier-course edge.

★★★★★

Rated 5.0 from 37 Google reviews

“Well what can I say about Rutland driveways that would make you seriously consider using them for your project I contacted them had a meeting with the team who was very informative with the level of inspiration I had ideas they had ideas and recommendations we bounced ideas to come up with the best option possible for my …”

Steven · Drive, walkway, patio and garden — Google review

“Rutland Landscaping did a fantastic job creating the Stone Garden patio at the rear of our garden. They arrived on time, worked efficiently and were exceptionally courteous throughout. Everything was kept clean and tidy, and their attention to detail was excellent. …”

CJ · Stone patio — Google review
Read the reviews
Questions

Things people ask us

How long will a block paved driveway last?
Properly built, 25 years and more. The blocks themselves outlast most of us; longevity is decided by the base and edge restraints.
Do block paved driveways get weeds?
Weeds grow in the jointing sand from above, not up from below. Regular sweeping and an occasional weed treatment keeps them away; sealing the joints reduces it further.
Block paving or resin — which should I choose for my driveway?
Block suits period properties, complex shapes and anyone who values repairability. Resin gives a seamless modern finish and is gentler underfoot. We install both, so you will get a straight answer rather than a sales pitch for whichever we happen to sell.
How much does a block paving driveway cost?
A block paved driveway typically costs £120–£170 per m² all in, so a two-car drive of 40–50m² is usually £5,500–£8,500. Premium or tumbled blocks add £15–£35 per m², and permeable block paving adds £20–£40 per m².
How long does it take to lay a block paved driveway, and when can I drive on it?
Most block paved driveways take four to seven days on site, with the dig-out and sub-base taking the longest. Unlike resin or concrete there is nothing to cure, so once the blocks are jointed and compacted the drive can take cars straight away. The jointing sand settles over the first few weeks and may need a light top-up.
Do I need planning permission for a block paved driveway?
Not if the water drains to a lawn, border or soakaway on your own land, or if you use permeable block paving. Standard block paving is treated as impermeable, so more than 5m² draining onto the road needs permission. Listed buildings, flats and Article 4 areas such as the Stamford conservation area are different; we check which applies at the visit.
Why do block paved driveways sink or rut?
Almost always because of what is underneath: too little sub-base, poor compaction, or water softening the ground below. Ruts follow the wheel lines and dips appear where trenches were never consolidated. We dig to suit the ground, build a 150mm MOT Type 1 sub-base compacted in layers, and restrain the edges in concrete so the field of blocks cannot creep.
Should a new block paved driveway be sealed?
Sealing is optional rather than essential. A good sealer locks the jointing sand, cuts down weeds and makes oil easier to lift, and some give a richer colour. It should only go on once the drive has weathered in and any white bloom has cleared, usually after some months, and it needs reapplying every few years to keep working.
What is the best block paving pattern for a driveway?
Herringbone, laid at 45 or 90 degrees, is the strongest pattern for a driveway because the blocks lock together and resist the twisting of turning tyres. Stretcher bond is fine for paths or lighter use and needs less cutting. On larger frontages a mixed-size pattern with a contrasting border stops the drive looking like a car park.
Can block paving be laid over an existing concrete or tarmac drive?
Sometimes, but it is rarely the best answer. Blocks need a sand laying course and somewhere for water to go; over solid concrete or tarmac the water sits in the sand and the blocks start to move. A sound, well-drained slab can occasionally act as the base, but more often we break it out and build a proper sub-base, and we say so at the visit.
What are the white marks on new block paving?
That is efflorescence, a white bloom of natural salts that comes out of new concrete blocks as they dry. It is harmless, does not damage the blocks, and weathers away on its own, usually within months. Avoid scrubbing it with harsh chemicals; leave it to clear before sealing so the bloom is not trapped under the sealer.
How do you clean a block paved driveway?
Sweep it regularly, pull or treat weeds as they appear in the joints, and wash it occasionally. Pressure washing works but blasts out the jointing sand, so the joints need re-sanding with kiln-dried sand afterwards. Lift fresh oil with an absorbent before it soaks in. For a full deep clean, re-sand and seal, see our block paving cleaning service.
Near you

Block paving driveways near you

Request a site visit

We measure up, check levels and drainage, and send a written proposal with the build-up, the programme and one whole price. No pressure and no follow-up sales calls.

Request a site visit Call 01572 344119
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